PART 1
ITEM NO.
(OPEN TO THE PUBLIC)
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REPORT OF THE LEAD MEMBER FOR ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES
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TO THE :
CABINET
ON :
TUESDAY 27TH NOVEMBER 2001
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CONTACT OFFICER:
M C THORPE
TEL NO: 0161 925 1001
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TITLE:
A REVISED METHODOLOGY FOR THE DELIVERY OF THE
STREET CLEANSING SERVICE
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RECOMMENDATIONS: THAT THE REVISED APPROACH TO STREET
CLEANSING BE NOTED.
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: TO INFORM OF REVISED WORKING
ARRANGEMENTS DESIGNED TO IMPROVE THE CURRENT SERVICE
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BACKGROUND DOCUMENTS: (available for public inspection) None
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WARD(S) TO WHICH REPORT RELATE(S) please delete those not applicable
All Wards
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KEY COUNCIL POLICIES please delete those not applicable
Best Value
Budget Strategy
Community Strategy
Crime & Disorder
Employee Matters
Environmental Strategy
Health
Performance Management
Waste Management
Revised Methodology SC Service 20.11.01
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DETAILS
1.
INTRODUCTION
The purpose of this report is to keep members informed of substantial
operational changes that are being made to the Street Cleansing Service, to
improve the environment of the City of Salford.
These changes are the latest in the Directorate’s environmental maintenance
approach by incremental improvement across all our streetcare services. We
addressed a major change in refuse collection with improved service and
reduced cost to the value of £150K.
Now improved street cleansing and
enhanced mechanisation without cost increase is to be delivered. The next
phase is recycling, including kerbside collection, which will need substantial
investment as there is currently no budgetary support.
Changes in service delivery and productivity, in Street Cleansing, have seen
the frequency of service in residential estates, reduced from twelve weekly
cycle in 1998, to eight weekly cycle in 1999, to four weekly cycle at the start of
2000.

In 2001, it was possible to introduce the concept of Mini Mechanical
Sweepers (six having been delivered in March 2001). They have, by
general consent, proved a success.

Early in 2001, a substantial amount of litter bins were sited throughout
the City, taking the number of litter bins in the Community to over 1000.
A full service review has been carried out during the Spring and Summer of
2001, to:-
Revised Methodology SC Service 20.11.01
a)
Comply fully with the requirements of the Best Value Review (Street
Care) and
b)
To address and comply with the Council Mission and pledges to :
Create the best quality of life for the people of Salford.

Create a clean and healthy City, to live and work in.

Create a stronger community, making it a better place to live.
Specifically, all main roads will be cleaned weekly and every other
street every three weeks with a specified day of cleansing notified to all
our communities. This specified day is innovative and we are probably
the first authority in the Country to do this.
2.
CONSULTATION
The changes, described below, have come about by working jointly with the
workforce, trade union representatives and Management Services. During
the course of the Summer, a working group, consisting of representatives of
the above and internal Senior Management, have met on a regular basis to
restructure the service provided, to :
Provide a service that meets demand

Increase the frequency of the service

Make greater use of expensive vehicles and machinery

Increase the coverage of service provided, i.e. week-end / nights
A full staff meeting was held at Buile Hill on 1 st August 2001, to explain the
proposed changes. At this meeting, several suggestions were made and a
final working group met on the 7th September 2001, to agree a way forward.
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3.
OUTCOME
The working party agreed that a more productive service could be achieved
by greater use of the Mini Mechanical Sweepers.
a)
The proposal was to reduce the number of staff employed on the
service, by voluntary redundancy or severance, from 75 to 64 (59 day
shift – 5 night shift).
b)
Following agreement with the Lead Members, and Directors of
Corporate Services and Personnel, it was agreed that the savings,
from staffing reductions, be re-invested into provision of additional Mini
Mechanical Sweepers.
This enabled a further five machines to be
procured, making 11 in total.
c)
Using the additional resources, Management Services were able to
programme in a three week cycle on residential estates, by having a
team of large and mini mechanical sweepers working together.
d)
To enhance the night service, the evenings were covered by three
operatives, but the new night service will entail five operatives, each of
which will be responsible for one route, which is basically based upon
the current gritting routes. A flexible approach has been agreed, that
will enable the use of the large sweeping machines and mini
mechanical sweepers, as the need requires, i.e. channels swept with
the larger machines, pavements with the mini sweepers.
Other areas that are inaccessible during the day, i.e. central
reservations, bollards etc., will be cleaned by the night service.
e)
The litter bins will be emptied on a daily basis, seven days a week.
Instead of the current two-man operation on Saturday, Sunday, and
Bank Holidays, it will become a one-man operation.
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f)
The residual “bantam” maintenance teams will consist of a driver, plus
labourer and will be responsible for daily litter removal from areas
outside shops frontages and schools and on specific grassed amenity
areas etc.
g)
The week-end service has been enhanced. On Saturdays, there will
be two shifts operating :
7.00 a.m. to 11.00 a.m. - Ten Mechanical Sweeper teams will
be in operation. Again, the flexibility between the larger and
mini machines has been negotiated, which will enable us to put
a
balance
out
that
meets
that
particular
week-end’s
requirements.

