City Forum on TECs Issues
Thursday 1st October 2009
Town House, Inverness at 7.00pm
Attendees
Provost Jimmy Gray
David Haas, City Manager
Jimmy Flint, Ward Manager
Stewart Wardlaw, Ward Manager
Cameron Kemp, Integrated Transport Manager
Debbie Maguire, Community Works Manager
Alan McKinnie, Waste Operations Manager
John Lee, Environmental Health Manager
Les Houlker, Area Technical Manager
Gordon Robb, Principal Trading Standards Officer
Peter Taylor, Education and Enforcement Officer
Inspector Liz Macleod, Northern Constabulary
Cllr Norrie Donald
Cllr Janet Campbell
Cllr Bet McAllister
Cllr Fraser Parr
Cllr Alasdair Christie
Cllr Ken Macleod
Jim Beaton – Glendoe Terrace Residents Association
Dawn Beaton - Glendoe Terrace Residents Association
Stephen Connah - Islands Court Owners Association
C Cameron – Hilton, Milton and Castle Heather Community Council
Jean Slater - Hilton, Milton and Castle Heather Community Council
Pat Hayden – Crown Community Council
George R Grieg – Inverness West Community Council
F Williamson – Inverness West Community Council
D McGrath – Smithton and Culloden Community Council
Munro Ross – Raigmore Community Council
Barry Kane – Dalneigh Community Council
Agenda
1. Introduction
Provost Gray welcomed everyone to the Forum. The Provost explained what TECs stands for (Transport, Environment and Community Services) and how they deliver to the public.
David Haas informed the Forum of how the 4 Ward Managers for the City work to support Elected Members and the Community. He urged everyone to make full use of the Ward Discretionary Budget and to maximise other funding sources to benefit their Wards.
He explained that this Forum is intended to help residents across the 7 City Wards to understand what TECs does within the City, how Services are delivered and to allow them to scrutinise this.
2. Community Safety
Inspector Liz Macleod passed on apologies from Chief Inspector Andrew Maclean. She welcomed questions from the floor.
Q What is the status of the proposed CCTV cameras in Ness Islands?
A David Haas informed the Forum that there has been careful analysis involving liaison between Northern Constabulary and City Councillors regarding how to address this situation and a report was taken to the City Committee. It was decided that the best way to address this would be more Community Engagement involving the Northern Constabulary and extra lighting in the Ness Islands.
Cllr Christie suggested that the gates be locked from 10pm – 7am during the Winter Festival to prevent a repeat of the vandalism which occurred last year.
Cllr Donald thought that there may be a problem with this as Ness Islands may be a right of way – David Haas confirmed this however stated that the requirements of the Land Reform (Scotland) Act will be complied with.
Q How many people have been prosecuted for litter dropping in the City Centre this year?
A Peter Taylor confirmed that there have been 4 fixed penalties issued for litter dropping. He also advised that it is unlikely that anyone would be prosecuted for this type of offence.
Q Considering the size of the population of Culloden (16,000), is it possible for a Sergeant to be located at Culloden Police Station?
A Inspector Macleod confirmed that there are currently 10/11 Officers based at Culloden Police Station and no plans at present for a Sergeant to be based there.
Q At the Burnett Road Police Station there were Cadets working at Reception – is it normal to have Cadets doing this rather than Receptionists?
A Cadets are trained in all aspects of Police work including Reception duties.
3. Debbie Maguire – Community Works Manager
Debbie Maguire gave a presentation that explained how she manages various front line services in the 4 City Wards and how she works closely with the Ward Managers to resolve any arising issues. These services are as follows:
• Street Cleaning – activities include litter picking, street sweeping and power washing
• Floral Displays; baskets and beds – the Bught Nursery provide all floral displays within the City and carry out duties such as flower bed maintenance and roundabout maintenance
• Parks and Open Spaces – activities include grass cutting and inspections and repairs to play equipment
• Enforcement – Officers visit schools and educate children on issues such as littering and dog fouling and patrols are carried out to identify offenders
• Public Toilets – there are 2 public toilets in Inverness which also provide baby changing facilities and lockers
• Roads Maintenance – activities include gully cleaning and winter maintenance
She explained the various duties that her team performs in order to maintain these services.
