The Places Overview and Scrutiny Committee met to discuss the Keep Britain Tidy survey results, housing services, and grounds maintenance. The committee noted improvements in street cleansing standards and heard about the council's work to reduce reliance on temporary accommodation. Members also discussed a new grounds maintenance contract and its implications.

Keep Britain Tidy Survey Results

The committee reviewed the update on the Keep Britain Tidy (KBT) survey results, which were commissioned by Countrystyle Recycling Ltd. The surveys independently evaluate the Local Environmental Quality (LEQ) within Bexley.

The 2025 survey showed improvements in street cleansing standards compared to 2024 in all areas except detritus¹. The 2025 survey looked at Crook Log, Longlands, Sidcup, St Mary's & St James and Thamesmead East wards. The 2024 survey looked at Blacken & Lamorbey, Falconwood & Welling, Barnehurst, Northumberland Heath and Slade Green & Northend wards.

Representatives from Country Style, Phil and Jason, attended the meeting to answer questions from the councillors.

Councillor Aitken asked about the improvements made from 2024 to 2025. A Country Style representative said:

It's helped working with the local trade union, so we've improved the industrial relations. It's not limited, of course, to street cleansing services. We do, obviously, the bin collections as well, as well as the gullies and so on. So it's just a collective effort working in partnership with London Borough-Bexley, working in partnership with the trade unions.

Councillor Davey raised several issues, including weed spraying, litter collection before grass cutting, and the removal of out-of-date local authority notices. They also asked which wards were worst for fly-tipping.

In response, the Country Style representatives said they were working with council officers to implement parking suspension orders to allow for more effective cleansing. They also said they were discussing with the grounds maintenance contractor how to better align their schedules to improve litter collection before grass cutting. They added that the council was looking to put end dates on notices to help with their removal. They also said they were using a platform called Power BI to produce heat maps of fly-tipping hotspots.

Councillor Dyer mentioned posters being put up in fly-tipping hotspots, and the risk that they could be seen as an invitation to dump rubbish. They also mentioned the installation of litter signage at the borough's slip roads, and the possibility of installing cameras to catch people littering from their vehicles.

Councillor Hinkley asked for clarification on the removal of out-of-date council notices, particularly those signed by David Bryce-Smith. They were told that anything over 12 months old could be safely removed.

Councillor Slaughter asked whether temporary parking restrictions were provided for in the contract with Country Style. They also raised the issue of detritus² on hard surfaces.

The Country Style representatives said they were confident they could deliver the recommendations in the report, and that they were pleased to see a 57% improvement in litter collection. They also said that detritus would fit into their 10-year plan. They explained that the glyphosate³ used for weed control was now less effective than in the past, and that street cleansing teams had around 53 streets per day to clean.

Councillor Dyer reminded colleagues that the council had added several hundred street bins and replaced many of the older bins. They also said that the glyphosate used for weed control was approved for use by the Environment Agency and DEFRA⁴.

Councillor Day said they were in contact with a company that used an electric weed approach, and were keen to explore new technologies. They also said that a team approach to cleansing was being used, and that employee relations were strong.

Councillor Reid raised concerns about the failure to involve residents in picking up litter outside their homes. They suggested that the Bexley magazine could be used to promote this.

Councillor Gower suggested inviting people to be a 'weed warrior' for their road.

Councillor Alcantara suggested having children design fly-tipping signs, and raised concerns about the cleanliness of bins at Abbey Wood Station. They also asked whether the council was working with Peabody⁵ to ensure all roads were being cleaned.

A council officer said that designing fly-tipping signage in schools was something they would consider, and that they had a team that actively jet washes litter bins. They also said that they had been mapping land ownership with Peabody.

Councillor Bacon said that the ward that's worst for detritus is the one they represent, and that residents are not particularly bothered by leaves under the trees. They asked how the roads for off-street parking cleanliness would be chosen, and how the communication around weeds would be improved.

