Report of the Strategic Director (Neighbourhoods)

This report outlines the role of the North / Central / South Neighbourhood Teams in keeping the City’s neighbourhoods Clean, Safe and Vibrant.

The Committee considered the report of the Strategic Director (Neighbourhoods) that described the role of the North / Central / South Neighbourhood Teams in keeping the City’s neighbourhoods clean, safe and vibrant. The teams’ proactive approach and response was based on the different characteristics and drivers of demand for each area within the city. The team played a key leadership role and were able to influence place-based priorities. The report provided a range of examples of how Officers collaborated internally and externally to deliver them.

Key points and themes in the report included:

·         Describing the strategic context of the Neighbourhood Teams role and core functions;

·         Consideration of the drivers of demand that influenced place-based delivery;

·         What delivery looked like in practice; and

·         Future considerations to shape the ongoing delivery of place-based priorities.

Some of the key points that arose from the Committee’s discussions were:

·         Recognising the important and good work that Neighbourhood Officers delivered and the positive relationships that had been established with local Members;

·         Were staff resources flexible enough to support activities in other localities as and when required;

·         What was the rationale for determining the Neighbourhood areas;

·         Noting the need to strike the correct balance, particularly in the city centre for services to respond to visitors, workers and residents;

·         What would the dashboard that was being developed measure;

·         Requesting an update on the work of the Climate Change Officers;

·         Welcoming the work of the Student Strategy Partnership and adding that representation from the Partnership should be a focus of a future Committee report and present at ward coordination meetings;

·         More information was sought in relation to the Intensive Neighbourhood Management Pilots;

·         Acknowledging the positive impact Neighbourhood Investment Fund had on local communities, including when activities and projects were delivered across wards and neighbourhoods;

·         Individuals needed to take responsibility for disposing of their waste in a responsible manner and not to litter or flytip;

·         The need to articulate and publicise the varied range of positive activities delivered by the Neighbourhood Teams and the positive contribution this had for the residents of the city; and

·         The need for services to recognise and celebrate the diversity of the city.

The Head of Neighbourhoods said that the Locality Areas had been established and agreed based on population data and there was currently no intention to review these. It was also how the Council collaborates with partners such as Greater Manchester Police and Registered Providers. He commented that the need to strike the correct balance and approach in the city centre was understood and all available opportunities, including ward coordination, resident forums, business groups facilitated discussions to inform priorities and the subsequent planning of activities and deployment of resources. He said that the dashboard that had been developed would report a range of relevant activities such as waste and recycling rates and bespoke Key Performance Indicators based on agreed ward priorities will be looked at. He commented that police data would also be included in this data set, and he advised that a briefing note on the dashboard would be circulated to all Members. He added that this information and experience to date was now influencing the refresh of the Ward Climate Change Action Plans with Members.

The Head of Neighbourhoods advised the Committee that there were three Climate Change Neighbourhood Officers, and they supported the established 26 Neighbourhood Officers across the city. He said that the Neighbourhood Officers were also supported by the city wider services and partners, noting that the Committee would be considering a report on the Licensing and Out of Hours Service at the meeting. He advised that staff did work flexibly across area when required, further he commented that the service was focused on culturally appropriate engagement in recognition of the diversity of the population and communities in which they worked. He informed the Committee that the work of the Student Strategy Partnership was ongoing throughout the year and not restricted to the beginning and end of the academic term. He said that the Partnership consisted of the Council, Greater Manchester Police, Universities, Manchester Student Homes, and linked in with community groups. He said that they considered and coordinated activities across a range of topics including student safety and environmental issues. The Executive Member for Vibrant Neighbourhoods added that work was ongoing to address the issues of waste associated with student HMOs (House in multiple occupation), including the use of enforcement activities and this was being coordinated with Manchester Student Homes, the Universities and Keep Manchester Tidy.

The Strategic Lead, Neighbourhoods for North provided an update on the Intensive Neighbourhood Management Pilots that was referred to in the report that described that to tackle intense passageway waste issues, pilot approaches were implemented in Harpurhey, Moston, Moss Side and Levenshulme. This involved dedicated Officers from the Neighbourhood Teams (co-ordinating), Compliance & Enforcement, Waste & Recycling Team, Biffa and residents. Actions related to proactive visits and inspections, cleansing, promotion of the Council’s bulky item collection service, engaging businesses on their commercial waste contracts, helping residents with setting up and using their My Accounts to self-report and sharing intelligence on fly-tipping. The focus on shared outcomes had led to stronger and proactive links between services and residents, and residents were reporting and sharing information to tackle the root causes of the environmental issues. Officers were now monitoring to understand the ongoing impact and the need for further targeted interventions. The approach was now shaping which other areas across the City required similar interventions.

The Chair recommended that an update on this activity and any additional relevant information, including any proposed roll out of the Intensive Neighbourhood Management Pilots be provided in the in the report scheduled for the September meeting titled ‘Fly-tipping and Keep Manchester Tidy’.

The Executive Member for Vibrant Neighbourhoods thanked the Committee for their many positive comments expressed regarding the Neighbourhood Officers and said that it was important to recognise the significant pressures and competing demands on their role. She said that Members needed to consider the financial challenges the service had experience over previous years and the restrictions this had placed on service delivery, however the ambition would always be to deliver more. She said that the service had to prioritise services and resources and she recognised the important role partners and residents played in supporting the work described. She said that addressing litter was a political priority for herself and an action plan was being developed to address particular hotspots and this would be communicated to all Members at the appropriate time. She supported the comment expressed by a Member regarding personal responsibility in relation to waste and littering.

Decision

To note the report.