4. Alan McKinnie – Waste Operations Manager
Alan McKinnie gave a presentation about waste collection and disposal / recycling. He discussed the following topics:
• Refuse Collection – Until 2003/04 the only service provided was collection of waste from the green wheelie bin
• Kerbside Recycling – His team now collect garden waste (brown bin) and cans and paper (blue bin) to recycle
• Recycling Centre – this is at Henderson Drive and is the largest recycling centre in Highland. Last year it processed 12,500 tonnes of waste and managed to divert 67% from landfill
• Recycling Points – there are 14 recycling points in Inverness area.
• Disposal Costs – these are rising so Highland Council has actioned a “zero waste” policy. It is planned that by 2025 70% of waste will be recycled, 25% will be made up of post recycling residues with only 5% going to landfill
• Investment in Infrastructure – this will be required from 2010
5. Questions
Q Is there a possibility of the blue recycling boxes being replaced with wheelie bins?
A Rural areas currently have a 3 wheelie bin system – this may be available in the City in the future but not within the next 2 years.
Q Are gullies emptied regularly enough to prevent flooding?
A Gullies are emptied but may take up to 3 years to get around all the gullies as there is only one gully cleaner
Q Can this be sped up as the target was for them to be cleaned twice per year?
A This was the target but was not realistic. An audit of gullies in Millburn Ward was carried out and it was discovered that there was 2,500 gullies there alone. There is only one gully cleaner but it is hoped that a machine can be borrowed from Badenoch and Strathspey to help with catching up.
Q Why aren’t there any floral arrangements on Inglis Street this year?
A It was planned as part of the Streetscape Project to plant trees along Inglis Street but it was discovered that there was not sufficient space for the roots. Due to this there was no provision for hanging baskets but it may be possible for BID to provide these. Debbie Maguire will look into this.
Q Are there any plans to erect signs showing where the Tourist Information is?
A New signage was planned as part of the new Streetscape but has not been finalised yet. It is planned to be installed by March / April 2010.
Q Are there any plans for kerbside recycling of plastic?
A It is currently not a possibility as the collection vans are not large enough to carry more than the cans and paper. Plastic recycling facilities are available at Henderson Drive and anyone can go along there and leave items they wish to recycle.
Q In Glendoe Terrace tenants are not taking out or collecting their bins, can anything be done to enforce this?
A This is a problem in a lot of areas. Enforcement Officers put stickers on bins and if the tenant still refuses to co-operate they can write to them regarding it.
Provost Gray commented that if everyone had 3 wheelie bins and did not
take them in after collection then the pavements would become cluttered and
there would not be access for pedestrians.
Q TECs has overspent their budget this year, why is this overspend linked to street cleaning?
A This is because there has been increased cleaning in the City There was also a re - evaluation of wages for workers where their wages were increased which has lead to extra costs.
Q Why do all the additional services only cover the Old Town, when will rural areas get the same level of service?
A John Taylor, Community Works Manager, covers Landward areas. It is planned to hold a similar Forum dealing with TECs issues in Landward areas in the near future.
Q Why do residents now have to pay for Bulky Uplifts? Some residents cannot afford to pay for this service.
A This decision was resisted for a long time. 29 / 30 local Councils already charge for this service. In Highland area it has resulted in a reduction in waste going to landfill and a 30% increase at the recycling centre.
David Haas informed the Forum that the Council is aware that decisions made impact on members of the community and that there are a number of voluntary organisations working in the area which can help the public. Anyone who would like information should contact their Ward Manager / Elected Members.
Cllr Christie suggested that people on low incomes / benefits or the elderly should be exempt from paying for Bulky Uplift.
Q It is felt that the trees on the Millburn roundabout are not well maintained. Can TECs staff be trained how to prune / maintain plants and trees?
A Weeding on Millburn roundabout commenced 2 weeks ago. Debbie will pass comments on regarding pruning / maintenance.
Q The wooden planters at the Cathedral are badly rotten, can something be done about this?
A These have now been removed.
Q The maximum fine for fly tipping is £50, this is not adequate, what else can be done?
A The fine was set by the Government so can not be altered. Commercial fly tipping can be reported to SEPA who can issue a warning to the offender but once this has been done the Council cannot issue a fine or enforce them to remove the item. Currently the Council can make them remove the item and show a receipt from Munros proving that it has been disposed of correctly.
Q Will there be an improvement with leaf clearing this year?
A TECs try to keep on top of this and there are some high priority areas that they are aware of that require extra attention. Residents should contact TECs if they feel that there any specific problem areas.
