REPORT OF THE STRATEGIC DIRECTOR OF ENVIRONMENT, AND
STRATEGIC DIRECTOR OF HOUSING AND PLANNING, TO LEAD
MEMBERS FOR ENVIRONMENT, AND HOUSING AND PLANNING
THE MANAGEMENT AND DELIVERY OF STREET SCENE SERVICES
1.0
Introduction
1.1.
Following last year’s Strategic Review of Governance there was a proposal to
allocate Street Scene Coordination and Inspection to the Environment
Directorate.
1.2
Since the implementation of the Review there appears to be some
misunderstanding of the actual outcome of this change, in terms of actual service
delivery, and subsequent relationships between Street Scene partners, not least
Housing and Planning Directorate, and Urban Vision Limited.
1.3
The purpose of this report is to describe and clarify the management and delivery
of Street Scene Services and the effective partnership relationships, which have
developed, over recent months, to improve the Services and create “Joined Up
Street Scene Services, through the Think Customer Initiative.
2.0
Background
2.1
There have been several instances recently where members, and Senior
Officers, have appeared to be misinformed about the provision of street scene
maintenance and infrastructure. Discussions ensued at the Cabinet Member
Political Meeting, on 1st March 2005, where there was consideration of the
effectiveness of Street Scene Services and liaison between the key delivery
partnerships to deliver an holistic joined up approach.
2.2.
The issue was also raised at the Quarterly Performance Evaluation Meeting
between the Leadership and the Environment Directorate’s Senior Management,
on 9th March 2005, where the assumption of Street Scene Management
responsibilities were not reflective of the real position e.g. responsibility for fly
posting removal/cleaning of car parks/etc.
2.3
The view that the Environment Directorate is now responsible for all Street Scene
activity can be understood by perceived allocations in the new Organisational
Structure Chart, and the fact that the Directorate is leading on the Think
Customer Initiative on “Joining Up Street Scene Services” but, in reality, it is only
a partner, albeit significant, in delivery of the Street Scene agenda. In fact,
neither through the Strategic Review of Governance, nor the Think Customer
Initiative, has there been any transfer of resources, either human or financial, to
facilitate holistic management of the Street Scene, as a single point of delivery.
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3.0
The Strategic Review of Governance
3.1
The Review initially identified that the Client Side of Highways, i.e. maintenance;
street lighting; accident claims; and the Direct Labour Organisation, would
transfer to the new Environment Directorate. This proposal would have created
more of a direct management relationship, for highway and street scene
maintenance, with the newly formed Joint Venture Company of Urban Vision.
However, the proposal was amended as the Review progressed.
3.2
It was considered, and accepted, by Cabinet, that there was no point in splitting
the Client for highways maintenance from the main JVC client, which would
remain with the new Housing and Planning Directorate, as it was basically a
Strategic Function, with the operational highway infrastructure services already
planned to transfer to the JVC. Indeed there was an understanding that most of
the Client Function would be embedded in the JVC, on a “soft split” basis.
3.3
It was also considered that any functional transfer to the Environment Directorate
should only relate to reactive inspection and coordination of street scene
functions, in line with the Think Customer proposals, as this would allow reactive
maintenance to be fed to, and dealt directly by, the JVC. Also insurance tripping
claim management would remain with the JVC.
3.4
There was also a conscious decision of the need to retain the Housing and
Planning Directorate as the Highway Authority.
3.5
As Street Scene was perceived to be a cross-cutting portfolio, then partnerships
would be required, and these decisions, of the Cabinet, during the Strategic
Review, where street scene responsibilities were split, were not considered to be
detrimental.
3.6
Following these conclusions, at a Political level, as part of the Strategic Review
of Governance, regular meetings were held between the then Environmental
Services, and Development Services Directorates, to ensure “Structural
Alignment of Street Scene Services between the Environment Directorate,
Housing and Planning Directorate, and the Joint Venture Company”. This
resulted in a report to the then Lead Members for Environmental, and
Development Services, in October 2004 (See Appendix 1). This report, and the
proposed course of action, was agreed for implementation.
3.7
This clearly identified that development of effective “Think Customer”
partnerships pre-empted the need for combined inspection, within one
Directorate, by achieving an alternative integrated and collaborative approach.
3.8
It was also agreed that, to ensure the effectiveness of this approach, there would
be Inter-Directorate meetings between Lead Members and Strategic Directors of
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Housing and Planning, and Environment, underpinned by appropriate officer
meetings, including the JVC.
4.0
“Think Customer - Joining Up Street Scene Services”
4.1
Concurrent with the Strategic Review of Governance, the Environment
Directorate has led on the above theme. The objective was to develop a
collaborative working model, that cuts across all partner organisations, in an
attempt to improve Street Scene.
4.2
This clearly identified that Street Scene Management and Service Delivery has
many players, beyond the local Directorates of Housing and Planning, and
Environment, and the new Urban Vision Limited. Other key partners are NPHL;
Community Safety; the Police; Environment Agency; Utilities, etc. Therefore,
again, rather than a single point of Service delivery, the importance rests in
collaboration, for speedy and effective receipt of requests for service; service
delivery; and customer feedback and liaison.
