Agenda item

8.26 pm – Councillor Nicholas Botterill moved, seconded by Councillor Greg Smith, the special motion standing in their names:

"This Council notes:

a.         The poor legacy of the previous administration which included amongst the dirtiest streets in England and a budget overspend on street cleaning;

b.         The firm action taken by this administration including the re-specification of the entire borough street cleaning contract, market testing of the contract and the adoption of a firm but practical and fair working relationship with the successful contractor Serco.

This Council welcomes:

a.         The much improved cleanliness of the borough’s streets (and in particular the main thoroughfares) under this Conservative administration;

b.         The overall reduction in the cost of providing the service;

c.         The contribution of cleaner streets to delivery of the 2006 Conservative election promise of “Lower Taxes, Less Waste and Better Services”.

A speech was made on the motion by Councillor Nicholas Botterill (for the Administration).

Under Council Procedure Rule 15(e) (vi), Councillor Michael Cartwright, seconded by Councillor Stephen Cowan, moved an amendment to the motion as follows:

Delete all after "This council notes" and replace with:

"There has been considerable criticism throughout the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham about the lack of gritting and snow clearance by the local authority responsible, especially on side streets and pavements. In Hammersmith, Shepherds Bush and Fulham there has been, at best, minimal gritting on main roads only. Pavements are particularly treacherous with many residents unsure if they are supposed to clear the path outside their home... we hear the same excuses every year."

Speeches on the amendment were made by Councillors Michael Cartwright, Stephen Cowan and Dame Sally Powell (for the Opposition) and Councillor Nicholas Botterill (for the Administration) before it was put to the vote:

FOR                            10

AGAINST                   24

ABSENTIONS                         0

The motion was declared LOST.

Under Council Procedure Rule 15(e) (vi), Councillor Michael Cartwright, seconded by Councillor Stephen Cowan, moved a further amendment to the motion as follows:

Delete all after "This Council notes" and replace with:

"that in 2006, under the leadership of the Labour Administration, the Tidy Britain Group classed Hammersmith and Fulham as having the fourth cleanest streets out of the all of the thirty three London boroughs.

We call on the Administration to bring a halt to the deteriorating situation that has seen intolerable increases in dog fouling, litter and fly-tipping.

This Council also notes the concerns raised by the Environment Agency about the "significant increase" in fly-tipping which cost the borough more than £1 m to clear up and which was an additional unbudgeted cost. Indeed, the Environment Agency reported that "The number of fly-tipping incidents in Hammersmith and Fulham decreased between 2005/06 to 2006/07 from 5941 to 5275. However, there was a significant increase in the number recorded in 2007/08 - to 9334 incidents" under the current Conservative Administration.

The borough's filthy streets are a direct result of the Conservative Administration's incompetent management of the Serco contract; the incompetent management of the garden waste service; the new charges for bulky waste removal and the failure to have a comprehensive range of policies that tackle dog fouling and littering. We call on the Administration to urgently address these matters."

Speeches on the amendment were made by Councillors Michael Cartwright and Stephen Cowan (for the Opposition) and Councillors Nicholas Botterill and  Mark Loveday (for the Administration) before it was put to the vote:

FOR                            11

AGAINST                   24

ABSENTIONS             0

The motion was declared LOST.

Speeches on the substantive motion were then made by Councillors Eugenie White, Sarah Gore and Nicholas Botterill (for the Administration).

Councillor Greg Smith (for the Administration) made a speech winding up the debate before the substantive motion was put to the vote:

FOR                            23

AGAINST                   10

ABSTENTIONS         0

The motion was declared CARRIED.

9.08 pm – RESOLVED:

This Council notes:

a.         The poor legacy of the previous administration which included amongst the dirtiest streets in England and a budget overspend on street cleaning;

b.         The firm action taken by this administration including the re-specification of the entire borough street cleaning contract, market testing of the contract and the adoption of a firm but practical and fair working relationship with the successful contractor Serco.

This Council welcomes:

a.         The much improved cleanliness of the borough’s streets (and in particular the main thoroughfares) under this Conservative administration;

b.         The overall reduction in the cost of providing the service;

c.         The contribution of cleaner streets to delivery of the 2006 Conservative election promise of “Lower Taxes, Less Waste and Better Services”.