Agenda item

C Thorpe introduced the report to members. He explained that the dog waste bin contract went out to tender in 2013 and was awarded to TBS Hygiene Services. At the end of the contract, it was decided to move the service in-house and so the contract was extended for a further three months and is due to expire on 31^st March 2018.
There are 440 bins across the borough which are emptied on a weekly or bi-weekly basis. The service performance has been good, with a few complaints over the summer months about overflowing bins. Modelling suggests that the Council could make a revenue saving of £30k per year by phasing out the specialist dog bins and instead encouraging dog owners to use general litter bins. Officers have contacted colleagues in the Herts Waste Partnership to learn if any of them have undertaken similar projects. Other authorities have introduced stickers on general litter bins to educate the public and raise awareness.
Health and Safety issues are included in the report but other local authorities haven’t reported any. Staff that empty the bins are provided with gloves and other protective clothing.
The risks associated with Roundworm are incredibly small and it is considered that there is a greater risk from fox excrement left on the ground.
Human Resources are in discussions with the current service provider to determine whether TUPE applies which would enable the current operative to transfer into DBC’s ranks.
In readiness of this bins that have been in need of repair or replacement have been marked as “out of service” and dog walkers requested to dispose of their dog waste in the nearest litter bin located nearby and no complaints have been received so far. A further rationalisation of dog waste bins, and their location in relation to general litter bins, has been undertaken and it is envisaged that a further 176 dog waste bins could be removed. A further 78 bins require surveying. Dog waste bins hold 35 litres and general litter bins hold 110 litres.
To raise awareness of this change, there will a press release, increased signage to encourage responsible disposal of dog waste and ward councillors will be notified if any bins are due to removed in their local area.

Councillor Matthews asked if the contract extension could have been foreseen and avoided. He asked what the financial implications of extending the contract were.

C Thorpe said this contract had only recently moved under his service and felt there was not enough data to make a decision on the contract. It was extended to survey the current stock of bins and there has also been a delay trying to find out if TUPE applies.

Councillor Matthews referred to paragraph 8. He said some people go through litter bins to collect recyclables or to look for things to sell on. He asked what measures will be put in place to ensure that the public are aware of the risks in the bin.

C Thorpe said there will be stickers on the bins advising people that their waste can be disposed of in general bins. Also, there will be some promotion around how to wrap waste responsibly.

Councillor Timmis asked if C Thorpe could confirm if dog waste bins would only be removed if a general litter bin was in close proximity.

C Thorpe said that was correct.

Councillor Timmis said the villages in Dacorum have larger dog populations and small stickers are not obvious to the public. Large notices are needed to make people aware.

C Thorpe said he will be consulting with neighbouring authorities to find out what methods they use.

Councillor Ransley said the current dog waste bins have lids which contain the smell. Litter bins do not. Some of these bins are placed outside shops and restaurants which isn’t hygienic.

C Thorpe said the whole service will be reviewed including the placement of bins.

Councillor Birnie said he had an issue with removing dog bins in Bennetts End as spikes had been left behind and were a danger to pedestrians.

C Thorpe said he would take this into consideration.

Councillor Barrett asked if signs would be placed on redundant bins advising the public where the closest litter bin was.

C Thorpe said yes this will happen. Previously, signs have been left up for three weeks prior to removal.

Councillor Barrett referred to the report and said the council are paying £52k for 440 bins but North Herts pay £32k for 432 bins.

C Thorpe said this will be looked at.

Councillor Anderson said that in Kings Langley, there was a problem with dog fouling in three particular areas. At the time, there was no resources from the borough council to install new bins. The Parish Council bought four bins and paid the supplementary fee to have them emptied. He asked that with the service review, would these be transferred back to the borough council?

C Thorpe said this had not been thought about but it definitely something he would consider moving forward.

Councillor G Sutton suggested that the Dacorum Digest is used to remind people of the by laws surrounding dog waste and use resources to re-educate the public.

Councillor C Wyatt-Lowe said this was a good opportunity to encourage the proper disposal of dog waste. If the public can use general litter bins for their dog waste, they have access to double the number of bins. However, in the new Swallowfields development, there are no bins, general or dog waste.

Councillor Riddick said he was concerned about that health risks mentioned in the report but said he was unsure how this could be controlled. He said that private dog walkers use Boxmoor Trust land on a regular basis and dog fouling is becoming a problem. How does the council educate them or control the problem?

D Austin said the dog warden has visited this area several times and has spoken to the private dog walkers. She has also been to Grovehill where there are also problems. They have been co-operative and diligent and if the council receive reports of problems then these are thoroughly investigated.

Councillor Timmis asked if there was a limited to how many dogs can be walked by one person.

D Austin said there is no legal limit to the number of dogs in Dacorum. Some other Authorities have individually adopted their own laws to limit numbers

Councillor Anderson asked Councillor Marshall if she was satisfied with the risks assessment and that everything had been considered.

Councillor Marshall said she was satisfied to proceed as the risks were so small.

Councillor C Wyatt-Lowe asked if any other local authorities had reported any problems with this scheme.

Councillor Marshall said she did ask other authorities and no issues have arisen.

Outcome

Councillor Anderson proposed that the committee support the proposal with the following conditions:

1)    That communication of the changes to the public is maximised with for example the use of noticeable stickers on the bins.

2)    That the Council's procedures are updated to respond to situations where bins are overflowing or there are litter or dog-fouling problems.

3)    That ward councillors are notified ward by ward of the dog waste bins that are being removed.

4)    That where dog waste bins are removed, the whole structure is removed.

5)    That consideration is given to taking over the small number of additional dog waste bins bought by the parish councils.

Councillor Riddick seconded the proposal.

The Strategic Planning and Regeneration Overview and Scrutiny Committee approved the report.