Agenda item

Scrutiny of Portfolio Holder - Community

Minutes:

Councillor Mrs Vivienne Chapman, the Community Portfolio Holder, had submitted a report highlighting key areas for her Portfolio and ongoing issues.

 

Green Waste Club - In response to a number of queries on the Green Waste Club, going forward, Councillor Mrs Chapman highlighted the following:

 

The Council’s contract with Biffa would end in February 2018, when the new joint contact with Amey would commence.

 

Biffa currently ran the Green Waste Club and arrangements had been made for a seamless transfer so that participating households would not experience any change. However, Biffa had now written to all Green Waste Club members seeking to retain their custom and asking members to pay in advance, for a new contract with Biffa for 2018.

 

Agreement had already been reached between the Council and Amey for that company to take over green waste arrangements. In effect, Biffa would be using new contracts agreed with existing members to collect commercial waste which would not be processed by Surrey County Council or Surrey Heath facilities. Residents taking up the Biffa offer would be without Council or Amey support if anything went awry.

 

A clear message to this effect had been issued in the recent edition of Heathscene and this message would also be conveyed on the Council’s web pages. Other steps to address this issue and the legal implications of Biffa’s actions would also be considered.

 

Street Cleansing – Members queried the scope of the survey which indicated that 96% of streets had been graded A or B, expressing concerns about the status of some roads in the Borough, including the area around Frimley Park Hospital and Station Road under the A322 By-Pass. Councillor Mrs Chapman confirmed that the survey was Borough-wide, but that she would take on board the comments raised and discuss those with the Council’s contractor. When residents called about a litter issue, the Council had a team which could react to one-off litter issues. However, neither the Council nor its contractor were authorised to enter private properties to remove litter.

 

Councillor Mrs Chapman reported that, when there was a requirement to clear highway land adjacent to dual carriageways, this Council had to liaise closely with both Surrey and Hampshire County Councils, as Highways Authorities, as, where possible, verge cleaning of dual carriageways was combined with sorting potholes and defective street lighting.

 

Community Services – Councillor Mrs Chapman briefed the Committee on developments in Community Services and in particular, partnership work with Runnymede Borough Council, including a shared manager and a range of far-reaching initiatives on dementia. In 2017/18, the Council would build on its partnership with Runnymede Borough Council, SCC Adult Social Care and the Surrey Heath Clinical Commissioning Group, to strengthen and develop new services for the community.

 

One recent initiative included a pilot study introducing integrated health management through various forms of technology in the homes of people with moderate dementia and a carer on site. Half of the households in the pilot will have technological aids introduced and a comparison will be made between those with and without this assistance.

 

The Service would also introduce, in the summer of 2017, a respite service in the Windle Valley Centre for 8 clients, plus up to 2 emergency clients each day when required. This recognised that both cared for and carers need assistance.

 

The Council was working in partnership with Surrey County Council, the Surrey Heath Clinical Commissioning Group and Frimley Park Hospital on a package for people returning home after being discharged from the hospital. These measures included providing an emergency telephone for a week, free food for 48 hours through Meals at Home and a code dial on the front door. Various follow-up services could also be provided at the clients’ request.

 

The Chairman thanked Councillor Mrs Vivienne Chapman for her detailed answers to Members’ questions and her briefing, particularly on innovative developments in Community Services.

 

Resolved, that the presentation be noted.

 

 

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