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Council debates street scene services

Author: Nina Romain

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Barnet Council is asking for residents’ views on the way it delivers its street scene services in the future.

The street scene services currently provides waste and recycling collection, street cleaning, and litter bin emptying as well as looking after nearly 200 parks and open spaces.

As with all council services, street scene services needs to make significant savings to help reduce the £61.5 million deficit gap between 2016 and 2020.

Over the last 18 months a wide range of options have been considered for the way the service can be provided in the future.

On 29 September, the Environment Committee agreed to consult on four shortlisted options which could see potential changes to the way street scene services are delivered in Barnet as well as providing the following:

•    re-use, recycle, or compost 50 per cent of all waste the council collects

•    provide services to residents and businesses that are cost effective,   easy to use, and help people do the right thing

•    keep Barnet clean and green

•    support a thriving local economy

•    gets investment in public spaces

•    be financially sustainable

•    build stronger local communities

The consultation on the engage Barnet web page (engage.barnet.gov.uk) runs until 15 January 2017. The findings will help the council assess the proposed shortlist of four options.

Option one would see this arrangement formalised, with all staff except senior managers remaining council employees. Option two would involve staff transferring to the Barnet Group. Option three would involve a commercial provider running the service on behalf of the council; and option four would see the council provide street services in partnership with a neighbouring local authority.

A final recommendation will go back to Environment Committee meeting on 15 March 2017.

The Barnet Group is a company wholly owned by Barnet Council. Following a review of the council’s street scene services, The Barnet Group was awarded an interim management arrangement of the service due to its strong track record of delivering services for the council.

Councillor Dean Cohen, Chairman of Environment Committee, said: “We want to hear from our residents, visitors and businesses about how we might run our street scene services in the future.

“The four options look at different ways in which we can best run our street scene services in the future as well as deliver the savings we need. So I urge as many people as possible to give us their views.”