An update on Wiltshire Council’s Street Cleaning Services for the area.
Officer: Adrian Hampton, Head Local Highway Weather Emergency Services, Highways and Streetscene - South
Minutes:
Adrian Hampton (Head Local Highways, Weather, Emergency Services and Highways and Streetscene – South) clarified what the new arrangements were for street cleaning in Wiltshire and in Salisbury in particular, highlighting the increase in the service’s overall budget in 2016/17 from £6.5m to £9.5m. He explained however, that these changes may well need to be reviewed following the decision on the transfer of assets to Salisbury City Council which had yet to be finalised. He highlighted how Salisbury was fortunate currently to have been given 37.5 hours (and a sweeper operative and a pressure washing service) a week for street cleaning, where as all other community areas only received 4 hours of the service a day. He also highlighted that elsewhere in the county, 30 town centres shared a sweeper, where as Salisbury has access to one every day.
Regarding litter on the A30 and A36, Adrian updated that this would be cleared during April to mid May 2016. Regarding litter picks organised and carried out by community groups, Adrian clarified that Wiltshire Council’s waste collection contractor would come to pick up the full plastic bags, unless these are carried out on non Wiltshire Council sites.
Regarding enforcement to stop litter, Adrian agreed that businesses needed to be reminded of their responsibilities, but that the long term approach needed to be education.
During the ensuing debate, the following further matters were clarified:
(a) Rebecca McZadeh (01722 438911) was the officer to contact regarding local street cleaning issues, although a review of first points of contact was currently underway and parishes would be informed of any changes
(b) In terms of local issues regarding street cleaning, i.e. which matters should be a local priority for cleansing (the removal of chewing gum was put forward) – the city council should ensure that these are made known to Rebecca in order to ensure the cleaning service is suitably focused.
(c) Wiltshire Council was the provider of last resort in terms of clearing litter from the A36, now that Highways England had made a policy decision not to clear
(d) Concern that the service helped to keep streets clean in the centre, but that outlying areas of the community area were not being attended to. Adrian suggested that the area board assess what the local priorities were in terms of street cleaning (whether this applied to the location or the item of waste to be cleared) and feed this back to him to see if adjustments could be made to the arrangements
(e) The board was advised to contact environmental enforcement officers about waste from businesses on Fisherton St
(f) Concern was raised that tarmac was being used to replace damaged paving slabs, in areas such as the square outside St Thomas's Church, the Poultry Cross, Butcher Row, the Blue Boar Row and the market place and Guildhall Square, with no regard for the history nor aesthetic characteristics of the city, Adrian agreed to look into the specific example which city councillor Matthew Dean would like investigated