Agenda item

1.

Question from Councillor David Willingham to Cabinet Member Clean and Green Environment, Councillor Chris Coleman

A number of roads in St Peter’s are blessed with mature street trees.  However, in the autumn these trees deposit significant quantities of leaves on the roads and pavements.  Recognising that Ubico only have limited resources, and that in some places mechanical street cleansing is prevented by high occupancy levels of on-street parking, could the cabinet member please advise how different roads in the town have been assessed and prioritised for autumn leaf clearance, and whether/what influence ward members can have on this prioritisation process?

Response from Cabinet Member Clean and Green Environment

I can confirm that all roads are reviewed by Ubico considering factors such as foot fall, traffic and leaf fall which results in a prioritised schedule delivered within available budget and resources, i.e. the availability of manual staff and mechanical sweepers.  In addition, Ubico respond to any ad hoc requests from residents or members which result in week by week amendments to the prioritisation schedule.  If Members wish to report any areas where there is a build-up of detritus or leaf fall to help better prioritise the cleansing schedule please e-mail:[email protected]

As Councillor Willingham points out, deep cleansing of roads involving coning off of roads and restricting on street parking for a few hours enabling mechanical sweepers to gain access to all gullies along with manual staff to dig out and clear any build-up of detritus and fallen leaves requires the assistance of residents.  Parked cars need to be temporarily moved and parked elsewhere to enable these operations to take place and maximise the results.  Where possible Ubico try to co-ordinate with Gloucestershire Highways to ensure drains can also be cleared and unblocked below the surface.

Cleansing activities are normally scheduled in the mornings and the Autumn cleansing operations have already started (leaf fall).  As part of the review of street cleansing, full details will be available on the Council’s website in the next few weeks and officers will write out to all members when this is complete.   I would be pleased to arrange a member briefing if members felt this was useful and a suitable date can be found. 

Residents will be able to follow us on Facebook, Instagram and twitter to find out what is going on with street cleansing and leaf clearing going forward.  The planned street cleansing operations I have referred to are currently publicised in advance by signage and bollards at the location due for deep cleansing. 

Unfortunately the quality of the end result of the cleansing activity is sometimes diminished by a lack of access where parked vehicles cause obstructions.  Ubico have no powers to require the public to move their vehicles and on these occasions cleansing activities cannot be completed or take place at all.

I would like to thank all the residents that do assist in ensuring roads are clear of parked cars for cleansing activities to take place and also all those residents who help clear up and bag up leaves from all our wonderful mature trees across the borough.

2.

Question from Councillor David Willingham to Cabinet Member Clean and Green Environment, Councillor Chris Coleman

Given the complex entanglement of responsibilities and logistics between Gloucestershire County Council, Cheltenham Borough Council and Ubico for street cleansing, street trees, management of on-street parking and gulley drain clearance, could the cabinet member please advise whether there is co-ordination between the authorities on the delivery of these services, and if not what is being done to try to improve that situation?

Response from Cabinet Member Clean and Green Environment

The point Councillor Willingham makes is well made.  I am pleased to say that discussions have already started between Gloucestershire County Council, Cheltenham Borough Council and Ubico to ensure a more efficient and better co-ordinated approach can be identified which builds on the co-operation that currently takes place where deep cleansing in streets is taking place to ensure drains can be cleared and unblocked below the surface.

3.

Question from Councillor David Willingham to Leader of the Council, Steve Jordan

In the report on the Cyber Central SPD consultation, following the Council’s declaration of a climate emergency, the Council rightly discusses ensuring the development is carbon neutral.  Given that the climatic impact from anthropogenic carbon dioxide is already destabilising weather patterns and causing extreme weather events to occur more frequently, there is a need for new developments to not just be carbon neutral, but to be carbon negative, and to sequester carbon dioxide.  If consultation responses indicate a public desire for this development to be carbon negative, could the leader of the council please ask officers to advise whether current central government planning policies would allow this council to make delivery of a carbon negative development an enforceable planning condition for this site as part of this SPD?

Response from the Leader

Sustainability and responding to the broader climate change agenda is a key driver for the Cyber Central SPD.  However, in the context of future development proposals all planning matters will need to be assessed in the context of their contribution to the strategic principles and objectives as set out in JCS policies and the SPD.  Specific objectives within the SPD include;

• Sustainability
• Land use
• Landscape
• Movement

The purpose of the SPD is to guide future planning applications by driving quality, innovation and design.  It will be for the development management process to balance demands arising from future proposals and understanding the impact on deliverability, including viability.

Current planning policies, both national and local (via JCS and Cheltenham Plan) are positive in encouraging positive interventions through planning to the climate change agenda, but currently do not have the strength in legislation sitting behind them (for example Building Control Regulations). The preparation of the SPD gives the local planning authority clear guidance within which to negotiate across future planning proposals and through the consultation on the SPD we can test the appetite to further stretch the sustainability agenda.

Rhetoric in the lead up to the general election across all parties highlighted the demands arising from climate change and whilst legislation is currently lagging behind, we fully expect this will change during the coming months and will do all we can to encourage that to happen.