Q 3 years ago the Mayor of Augsburg donated 50 roses to Inverness to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the town twinning. These roses are planted in Bellsfield Park but are not well cared for, why are they not being cared for properly?
A There is a full time member of staff at Bellfield who should be caring for the roses. Debbie Maguire will look into this further.
6. Cameron Kemp – Integrated Transport Manager
Cameron Kemp gave a presentation regarding the recent Streetscape works. He discussed the following points:
• Streetscape – works that have been carried out to improve the Inverness City Centre, to minimise traffic, and create a better environment – he is interested in hearing how other people view the new Streetscape areas.
• Streetscape Phase 2 – Stephen’s Street will be resurfaced in the same way as other areas have been. Crown Road Retaining Wall will be re-surfaced. There are plans to create bin stores on Baron Taylor’s Street to tidy it up and improve the appearance of the Street.
• Draft Local Transport Strategy – available on the Highland Council website detailing the framework for the next 3 years.
7. Gordon Robb – Principal Trading Standards Officer
Gordon Robb gave a presentation on Trading Standards. He stated that everyone is a consumer and that Trading Standards can offer free reliable advice to businesses and residents to try and protect them. He discussed the types of issues that Trading Standards deal with including the following:
• Regulation of Licensable Activities – licensing of Taxis and Second Hand Car Dealers etc.
• Weights / Measures – testing weighing and measuring systems
• Consumer and Business Advice – providing advice either on request as a response to short comings or by visiting schools and educating about consumer rights
• Protection from Unfair Trading Practices - deal with consumer complaints, seek sources of intelligence and resolve any issues
• Intellectual Property - pro- active role in the inspection of trade premises and facilities
Gordon Robb stated that it is difficult to set service delivery standards. He also informed the Forum that the Office of Fair Trading has published an in depth report Trading Standards which is available to anyone. He also mentioned that for every £1 the Council spends on Trading Standards the consumer saves £6.
8. John Lee – Environmental Health Manager
John Lee gave a presentation on Environmental Health. There are 5 main areas (relevant to urban areas) that it can be split into. These are as follows:
• Public Health – infectious disease control
• Food Safety – one of the most common roles involves visiting premises and dealing with complaints regarding unfit food and food preparation etc.
• Health and Safety – health and safety in the workplace and leisure premises and licensing for activities such as tattooists and piercists, street traders and caravan sites
• Pollution Control – this can be split into 3 areas:
o Environmental Issues
o Air Pollution
o Noise
• Housing – ensuring properties are kept in a certain safe condition and issuing Housing and Improvement Grants for things like adapting a home for a disabled person
9. Questions
Q The new Streetscape looks good but Academy Street requires work to be done, is this likely to happen?
A The core linked streets in the Old Town have been completed. The Capital Programme is currently being revised and it may be possible to do something about Academy Street. Traffic modelling will be required to look at reducing traffic.
Q Taxis are turning in the road by Marks and Spencers or at the Railway Station, what can be done?
A The Streetscene Stakeholder Group is dealing with this issue but this comment will be passed to the Chair of the Taxi Association and to Northern Constabulary.
Q The City is getting noisier. Street performers are playing music more loudly and the number of performances at Bught Park has increased. What can be done?
A The Police have control over buskers and can ask them to move on or serve them a notice. For public events like concerts at Bught Park noise levels are set and must be adhered to as per the licensing agreement.
Q The flats at Glendoe Terrace are due to be refurbished soon. There is a current problem that under the sewage system the pipes are corroded and dirty water is coming up through the washing machines. Will this be dealt with when the flats are refurbished?
A This is really a Scottish Water issue. Jimmy Flint stated that he would ensure that they be contacted regarding this. Environmental Health can investigate any pervading smell. It is hoped that this issue will be resolved once the flats are refurbished.
Q When will we get a bus shelter at morrisons on Millburn Road?
A This will be referred to TECs Public Transport Team for a response.
Q Will the new smooth granite surfaces in the Streetscape get slated in the freezing weather?
A These surfaces will be treated in line with the policy for footway treatment in the City centre.
Q Will the new flood wall at Ness Walk create pinch points in the new footway as it goes round the back of trees?
A The design of the wall will be able to accommodate the tree locations and leave sufficient space for the footway.
10. The meeting closed at 9pm