Decision Session – Executive Member for                         8 March 2023

Transport

Report of the Director of Environment, Transport & Planning

E-Petition – More bins, a clean city centre, surrounding areas and river’s embankments

Summary

1. The Council received an e-petition regarding cleanliness in the city centre and the provision of more bins. The e-petition ran from 15 April 2022 and closed on the 15 June 2022 and was signed by 26 signatories. A full copy of the e-petition is included in Annex 1 (please note that names have been redacted).

2. Public Realm are responsible for the cleanliness of the entire City of York Council area but also have a dedicated city centre cleansing team.  

3. This report details service changes that have happened over the last 12-15 months regarding the ‘city centre area’.

Recommendations

4. The Executive Member for Environment is recommended to:

i. Note the e-petition and its contents

Reason: To ensure that the views of the signatories of the e-petition and the content of the e-petition are considered.

ii. To note the service changes that have happened over the past 12-15 months regarding the city centre and arrangements to ensure the city centre is kept clean.

Reason: To reflect on the changes that have taken place and consider if there are further recommendations you wish to make to the service.

Background

City Centre Cleansing

5. The city centre cleansing team are based in Silver Street and they provide a seven day a week service and seek to maintain a clean and welcoming city centre for residents and visitors alike. This is no small undertaking with a vibrant day time and evening economy and therefore, the Council keeps its arrangements under regular review.

6. Over the past 2 years, footfall in the city centre has fluctuated as a result of the covid pandemic and the subsequent recovery in a post pandemic environment. In recent months we have seen a return to more normal levels of footfall across the city centre.

7. A number of operational changes have been made in the city centre over the past 12-15 months and these have been listed below for your information and consideration.

City Centre Bins

8. Over the past 12-15 months the service has made a number of changes to bin provision in the city centre areas in the following locations:-

· Parliament Street – increased capacity moving from 5 single bins to 5 double bins.

· Spurriergate - increased capacity moving from 1 single bin to 1 double bin.

· Coney Street - increased capacity moving from 1 single bin to 1 double bin.

· St Helens Square – provision of an additional double litter bin.

· Perky Peacock – provision of one additional single litter bin.

· Piccadilly – provision of one additional single litter bin.

· Dame Judy Dench Walk – provision of one additional double litter bin.

· Clifford Street - increased capacity moving from 1 single bin to 1 double bin.

· North Street - increased capacity moving from 1 single bin to 1 double bin.

· Duncombe Place - increased capacity moving from 3 single bins to 3 double bins.

· St Leonard's - increased capacity moving from 2 single bins to 2 double bins.

· Station (Royal York) – provision of one additional double litter bin.

· Six hooped litter bags have been installed along Esplanade and three hooped litter bags have been installed at North Street Gardens.

The bins and bags outlined above are emptied numerous times per day by the city centre cleansing team.

Commercial Waste

9. For the past 12 months, the Council have been undertaking a dedicated collection of bagged commercial waste on a Sunday morning. This has reduced the amount of time commercial waste is left between presentation of waste by businesses and collections undertaken by the Council.

Mechanical Sweeping

10. Mechanical sweeping takes place on a daily basis across the city centre. In addition, a dedicated early morning mechanical and manual sweep is also undertaken every Saturday and Sunday morning between 4 a.m. and 8 a.m.

Additional Resources

11. Additional resources have been deployed on a Saturday and Sunday to ensure that the city centre cleansing and emptying of litter bins is maintained during this busy period.

12. In the summer months, additional temporary resources are deployed in the early evenings across the city centre area to account for the very warm weather and the increased footfall / early evening economy.

Partner activities

13. The Council has supported activities undertaken by parts in the City Centre. For example, York BiD installed a number of picnic areas and seating areas during the covid pandemic and have retained a number of seating areas in select locations. The Council have supported this activity through additional bin provision being made at these sites whilst they have been operational.

14. The online map (on the Council’s website) that shows the exact locations of the litter and dog bins across the city (including the city centre) does need to be updated.

This work is being undertaken over the coming months to ensure that the details on the Council’s website are reflective of the current situation and show the increased numbers of bins provided in recent times.

Council Plan

15. The Council Plan has Eight Key Outcomes:

· Well-paid jobs and an inclusive economy.

· A greener and cleaner city.

· Getting around sustainably.

· Good health and wellbeing.

· Safe communities and culture for all.

· Creating homes and world-class infrastructure.

· A better start for children and young people.

· An open and effective council.

The actions detailed within the report contributes to the Council being an open and effective Council, a greener and cleaner city and a creating world-class infrastructure.

Implications

16. This report has the following implications:

Financial – Any further changes that have financial impact will need to be considered within the context of the overall budget.

Equalities – The Council recognises its Public Sector Equality Duty under Section 149 of the Equality Act 2010 (to have due regard to the need to eliminate discrimination, harassment, victimisation and any other prohibited conduct; advance equality of opportunity between persons who share a relevant protected characteristic and persons who do not share it and foster good relations between persons who share a relevant protected characteristic and persons who do not share it in the exercise of a public authority’s functions). The impact of the recommendation on protected characteristics has been considered as follows:

· Age – Positive a cleaner city makes it easier to for those walking around the city centre.

· Disability – Positive, a cleaner city removing any obstructions makes it easier to traverse for those with mobility issues.

· Gender – Neutral.

· Gender reassignment – Neutral.

· Marriage and civil partnership– Neutral.

· Pregnancy and maternity – Neutral.

· Race – Neutral.

· Religion and belief – Neutral.

· Sexual orientation – Neutral.

Other socio-economic groups including:

· Carer – Neutral.

· Low income groups – Neutral.

· Veterans, Armed Forces Community– Neutral.

Risk Management – The Public Realm service has undertaken a number of developments in the city centre over the past 12-15 months or so. The task of cleansing the city centre is not an easy one and teams work tirelessly, across seven days, to keep the city as clean as possible. Issues can and do inevitably arise that need to be managed.  The Council also works closely with partners (such as the York BiD) to ensure the city is clean.

 Contact Details

Author:	Chief Officer Responsible for the report:
Ben Grabham Head of Environmental Services Ben.Grabham@york.gov.uk Wards	James Gilchrist Director of Transport, Planning and Environment
	Report Approved	ü	Date	28/02/2023
Affected:  City centre					All
For further information please contact the author of the report

Annexes:

Annex A – Copy of E-Petition