The Country Style representatives said they would continue to ensure that their large mechanical sweepers pay particular attention to rural roads, and that they could consider working with the council's marketing department to put some shorts on platforms like YouTube to increase awareness of the process. They also said that they would draw on the experience of their team to address the hotspots for parking suspension.

Housing Services

The committee then discussed a report on housing services, focusing on trends in temporary accommodation.

Councillor Ogundayo asked why the number of approaches to the council for housing had remained static.

A council officer said that there had been a focus on prevention and prioritising those most at risk, and that there had been a cultural change, with people understanding that they would have to have a main duty for the council to undertake action.

Councillor Slaughter asked how Bexley compared with inner London boroughs, and how complaints compared with other London boroughs.

A council officer said that Bexley performed better than all London boroughs, and that they could provide further stats after the meeting. They also said that the council's performance in complaints was quite good and on an upward trajectory.

Councillor Sandhu referred to the renters rights bill⁶ and asked how serious the potential impact could be.

A council officer said that it would have a significant impact, and that the mitigation was to develop relationships with private landlords and support them through the process. They also said that the council was trying to give private landlords the confidence to stay in Bexley.

Councillor Day asked if other boroughs were offering more money to private landlords. A council officer said that this was still going on to a degree, but that Bexley was in a strong position because of prevention work.

Councillor Bacon congratulated the team on their efforts to reduce the numbers in temporary accomodation.

Councillor Ogundayo asked what percentage of temporary accommodation was within the borough. A council officer said it was in the 90% range, and that they could provide the exact figure after the meeting.

Councillor Slaughter asked how long people were in temporary accommodation for, and what support was given to those at risk of domestic violence.

A council officer said that they prioritised those at risk, and that they could look at continuing to look at domestic violence.

Councillor Day asked about the quality of temporary accommodation, and whether the council ensured that it was of a liveable standard. A council officer said that they were monitoring it, and that it had been a priority for the last five years.

Councillor Alcantara asked what the process was for dealing with issues such as broken radiators in temporary accommodation. A council officer said that it was assessed on a case-by-case basis, and that they would work with the landlord to resolve the matter.

Councillor Bacon said that things were generally looking pretty darn good in the report.

Grounds, Burials and Arboriculture Contract

The committee then discussed the grounds, burials and arboriculture contract.

Councillor Slaughter asked why all the areas had been brought under one contract, and what the council's current policy was with regard to the replacement of street trees. They also asked how the £0.050m fund set up by the Nurture Group of Companies to support groups with small ESG⁷ ideas would be set up, and how those groups would be identified.

A council officer said that the contracts had been combined to improve efficiency and provide better value for money. They also said that the council had a budget for street tree planting, but that it was a challenge due to the difficulty with getting the root bulb to have enough water. They added that they were liaising with the manager appointed by Nurture Group to get contact numbers of all the friends groups.

Councillor Davey asked how Fix My Street reports were dealt with, and whether they went straight to the contractor or via council officers first. A council officer said that the integration was going through their teams, and that they would not want everything to go straight to the contractor. They also said that Nurture Group were offering software integration and would develop a microsite.

Councillor Alcantara asked for further detail on how the social value targets would be tracked. A council officer said that the performance indicators were in place, and that they would be keeping an eye on them.

Councillor Bacon asked if any of the standards had been changed. A council officer said that none of the standards had been changed, and that the biggest benefit was a larger group and combining the economies of scale of two large contracts.

Councillor Dyer thanked the officers involved in the project, and said that they had got a really good deal out of it. They also said that Nurture Group had bought a lot of new equipment, much of it more environmentally friendly than what was being used in the past.

A council officer said that the contract was performance-based, and that they would expect the contractor to perform. They also said that they would be carrying out random inspections and performance measurements.

Work Programme

Finally, the committee discussed the work programme. It was agreed that the CCTV item would be moved to the January meeting. Councillor Ogundayo proposed formally setting up a task and finish group on sustainable transport. This was agreed.