Agenda item

CT Presented this report and confirmed that he would send out details of vehicles purchased etc.**  Action Point CT

CT said that in terms of reacting to Covid 19, in March over 80 staff were asked to complete a survey regarding this and as a result 25 were sent home. He confirmed that some members of staff had contracted Covid.  New staff were recruited and measures put in place to keep staff safe.

Parking Wardens were utilised to deliver letters explaining that there was difficulty gaining access to some bins. He said that the general public had been generous with praise and support. Supported waste collections were prioritised. Shifts were staggered with starts at 6:30 am and 7 am to help with social distancing and staff parking was reconfigured. An additional 8 vehicles from other services have been brought into use.

In CSG the same survey process was used and 20 members of staff were found to be vulnerable. 

Trees and Woodlands have been largely unaffected, although there has been an increase in the number of overgrown trees reported.

Fleet Services have 50% of staff identified as vulnerable and therefore unable to come into work. This has made the maintenance of vehicles challenging but it has continued.

The Environmental Health Awareness Team have been assisting on the admin side. Duties have included hiring in temporary members of staff, making sure that access to roads for the vehicles is clear and disposing of PPE.

Cllr Birnie congratulated the department on its performance and in putting levels of protection in place.

Cllr Timmis commented on the maintenance of hedges and verges saying that in rural areas they are appreciative that more wild flowers have been left uncut and she asked if there was any chance of the council planting wild flowers. Cllr Timmis also wanted to know with whom the responsibility for hedges lay.

CT replied that we are responsible for cutting some hedges and said that he would send a list of areas to the committee. He added that wild flower planting is already in use on the roundabouts and confirmed that they would be looking to extend this to other areas as part of climate change policy and increased bio-diversity.

Cllr Beauchamp asked when public toilets would be open.

CT said that he would speak to Assets and pass the answer on. ** Action Point CT

Cllr Beauchamp observed that he has seen the really good one way system that has been introduced in Marlowes and in the Town which seems to be working effectively and he asked if this could mean it would be a good time to open the walled garden.

CT replied that HCC had set up the systems in the town and they did seem to work well, and open spaces were being re-opened.  He pointed out that the walled garden only has one exit/entrance, but this could be looked into and he would let Cllr Beauchamp know. ** Action Point CT

Cllr Riddick said that the approaches to the town are neat and tidy but the  hedges on St Albans Road from Breakspear all the way down are overgrown and wanted to know if  they are due to be addressed. He also asked whether, when roundabouts are sponsored, we do the work and charge for it.

CT said that roundabouts are sponsored by a number of businesses and charged different amounts according to the work required, which we do for them. He added that hedges are cut twice a year in accordance with traffic management needs and this incurs a cost. They would have been done in December and CT will check when they are due again. ** Action Point CT

Cllr Anderson said that it can be complicated to find out who is responsible for hedges and verges. We do work for the County Council, but in rural areas it tends to be done by County directly so problems need to be reported to them in the first instance.  He added that wildflowers was a commitment of the council’s administration  that we would increase bio diversity in the borough. Although we are keen to promote wildflower areas, this has to be balanced so that the areas do not look untidy. He pointed out that the Walled garden was closed following a police request so we have to wait for them to say that it is ok to open.

Cllr Silwal asked a question about the status of staff that CT had said were off work.

CT explained that 32 are still off at the moment, and legal advice was being taken about bringing staff back to work. He confirmed that there is ongoing work on this and ensuring measures are taken to keep staff safe.

The report was noted.