Meeting: Overview & Scrutiny Board	Date: 10th November 2021

Wards affected: All Wards

Report Title: Local Environmental Quality – Outline Plan

When does the decision need to be implemented? Not applicable

Cabinet Member Contact Details: Councillor Mike Morey, Cabinet Member for Infrastructure, mike.morey@torbay.gov.uk Tel. 01803 853316

Director/Assistant Director Contact Details: Mark Smith, Interim Chief Operating Officer, SWISCo Limited mark.smith@swisco.co.uk 01803 208778

1.	Purpose of Report

1.1	SWISCo (South West Integrated Services Company) Limited is the Council’s wholly-owned arms-length company responsible for the delivery of all functions and services associated with domestic waste collection and recycling, highway maintenance, street cleansing and parks and open space grounds maintenance.

1.2	At its meeting in July 2021, the Council’s Cabinet approved the SWISCo Business Plan 2021-23. The Plan includes a number of key strategic objectives to be achieved by March 2023, one of which is to ‘Deliver Torbay’s Local Environmental Quality (LEQ) Action Plan’. The LEQ Action Plan aims to set out a broad range of actions by SWISCo and key partners and stakeholders to achieve the overall outcome of clean and attractive local environments and neighbourhoods across the Bay.

1.3	The purpose of this report is to set out and seek Members’ views on the key principles and outline of the proposed LEQ Action Plan (LEQP) to be developed and implemented by March 2023.

2.	Reason for Proposal and its benefits

We want Torbay and its residents to thrive.

We want Torbay to be a place where we have turned the tide on poverty and tackled inequalities; where our children and older people will have high aspirations and where there are quality jobs, good pay and affordable housing for our residents.

We want Torbay to be the premier resort in the UK, with a vibrant arts and cultural offer for our residents and visitors to enjoy; where our built and natural environment is celebrated and where we play our part in addressing the climate change emergency.

Clean and attractive local environments and neighbourhoods play a crucial role in achieving these aspirations and the LEQP will be the key vehicle that sets out the proposed actions by SWISCo and key partners and stakeholders in achieving these outcomes.

3.	Recommendation(s) / Proposed Decision

The Board are requested to note and endorse the Outline Local Environmental Quality Plan (LEQP) set out in this report.

Appendices

None.

Background Documents

Cabinet 13 July 2021: SWISCo Business Plan 2021-23

Supporting Information

1.	Introduction

1.1	Torbay Council via SWISCo Limited are the key statutory agency and commissioning arrangement for the delivery of clean and attractive local environments and neighbourhoods across the Bay. The Council pays for a number of routine/ cyclical Commissioned Services via a Commissioning Fee/ Agreement and as part of this the allocation for operational street cleansing for the current year 2021/22 is approximately £2.2M.

1.2	Even though many parts of the Bay especially key Visitor Economy locations are usually kept to a very high standard of cleanliness with the resources available, it is recognised that there are many locations where the key outcome of clean and attractive local environments is not being achieved to the extent that we would aspire to.

1.3	Recognising that the level of funding and resources for the street cleansing service is finite and limited, this Outline LEQP aims to set out a broader commissioning strategy based on partnership working and collaboration, and the ‘Doing Things Differently’ principles set out in the Council’s Corporate Plan, to achieve a ‘step change’ in approach to achieving clean and attractive local environments.

1.4	A number of ‘guiding principles’ have been identified on which it is proposed that the activity in the LEQP is based upon:

We will empower local residents and communities and help them to create neighbourhoods and local places they are proud of

We will build on our strengths, especially as the world-class English Riviera coastline, and unlock the potential in all our partners and stakeholders, including local businesses and other statutory agencies

We will embrace a ‘one landscape’ philosophy and work effectively with other landowners/ stakeholders to achieve improvements in local environmental quality, regardless of land ownership

We will use insight and engagement to form a clear understanding of the issues that residents have concerns about and what makes a good place for them

We will work with communities to develop locations, taking advantage of local assets and characteristics, to create a ‘sense of identity’ people can relate to and want to uphold

1.5	It is then proposed that activity is managed and monitored against the following workstreams:

Community Engagement (‘Love Where You Live’)

SWISCo will work with Council colleagues to engage with residents and communities, to understand their perceptions and local priorities. Activity will emphasise that the local environment is not owned by the Council or other agency and that the people of Torbay are its ultimate custodians. We will develop the ‘Love Where You Live’ campaign to promote positive behaviour and further support and develop the role of community volunteers/ ‘champions’. We will also support Councillors as key ‘place leaders’ in their community engagement and development activity.