3.00 p.m. to 7.00 p.m. - A second shift operating, consisting of
five mechanical sweepers, which will operate in the shopping
areas of Salford Precinct, Eccles Precinct, Swinton Town
Centre, Walkden Town Centre, and deal with the football traffic
at places such as Trafford Road and Salford Rugby Ground. In
addition, there will be the five operatives responsible for litter bin
emptying.

The Sunday shift will be 7.00 a.m. to 11.00 a.m. and will consist
of ten mechanical sweepers, plus the five operatives for litter bin
emptying.
If any member wants to see the new three weekly comprehensive
schedules in any detail, then they can be viewed by contacting
David Robinson, Refuse Services Manager on 0161 925 1002.
h)
It was agreed to adopt the same principle as the Refuse Collection
Service Review, by appointing a Team Leader for the day time
sweeping operation and another for the Night Shift.
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i)
It must be pointed out that the move to increased frequency has fully
utilised the resource availability and the ability to respond to individual
area requests, where a three week cycle is alleged not enough,
because of the nature of the area, is not automatically possible, unless
those areas benefit from additionality in the service, through alternative
or external funding, e.g. SRB, NDC, etc. There will now be only one
reactive Hit Squad, beyond those supported by additionality, but the
balance had to be struck when devising a more proactive approach to
the service to enhance the routine, for the benefit of all, against the
reaction to areas where there is a perceived lack of care by the
community.
4.
IMPLEMENTATION
a)
To enable a move to implement the new service, the following has
taken place :
Complete the eleven VER / VS - effected by 19th October 2001.

Order and take delivery of five new Mini Mechanical Sweeping
machines - completed.

Complete Mini Mechanical Driver Training
-
twenty five
members of staff have now been trained.

Complete Gully Operation Training
-
three operatives have
been trained, and more to be done.

Appoint two Team Leaders and Deputies
-
completed
12th November 2001.

Appoint Night Shift - completed 5th November 2001.
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
Appointments to Hit Squad, new mini-mechanisation posts etc.,
- completed by end of October 2001.

Completion of three weekly schedules via Management
Services - completed 26th October 2001.

Training operatives and supervisory staff in the design of the
new schedules.

Some staff are currently receiving driver training - this is ongoing.
b)
Having now completed all new appointments and relevant training, the
new service will be commencing on MONDAY 26TH NOVEMBER 2001,
with a public launch of the service proposals; new vehicles; the publicly
chosen strapline “Think Green, Think Clean – don’t rubbish Salford”;
and our litter campaign in week commencing 19 th November, 2001.
Members will be advised of arrangements for this launch.
5.
FUTURE DEVELOPMENTS
Having completed the practical steps as described above, it is now necessary
to consider on-going strategy to enhance and develop the environmental
standards demanded by the Council, Communities, and residents we serve.
There are four aspects that need to be developed :-
a)
A comprehensive campaign to inform the public of the new service
changes and how they affect the Community we serve. In particular,
the need to publicise the new three weekly cycle, that residents can
expect to receive on a given day and that residents must assist by
allowing access to the street, i.e. not to park on the street on the day of
the scheduled service.
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All media is being considered, i.e. computerised access, leaflets,
pamphlets, etc.
b)
To develop Performance Management systems that will monitor the
performance of the revised service and the outcomes in terms of
cleanliness standards. Project work has begun, using vehicle tracker
systems to be able to prove when streets have / have not received a
service. The first trial has not proved successful, but work is still ongoing.
c)
To provide additional litter bins, by use of all available means, i.e.
Council funds, devolved Community Budgets, Planning Conditions,
sponsorship, etc.
d)
More important, is that the Council needs to develop and invest in more
Education and Enforcement of the Litter Legislation, to educate the
public to support the Council’s mission and pledges, to ensure a
cleaner and healthier environment for all, is provided.
Linked into this approach is the need to involve the work of the
Community / Town Wardens, Park Rangers etc.
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