4.3
Much has been achieved, although this is a theme which will continue to roll out,
over time, as developments occur and if investment opportunities arise. It has to
be pointed out that investment, via Think Customer, or Revenue Support Growth
bids, for such developments as eight Street Scene Enforcement Officers, has not
been forthcoming, and therefore enforcement integration, across the Street
Scene is difficult.
4.4
Outcomes pursued, or achieved, include:-
-
Single point of access for customer contact on all street scene services.
-
Reciprocal reporting of street scene issues between relevant Council
Directorates, NPHL, and the proposed JVC.
-
Integrating Street Scene into Neighbourhood Management.
-
Use of shared methodologies and information technology to facilitate street
scene data transfer
-
Provision of Service Standards and Promises for Community Monitoring against
expectations.
-
Development of a Contract Specification to ensure maintenance of collaborative
working with the JVC on street scene management.
-
Proposals to extend and enhance Street Scene enforcement activity.
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-
Joint initiatives with external partners, such as the Environment Agency, to deal
with fly-tipping, etc.
-
Development of the “Eyes and Ears” initiative with the Police.
4.5
Specific detailed reports on these outcomes are presented in other forums and it
is not the intention to give that level of detail in this report.
5.0
Neighbourhood Management
5.1
The “Cleaner, Safer and Greener” agenda, and Liveability at the local level, are
key agenda items, within the Neighbourhood Management concept, and demand
actions, at Street Scene level, if we are to make a difference. For this reason,
the Environment Directorate has played a leading role on the Neighbourhood
Management Implementation Group; the Executive Group; and, most
importantly, at Neighbourhood Management Team level, with eight Directorate
representatives.
5.2
As part of the development of Urban Vision Limited, and following detailed
discussions between the Managing Director of Urban Vision and the Deputy
Director of Environment, it was agreed that the collaborative liaison model being
established, would result in the Environment Directorate representatives, on
Neighbourhood Management Teams, being the “eyes and ears” for Housing and
Planning Directorate, and Urban Vision Limited, until urban Vision could establish
its own representation. This further confirms the effective Street Scene
partnership, which has been established, within the Council, to develop seamless
services, where possible.
6.0
Conclusions
6.1
The Management and delivery of Street Scene Services, as can be seen from
the foregoing, is a complex mix of partner organisations.
6.2
The Strategic Review of Governance; the Think Customer Initiative:
Neighbourhood Management: and effective internal liaison, has ensured a more
holistic; joined-up and responsive street scene service providers.
6.3
The process of improvement is continuous but Members, and colleagues, must
appreciate that, whilst strategically street scene should be, and will be, holistic in
nature, operationally there are discrete service providers. Each holding their
own budgets. In practice this means that there is not any material change in
what gets done, e.g. flyposting is the responsibility of Housing and Planning
Directorate, not Environment, although common perception is that this type of
problem is no different to fly tipping or graffiti.
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6.4
Only a further review of functional allocation, with the necessary provision, or
transfer of resources, can alter this operational mix. There could be some minor
tweaking of the structure where areas of responsibility could be consolidated
within the Environment Directorate, such as those areas of enforcement, within
the Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Bill, like flyposting and removal of
advertisements, currently the responsibility of Urban Vision Limited.
6.5
Also, there has been previous discussion about the establishment of a “grey
budget”, along similar lines to the “green budget”, where Directorate resources to
address such issues as flytipping, where the individual Directorates have a
responsibility, for their own land, is ringfenced and managed directly by the
Environment Directorate, for early resolution of environmental degradation. This
reduces bureaucracy, and delay, and was supported by the Best Value
Inspectorate during the Review of Highways and Streetcare (2002). It could also
address issues like cleaning of car parks currently outside the routine cleansing
programme.
6.6
It is hoped that this report has described fully, and clarified, the management and
delivery of Street Scene Services.
7.0
Recommendation
7.1
That Members note this report and provide comment on the current and future
arrangements for Street Scene management.
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APPENDIX 1
REPORT TO LEAD MEMBER
RE: STRATEGIC REVIEW OF GOVERNANCE-STRUCTURAL
ALIGNMENT OF STREET SCENE SERVICES BETWEEN THE
ENVIRONMENT DIRECTORATE, HOUSING AND PLANNING
DIRECTORATE, AND THE JOINT VENTURE COMPANY
1.0
Introduction and Background
1.1
The recently adopted Strategic Review proposals allocated street scene coordination and inspection to the new Environment Directorate whilst retaining the
designated Highway Authority role with Housing and Planning Directorate, which
will operate as client for the Joint Venture Company (JVC), whose responsibilities
include infrastructure maintenance, and compliance with the National Inspection
Standards, as regards, inter alia, street condition.
1.2
During the development of the Strategic Review of Governance proposals, the
current Directorates of Environmental, and Development Services, have been
working together closely on the Think Customer Programme for “Joining Up
Street Scene Services IN Salford”. The outcomes of this work are now starting to
be delivered, and can be summarised as:-
Single point of access for customer contact on all street scene services.
-
Reciprocal reporting of street scene issues between relevant Council
Directorates and the proposed JVC.
