Agenda and minutes

            The Minutes of the meeting held on 28^th February 2018 having been circulated were signed as a correct record. The Chair thanked the previous Members of the Board for their contributions and welcomed the new Members of the Board. It was agreed that Councillor Teeling would be appointed to the Regeneration Working Party.

            The Board considered the Minutes of the meetings of the Executive Board relevant to the Environment and Urban Renewal Policy and Performance Board.

            RESOLVED: That the Minutes be received.

The Board received a report from the Strategic Director, Enterprise, Community and Resources, which presented the Performance Monitoring Reports for Quarter 3 and 4 of 2016/17.

The reports related to the following functional areas which reported to the Board and detailed progress against service objectives and milestones, and performance targets and provided information relating to key developments and emerging issues that had arisen during the period:

·         Development and Investment Services;

·         Highways and Transportation, Logistics and Development Services;

·         Waste and Environmental Improvement and Open Space Services; and

·         Housing Strategy.

            Arising from the discussion Councillor Howard requested a cost benefit analysis of the investment made by the Council at Sci-Tech Daresbury. It was agreed that this would be circulated to all Members of the Board.

            RESOLVED: That the third and fourth quarter performance monitoring reports be received and noted.

            The Board considered a copy of the Annual Report from the Chair of the Environment and Urban Renewal Policy and Performance Board 2017/18.

The full Board met on five occasions during the year and the report set out the work carried out and recommendations made throughout the Municipal Year April 2017 to March 2018.

RESOLVED: That the Annual Report be accepted.

            The Board considered a report of the Strategic Director, Enterprise, Community and Resources, which detailed a proposal to introduce a new Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) to provide enhanced powers to tackle dog fouling and other forms of irresponsible dog ownership. Members were requested to endorse the control measures that would be contained within the proposed PSPO. It was noted that in addition to the existing four controls which were included within the current PSPO, the following two would be added:

·         Restriction on the number of dogs walked at a time; and

·         Evidence of the means to pick up dog faeces.

            In addition, Members were asked endorse a public consultation exercise that would be carried out as part of its introduction. The consultation would take place over a 12 week period and a report outlining the results of the exercise would be presented to Members at a future meeting.

            RESOLVED: That

1.    the control measure proposed to be included in a new Dog Control Public Spaces Protection Order as set out in the report be endorsed;

2.    the proposed approach to public consultation as set out in the questionnaire be endorsed; and

3.    a further report be presented to Members of the Board providing details of the results of the public consultation exercise.

            The Board received a report of the Strategic Director, Enterprise, Community and Resources, which sought endorsement of a proposal for the Council to adopt the Liverpool City Region Highway Safety Inspection Framework (LCR Framework). This was based on a revised UK code of practice for highways authorities, Well Managed Highway Infrastructure published by the UK Roads Liaison Group (UKRLG). Local authorities had until October 2018 to adopt the risk-based approach.

            RESOLVED: That

1.    the Board endorse the adoption of the principles set out in Liverpool City Region Highway Safety Inspection Framework which has been written to reflect the Well-Managed Highway Infrastructure Code of Practice; and

2.    the Board recommend the Executive Board adopt a revised Council Highways Safety Inspection Policy based on the LCR Framework.

            The Board was advised that the following two new Regulations came into force on 1^st April 2018:

·         The Environmental Offences (Fixed Penalties) (England) Regulations 2017

·         The Littering From Vehicles Outside London (Keepers: Civil Penalties) Regulations 2018

            These Regulations provided local authorities with the ability to increase the Fixed Penalty Notice amounts for a range of environmental offences and also gave local authorities increased powers to tackle littering from a vehicle.

            The Council’s current Fixed Penalty Notice (FPN) level for the offences relating to littering, graffiti, fly posting and the distribution of printed matter was £80. Under the new regulations the Council could set a level of £150. However, it was recommended that the Council continued with the default level of £100 set by the new legislation. In addition, the Council had the discretion to offer a discount for early payment of an FPN. The Council had previously approved the time period for early payment discount as being within ten days. The amount payable for early payment in Halton was £75 and it was proposed that the Council continued with this amount and the discount period of ten days from the point of the FPN being issued.

            With regard to the FPN amount that should be set for littering offences, Members’ attention was drawn to the current FPN levels for dog fouling offences; which was £100, the maximum amount allowable under legislation. Therefore, it was proposed that maintaining FPN levels for a range of environmental offences at the default level of £100 would ensure that a consistent level of penalty charge was applied to both littering and dog fouling offences.

            RESOLVED: That

1)            A report be brought to a future meeting on the impact of those measures currently being undertaken to tackle littering in the Borough;

2)            Members endorse the proposed Fixed Penalty Notice amounts and discounts for early payment as set out in the report; and,

3)            A report be presented to the Executive Board recommending that;

a.    The Fixed Penalty Notice amount for offences relating to littering, graffiti, fly-posting and distribution of printed matter be retained at the default amount of £100;

b.    The Fixed Penalty Notice amount discounted for early payment be retained at the current amount of £75; and,

c.    The time period for early payment discount is approved as being within ten days.

            The Board considered a report of the Strategic Director, Enterprise, Community and Resources, which provided details of a public consultation exercise on the introduction of waiting restrictions along Holloway in Runcorn. Local residents and their ward Councillors originally raised the proposal in order to address rail commuter parking issues around Runcorn Station.

            It was noted that the following options to overcome the parking issues had been considered:

·         Double yellow line parking restrictions - would restrict parking for everyone at all times and this was not desirable;

·         Residents permit scheme - Residents parking schemes were considered by the Board in September 2009 and were discounted as an option (a summary of the current situation was included in Appendix B).  There were currently no plans to introduce Residents Only Parking schemes within Halton; and

·         Waiting Restriction Order – was considered to be the most appropriate option.

            RESOLVED: That the proposal to introduce waiting restrictions on Holloway, Runcorn was not supported on the grounds of the public objections received.