Agenda item

[Report of the Director of Environment and Neighbourhoods.  To be introduced by the Cabinet Member for Transformation and Public Realm Investment]

Adoption of a Cleaner Haringey strategy and delivery plan with enhanced focus on cleansing standards and enforcement actions.

The Cabinet Member for Transformation and Public Realm Investment introduced the report which sought approval for a Cleaner Haringey Strategy to provide a high-level framework to deliver on the Council’s ambition for Haringey to be a place with strong, resilient and connected communities where people can lead active and healthy lives in an environment that is safe, clean and green.  The report set out a plan to tackle four priorities: fight illegal rubbish dumping; keep streets free from litter and detritus; tackle graffiti and flyposting; and ensure waste is sufficiently contained in bins.

In response to Councillor Bull, the Cabinet Member advised that accumulated rubbish around train stations was not a unique problem to Haringey.  It was important to inform residents that this land did not belong to the Council, and it was time to put pressure on Network Rail to take responsibility for the accumulated rubbish on their land.

In response to Councillor Emery, the Cabinet Member advised that the Veolia pick up rate for flytipping was very high at 97%.  It was important to note that not all waste reported by residents was in the public realm and so could not be removed by Veolia.

RESOLVED to

1.         Approve the Cleaner Haringey Strategy as attached at Appendix 1 of the report.  

2.         Delegate authority to the Director of Environment & Neighbourhoods in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Transformation & Public Realm Investment, to make minor amendments to the Strategy as and when required.

Reasons for decision

The challenges of waste management in Haringey are substantial and an ongoing key concern for our residents and business owners. We know that these challenges will increase as more people move into the borough and more businesses decide to locate to Haringey on the back of our successful regeneration plans. 

We know from the work we have carried out over the last 18 months that a concerted effort, driven by clear priorities can deliver results.  Our success in tackling problematic fly tips, waste containment issues and increasing our engagement with local communities is evident.  We need to build on our work to date and believe that our Cleaner Haringey Strategy offers a framework that clearer sets out the challenges and concerns of our communities, understands the changing nature of our borough and offers four clear priorities, a set of deliverables and outcome measures for us to work towards and be held accountable for.

The Strategy has been informed by reviewing service data, resident surveys and member feedback. The Strategy outlines a number of short to medium term actions that will be undertaken within the remit of Waste Client that satisfy four priorities:

·                     Fight illegal rubbish dumping

·                     Keep our streets free from litter and detritus

·                     Tackle the blight of graffiti and fly posting

·                     Ensure waste is sufficiently contained in bins

Alternative options considered

Do Nothing

There is clear ambition in Haringey for a cleaner environment, as captured in the Borough Plan’s Place Priority. Doing nothing would not be consistent with this level of ambition.  The delivery of a Strategy offers a set of commitments and action plans to guide all the activities around creating a more attractive, and cleaner borough.

Alternative option

The Council could continue to deliver a Waste Service and improve its offer to its many residents and businesses through a number of separate related Strategies, Policies and Action Plans.  An overarching Strategy offers a joined-up framework for us to deliver on our promise, use resources effectively and more clearly link our waste improvement plans to wider priorities and strategies across the Council.