-
Integrating Street Scene into Neighbourhood Management.
-
Use of shared methodologies and information technology to facilitate
street scene data transfer
-
Provision of Service Standards and Promises for Community Monitoring
against expectations.
-
Development of a Contract Specification to ensure maintenance of
collaborative working with the JVC on street scene management.
-
Proposals to extend and enhance Street Scene enforcement activity.
-
Joint initiatives with external partners, such as the Environment Agency, to
deal with fly-tipping, etc.
6
-
Development of the “Eyes and Ears” initiative with the Police.
1.3
The developing success of Think Customer, and thereby the establishment of a
co-ordinated approach to street scene, particularly inspection, resulted in a
meeting between the current Deputy Directors of Development Services, and
Environmental Services, together with the Head of Finance, to clarify what
exactly would need to transfer to the new Environment Directorate, under the
Street Scene Co-ordination and Inspection role, and how this would be
resourced, having regard to the residual duties, which both the Housing and
Planning Directorate, and the JVC, have to undertake
2.0
Details of the Inter-Directorate Meeting
2.1
The Deputy Director of Development Services highlighted that there are currently
five Highway Inspectors, within Development Services, and the proposal was to
transfer these officers directly to the JVC, as Salford City Council has charged
the JVC with meeting National Inspection Standards, as a defence in court
against tripping claims, the savings from which support the JVC establishment.
This will require a planned inspection regime. There is a current view that five
inspectors will not be sufficient and 7 – 10 may be the desired number. The
cash flow prediction, within the JVC model, would have to accommodate this.
2.2
The type of “statutory” inspection, which these officers would undertake, would
include street lighting; road and pavement condition; signage; traffic lights and
some traffic management; etc; as well as reciprocal reporting, to the Environment
Directorate, as determined by the contract specification of the JVC, developed as
part of the Think Customer Programme.
2.3
Also, in line with the outcomes of Think Customer, the Environment Directorate
Officers, and NPHL Patch Officers, would report street scene issues, which are
the responsibility of the JVC, directly, to that organisation, as “emergency one
off” defects, as opposed to the planned inspection regime of the JVC, client
managed by Housing and Planning, as the Highway Authority.
2.4
Therefore, as can be seen from the foregoing, the proposed street scene coordination and inspection, in the new Environment Directorate, relates mainly to
the Environmental Services Directorate’s current functions together with the
reciprocal and collaborative working, with other Directorates, and the JVC, for the
benefit of the whole, inter terms of data and service requests information.
2.5
Any resolution of infrastructure issues, or meeting inspection performance
targets, in relation to highway street scene issues, rests with Housing and
Planning Directorate and the JVC. The Environment Directorate, and other
partners, adds value to this process, without the direct responsibility. Protocols
and training are in place, via the Think Customer initiative, to make this happen.
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2.6
Therefore, in terms of the proposals for Street Scene Co-ordination and
Inspection, within the Environment Directorate, subsequent to the Strategic
Review of Governance, there does not appear to be any requirement to transfer,
from Development Services, or acquire, any additional resource, as long as the
Think Customer Programme is fully implemented, and resources identified
therein, such as increased enforcement staff, are positively considered.
3.0
Service Level Agreements for Support Service Provision to the Joint
Venture Company
3.1 Salford City Council is a JVC shareholder but, in terms of provision of support
Services to the JVC, current internal service providers will have to ultimately compete
on price and quality.
3.2
The Environmental Services Directorate’s current service provision to
Development Services activity, which will transfer to the JVC, is:-
-
Winter Gritting
-
Grounds Maintenance
-
Arboriculture
-
Planning Consultation
-
Contaminated Land Consultation
-
Vehicle Management and Maintenance.
3.3
As Lead Member is aware the Directorate is currently progressing a light fleet
procurement exercise and the requirements, of the JVC, are still outstanding.
The Deputy Director of Development Services is currently arranging a
comparative analysis of vehicle procurement and maintenance costs, via the
internal provider route, i.e. VMS, or through their external JVC partner. A
decision is expected within two weeks.
3.4
In terms of the Environmental Services Directorate’s other support services,
mentioned at 3.2, Development Services have requested meetings with Service
Managers to discuss SLA’s, although the likelihood is that the first 12 – 18
months of the JVC will see retention of current service arrangements, during
which quality and value for money will be assessed.
4.0
Conclusion
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4.1
The Think Customer Programme on “Joining Up Street Scene Services IN
Salford” has pre-empted the need for combined inspection, within one
Directorate, by achieving the desired outcome of an integrated and collaborative
approach to street scene whilst progressing the arms length JVC, for the benefit
of Salford City Council and its communities.
4.2
Continuous improvement of the new Environment Directorate’s front line
services, will be a pre-requisite of securing SLA’s for support service provision to
the JVC.
4.3
There will need to be retention of the inter Directorate meetings between Lead
Members and Executive Directors of Environment, and Housing and Planning, to
drive the Cleaner and Greener agenda, and this will need to be underpinned by
appropriate officer meetings representing the Environment Directorate; Housing
and Planning Directorate, and the JVC.
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