Agenda item

Report from the Strategic Director of Regeneration and Environment.

Recommendation:

That Cabinet note the progress to date and commit to receiving a further update in April 2026 once the Team has had time to be established and is fully operational.

Consideration was given to the report which outlined the progress towards the implementation of the new investment into Street Cleansing and Fly Tipping improvements. With the funding approved in the 2025/26 budget, the team was aiming to improve rural verge and principal township gateway cleanliness and maintenance and increased management of key activities in the service such as data analysis, deployment of resources, performance management and proactive proposals for prevention and deterrent measures around littering and fly tipping. The report focused on the need for the posts, areas to be targeted, anticipated outcomes and the timeline to implementation. This initiative would help towards delivering a cleaner, greener and more sustainable Borough.

The team currently consisted of four operatives and through the investment that number would be doubled, providing four extra staff within the operational team. The Team at a high level would:

·       Provide an additional dedicated resource to the Council’s Rural Verge Maintenance Team and will operate on Rural verges at a different time of the year to the current schedule.

·       Focus on Principal Township Gateway cleansing and maintenance on a newly developed schedule so the Borough is cleaner and greener.

·       Proactively clearing fly tipping when active in Traffic Management restricted areas while working on a maintenance schedule.

·       Proactively providing littering and fly tipping intelligence to Officers and Community Protection colleagues.

·       Provide a more visible presence along Rotherham’s key rural verges and Principal Gateways.

The two additional new Officer posts for performance management would support zonal and Boroughwide operations across a range of grounds and maintenance and cleansing activities and increase key management functions.

The Assistant Director for Community Safety and Street Scene confirmed that recruitment had been successful and it was hoped that the new officers would be in post by July 2025.

Resolved:

That Cabinet note the progress to date and commit to receiving a further update in April 2026 once the team has had time to be established and is fully operational.