Agenda and minutes

To receive any disclosures of interest from members in accordance with the Members’ Code of Conduct.

There were none.

To receive a verbal introduction from the Group Head of Neighbourhood Services into the workings of the Neighbourhood Services Team so that the Committee has a better understanding of the activities the team is engaged with.

The Group Head of Neighbourhood Services provided a verbal outline of what falls within the remit of the Neighbourhood Services Committee and circulated a written summary for the Committee to take away.

The Committee resolved to note the verbal outline from the Group Head of Neighbourhood Services on the workings of Neighbourhood Services and the written summary provided which would be published with the minutes.

To note the Neighbourhood Services Committee’s Terms of Reference as detailed in part 3b of the Council’s constitution which can be found online here and attached for ease.

The Committee resolved to note its Terms of Reference.

To consider the adoption of the proposed Food and Health and Safety Service Plans for 2021/22.

The Committee considered a report on the proposed Food and Health and Safety Service Plans for 2021/22.

The Committee noted the Council’s process for dealing with premises who received low hygiene ratings, and that Environmental Health team resources had been stretched due to the pandemic and a national shortage of officers, causing a backlog of inspections of food establishments.

The Committee acknowledged that more could be done to inform the public of the hygiene ratings achieved by food establishments. Councillor Leighton proposed that the Senior Environmental Health Manager write a letter to the Food Standards Agency requesting that they support the display of food hygiene ratings becomes mandatory and that this letter was to be sent within one month of the date of the Committee meeting. This was seconded by Councillors S. Dunn and T. Mitchell simultaneously and agreed unanimously by the Committee. The Senior Environmental Health Officer also suggested she could raise the topic at a meeting with other Environmental Health Managers in Surrey to inquire if they would like to add their support.

Alternative options considered and rejected by the Committee:

1. To amend the proposed service plans.

2. To not adopt the proposed service plans.

The Committee resolved to:

1.    adopt the proposed Food Service Plan 2021/22

2.    adopt the proposed Health and Safety Service Plan 2021/22

3.    agree that the Senior Environmental Health Manager write a letter to the Food Standards Agency requesting that they support that the display of food hygiene ratings becomes mandatory and that this letter be sent within one month of the date of the Committee meeting.

To consider the Forward Plan for committee business.

The Committee considered the forward plan for future committee business.

The Committee noted that the forward plan is a living document that is continually updated.

The Group Head of Neighbourhood Services explained that the Community Safety update scheduled for 9 September 2021 would be quite a lengthy item and requested that the Parking Services Update scheduled for that same meeting be moved to 4 November 2021. She also advised the Committee that since the publication of the forward plan the Adoption of fixed penalty notices for household waste had been scheduled for consideration on 9 September 2021.

After some discussion about litter signage, the Committee confirmed they were happy with the new signage presented by the Group Head of Neighbourhood Services and instructed her to replace the dog fouling signs with the new signage as soon as possible. The Committee also requested the Group Head of Neighbourhood Services engage with local schools through the Junior Citizen’s Event to produce litter signage for their respective schools and requested that an update on the effectiveness of the new Litter Poster Campaign be given at a future meeting. The Group Head of Neighbourhood Services confirmed that she would be able to provide feedback on 4 November 2021.

The Committee resolved to note the forward plan, subject to the following amendments:

1.    The Parking Services Update will move to 4 November 2021;

2.    The Review of rules and regulations: cemetery and burial grounds will be amended to reflect it is a Key Decision;

3.    The Litter Poster Campaign Update will be scheduled for 4 November 2021;

4.    Adoption of fixed penalty notices for household waste to be scheduled for 9 September 2021;

5.    Committee Services to circulate an updated version of the Forward Plan with the minutes.