Driving Behaviour Change

SWISCo will work with Council colleagues and other statutory agencies to effectively use available legislative powers to challenge the anti-social behaviour of the few. A ‘zero tolerance’ approach will be promoted in relation to serious environmental crime and residents and visitors to the Bay will be encouraged to do more and take responsibility for their actions. Setting out clear expectations, service standards and providing appropriate support will be key aspects of any enforcement or regulatory activity.

Making Best Use of our Resources

SWISCo will look to target and prioritise its limited operational resources as effectively as possible using an ‘intelligence led’ approach. We will review our use of LEQ condition surveys and audits and how we collaborate with other partners/ stakeholders to collect and make best use of available data and intelligence. We will take action to address residents’ priorities through the effective targeting of resources and a collaborative ‘local problem solving’ approach. We will provide resource to support community activity and volunteering, and will engage with other landowners/ stakeholders to promote responsible ownership and management of areas outside of the Company’s direct control.

2.	Options under consideration

2.1	The development of an ‘Outline’ LEQP provides the opportunity to review and discuss the emphasis and relative priority of the company’s proposed activity to support the achievement of local environmental quality outcomes across the Bay.

2.2	An alternative option would be to not develop and implement an LEQP and rely predominantly on operational street cleansing activity to achieve clean and attractive local environments and neighbourhoods. Based on the anticipated financial resources available from the Council (Shareholder) both now and in the future, it is suggested that this traditional approach will not be sufficient to achieve the necessary ‘step change’ in actual and perceived local environmental quality standards across the Bay.

3.	Financial Opportunities and Implications

3.1	The approximate cost of the SWISCo street cleansing service for 2021/22 as part of the Commissioned Services Fee/ Agreement is £2.2M.

3.2	There are no direct financial implications associated with the development of this ‘Outline’ LEQP and the commissioning strategy being adopted should enable environmental quality outcomes to be achieved but with reduced or more effective use of available resources.

4.	Legal Implications

4.1	The Council has a variety of available powers to take action on environmental protection issues and it will be essential that SWISCo and Council colleagues continue to collaborate effectively and work in close partnership to deliver the activity in the LEQP, especially under the ‘Driving Behaviour Change’ workstream.

4.2	There are no direct legal implications associated with the development of this ‘Outline’ LEQP.

5.	Engagement and Consultation

5.1	SWISCo and Council Community Engagement colleagues will need to continue to work together effectively if the LEQP is to be successfully delivered, especially the activity under the proposed ‘Community Engagement (Love Where You Live)’ workstream.

5.2	There are no specific engagement and consultation implications in the development of this ‘Outline’ LEQP.

6.	Purchasing or Hiring of Goods and/or Services

6.1	It is anticipated that the broader commissioning approach to achieve local environmental quality outcomes as set out in the LEQP will present increased Social Value opportunities.

6.2	There are no direct Social Value Act implications associated with the development of this ‘Outline’ LEQP.

7.	Tackling Climate Change

7.1	SWISCo is committed to supporting the Council (Shareholder) in the achievement of its climate change objectives and will look to reduce Green House Gas (GHG) emissions in all activity associated with the implementation of the LEQP.

7.2	There are no direct Climate Change implications associated with the development of this ‘Outline’ LEQP.

8.	Associated Risks

8.1	Clean and attractive local environments and neighbourhoods play a key role in facilitating a wide variety of outcomes relating to improving health and well-being, reducing anti-social behaviour and improving community safety and promoting economic growth and regeneration. Failure to develop and implement an effective plan for ensuring local environmental quality across the Bay presents a risk to the achievement of the Council’s strategic objectives in these areas.

9.	Equality Impacts - Identify the potential positive and negative impacts on specific groups

Positive Impact	Negative Impact & Mitigating Actions	Neutral Impact
Older or younger people	x
People with caring Responsibilities	x
People with a disability	x
Women or men	x
People who are black or from a minority ethnic background (BME) (Please note Gypsies / Roma are within this community)	x
Religion or belief (including lack of belief)	x
People who are lesbian, gay or bisexual	x
People who are transgendered	x
People who are in a marriage or civil partnership	x
Women who are pregnant / on maternity leave	x
Socio-economic impacts (Including impact on child poverty issues and deprivation)	x
Public Health impacts (How will your proposal impact on the general health of the population of Torbay)	x

10.	Cumulative Council Impact

10.1	A detailed EIA will be undertaken as part of the development of the ‘full’ LEQP. No Cumulative Impact has been identified.

11.	Cumulative Community Impacts

11.1	No Cumulative Impact has been identified.