Agenda item

Context:

To scrutinise service delivery across Public Protection services for the financial year 2018/19, with comparison to previous years. The Public Protection division comprises of Environmental Health, Trading Standards & Animal Health and Licensing.

Key Issues:

In January 2015 Cabinet requested that Public Protection performance be reviewed regularly by the Strong Communities Select Committee to assess any negative impacts. As a consequence, six monthly reports have been provided to the Select Committee, together with annual reports to the Licensing & Regulatory Committee. As per recommendation 2.2 of the report, it is suggested this becomes one annual report, noting services are largely compliant with regulatory expectations, and customer satisfaction levels are typically high.

Performance for the twelve month period of 2018/19 highlighted the following:

·         The four service teams, for the vast majority of the services they deliver, meet the Authority’s legal obligations in relation to Public Protection services.

·         Most proactive and reactive work is being carried out professionally within prescribed response times. There are only a few exceptions due to the reactive nature of most of the services.  These being: some slippage in proactive housing visits, private water inspections and animal health visits.

·         Annual reports will continue to be made to the Select Committee to assess performance over time and help inform future priorities noting the competing demands.

·         Services may struggle to take on any new statutory duties that protect the public and the environment, and therefore funding must be sought to support any new work.

·         Future strategies for sustaining Public Protection services will be developed (to include further income generation and collaboration) locally, regionally and nationally.

·         Services will improve linkages to the Authority’s Corporate Business Plan 2017/22 and other key drivers, for example, the Chief Medical Officer Wales’ priorities.

Member Scrutiny:

·         With regard to dog fouling, the Authority currently has four civil enforcement officers. However, it is intended to increase this number up to eight. These officers’ duties will also include traffic enforcement and the authority to issue fixed penalty notices if they encounter dog fouling or litter offences.

·         Work has been undertaken with Network Rail regarding electrification of railway lines in the Chepstow area. It was noted that Network Rail is now emailing local Members regarding this matter.

·         With regard to houses of multiple occupation, the Authority is guided by the Housing, Health and Safety rating system. When a house is inspected, a risk assessment is undertaken. It is not a standard, as there are no housing standards anymore in the private rented sector. Therefore, the Authority has to decide what it can enforce in a court of law. The Planning Department does consult with the Environmental Health Department. Conversion of a house to multiple occupation does require Building Regulations approval.

·         With regard to communicable diseases, it was noted that measles is not a notifiable disease.  Therefore, the Authority is not under a statutory obligation to investigate this matter. However, Public Health Wales coordinates all vaccinations.

·         With regard to air quality, the Environmental Health Department is engaging with stakeholders with regard to 1 location exceeding annual objective levels on Hardwick Hill. There are also areas of concern in Abergavenny in which officers are aware of and Hardwick Hill has been exceeding air quality levels.  However, air quality generally has been improving within Monmouthshire. Usk air quality management area links in with the shared space and improvements to the town centre.

·         Since the removal of the subsidy for householders some years ago, there has not been a substantial increase in complaints regarding rats.

-       2018         -           78 complaints received.

-       2017         -           71 complaints received.

-       2016         -           74 complaints received

-       2015         -           104 complaints received.

-       2014         -           95 complaints received.

·         The most appropriate way to deal with rats is to obtain the services of a professional pest contractor.

·         Concern was expressed regarding the issues in respect of air quality in Usk town. Parked vehicles through the town are resulting in through traffic being held up.  This generates a build of emissions from the vehicles, which is exacerbating the existing poor air quality within the town and is negatively impacting upon the health of residents. There is a need to exit clearly from Usk in order to reduce the build-up of emissions within the town.  In particular concern raised regarding air pollution near the fish and chip shop in Usk as cars park in this area. A recent incident highlighted where exhaust from a car starting up was in very close proximity to a young child. Request for car parking in this area to be considered further.

·         It was noted that Usk has not exceeded the nitrogen dioxide annual objective level since 2014 most likely due to better technology within vehicles. 

·         With regard to pollution at High Beech roundabout, Welsh Government has investigated some potential solutions.  In the short term, Welsh Government is looking to reconfigure the line markings around the roundabout within this financial year.  Next financial year, Welsh Government is looking to potentially re-design the roundabout.

·         It was noted that during the closure of the main road through Usk in 2018, improvements in air quality within the town did improve.

·         The Environmental Health Department produces a monitoring update report regarding air quality in Usk and Chepstow.  This report could be circulated annually to the Select Committee.

·         An update report regarding air pollution in Usk and the work that is being undertaken to address this issue will be presented to a future meeting of the Select Committee.

·         With regard to staffing in respect of Trading Standards and Animal Health, it was noted that a member of staff has been on long term sick leave. Trading standards officers have been used to provide cover for this post. Going forward, it is anticipated that the member of staff will leave the authority on ill health grounds and that post will be filled in due course.

·         In response to a question raised regarding a prohibition order, it was noted that the local Member would not ordinarily be made aware that the order has been served.  However, going forward, local Members could be made aware of this process.

·         In response to a question raised regarding whether vape shops were on the tobacconists’ register, the Head of Public Protection stated that he would investigate this matter and report back to the Select Committee.