Agenda and minutes

Please note that this meeting may be filmed or recorded by the Council for live or subsequent broadcast via the Council’s internet site or by anyone attending the meeting using any communication method. Although we ask members of the public recording, filming or reporting on the meeting not to include the public seating areas, members of the public attending the meeting should be aware that we cannot guarantee that they will not be filmed or recorded by others attending the meeting. Members of the public participating in the meeting (e.g. making deputations, asking questions, making oral protests) should be aware that they are likely to be filmed, recorded or reported on. 

By entering the meeting room and using the public seating area, you are consenting to being filmed and to the possible use of those images and sound recordings.

The chair of the meeting has the discretion to terminate or suspend filming or recording, if in his or her opinion continuation of the filming, recording or reporting would disrupt or prejudice the proceedings, infringe the rights of any individual or may lead to the breach of a legal obligation by the Council.

The Cabinet Member referred those present to agenda Item 1 as shown on the agenda in respect of filming at this meeting and asked that those present reviewed and noted the information contained therein.

The Chair will consider the admission of any late items of urgent business.

Late items will be considered under the agenda item where they appear. New

items will be dealt with at item 7 below.

None

No Declarations of Interest were received.

The report will seek Cabinet Member approval to engage the services of Kingdom Security Limited to provide a dedicated litter enforcement team initially on a nine month trial, commencing December 2016.

Cabinet Member approval was sought to engage the services of Kingdom Security Limited to provide a dedicated litter enforcement team, on an initial trial basis lasting nine months, to commence in December 2016.

Cllr Carter commented that engaging Kingdom Security Ltd seemed a sensitive issue, in light of a recent newspaper article and the experiences of some other local authorities who had employed Kingdom. As a result, Cllr Carter advised that he approved of adopting a trial period.  In response to a request to ensure that the body cameras used by Kingdom enforcement staff were switched on at all times, officers acknowledged that this would be the case and advised that the purpose of the body cameras was to ensure that there was a record of interactions with members of the public. The Chair advised that body cameras were also used by Civil Enforcement Officers.

Cllr Carter requested clarification on how the process would be monitored and how the trial period would be assessed. The Head of Community Safety and Enforcement advised that he was responsible for monitoring and evaluating the trial period and that the litter enforcement team would report directly to him. The Head of Community Safety and Enforcement also advised that he would be responsible for monitoring the performance of the team and handling any complaints that came through. The Head of Community Safety and Enforcement would review footage from the body cameras in the event that a complaint was received and would therefore, be able to ensure that the body cameras were switched on. The Kingdom enforcement team would be co-located with the Enforcement team and Council staff would have daily interactions with the team, management would ultimately be responsible for tasking Kingdom staff to areas around the borough.

Cllr Carter enquired what the procedure would be for an appeal to one of the Fixed Penalty Notices (FPN) issued. The Head of Community Safety and Enforcement advised that the appeal would be made to Kingdom directly, but that part of the escalation process would require management to review the complaint and the accompanying footage if the resident remained unsatisfied.  The Head of Community Safety and Enforcement advised that there was no external body involved in reviewing any complaints received, but that the Council had an existing complaints procedure which could also be utilised in response to any complaints received regarding Kingdom.

Cllr Carter asked officers to give an example of how the process of issuing an FPN worked and sought clarification on the recovery rate involved.  The Head of Community Safety and Enforcement advised that as soon as the officer approached an individual the body camera would be switched on, the officer would then identify himself to the person in question and explain that it was a criminal offence to drop litter or to engage in flytipping. The officer would attempt to secure the details of the person involved and a Fixed Penalty Notice would then be issued. The Chair advised that Kingdom operated in Enfield  ...  view the full minutes text for item 13.

That the press and public be excluded from the remainder of the meeting as the item below contains exempt information as defined under paragraph, 3 and 5 Part 1, schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972.

That the press and public be excluded from the remainder of the meeting as the items below contain exempt information, as defined under Paragraph 3, Part 1, Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972.

The report will seek Cabinet Member approval to engage the services of Kingdom Security Limited to provide a dedicated litter enforcement team initially on a nine month trial, commencing December 2016.

Noted the information contained within the Exempt Part B of report.

To consider any new items of urgent business admitted under item 2 above.

N/A