A presentation will be given by the City Warden Manager and Local City Warden on the One Clean Leicester Spring Clean, and how residents can get involved.
Minutes:
Barbara Whitcombe, City Warden Manager, gave a presentation on the One Clean Leicester Spring Clean, and information on how residents could report environmental problems or ‘grot spots’ throughout the 22 wards in Leicester. Reports can be made via the One Clean Leicester free downloadable App for smart phones, send information by email or text, or upload information on the website.
The One Clean Leicester App allows users of smart phones to take a photo, select the location of the problem through GPS, describe the problem, for example, dog fouling, fly tipping or graffiti, and forward the information to the One Clean Leicester Team. The information can also be sent as a text message or email, with LE1 in the subject field. A picture can be included with a description of the problem. People reporting problems would be contacted for further information if required. Problems can also be reported using the One Clean Leicester website, or by calling Customer Services. Reported problems, once checked for appropriateness are then published on the website, where a list of reported issues can be viewed. Received information is forwarded to the appropriate team to respond to.
Residents asked how they could report issues if they were not a user of any of the above methods. Councillors confirmed they could be called to assist residents.
In answer to resident’s questions, Barbara stated that permission was required from either the landlord or land owner of private premises or land to gain access to these areas to clean them. If permissions was not gained, then the City Council have powers to access premises by default, and any costs incurred would be placed on the building itself, to be recouped when the property was sold at any time. Owners of property could usually be found through Land Registry. Graffiti on private land was treated in much the same way, with permission needed before access to the land could be gained, otherwise this would be seen as trespassing.
The meeting was informed of the ‘Clean Up’ operation on Nelson Mandela Park in Castle Ward on Sunday 13 March, between 10.00am and 12.00pm. Community Payback workers, City Wardens and Parks Services would be there. Residents were invited along and be involved on the day. Equipment would be provided, for example, gloves and bags. Events in other wards would be advertised on the website, and notices placed on lampposts.
Residents complained about the condition and placement of commercial bins on the streets. Commercial bins were often left on the streets overnight after 5.00pm, for collection early morning the next day. It was suggested that pressure was needed on waste companies to collect in the evenings. This idea had the full backing of the Police, the City Centre Manager and City Centre Forum, as bins belonging to bars invariably held bottles, which in turn could be used a missiles or weapons.
Barbara went on to inform the meeting that the Warden Service issues 100s of fines each month, which included littering. It is hoped that records of fines would be placed on the website in the future. On the 14 March 2011, City Wardens would be handing out to members of the public ‘Stub Its’, small pouches for people to extinguish and take away the remains of cigarettes.