Environmental enforcement services in Wrexham could be run on ‘regional basis’

Proposals to create an environmental enforcement service that could be delivered alongside other North Wales councils looks set to be formally debated by councillors next month after private ‘informal talks’.

A ‘forward work programme’ outlining the upcoming topics for the council’s homes and environment scrutiny committee shows that councillors will be asked to ‘consider proposals as to how the service can be delivered on a partnership, sub-regional or regional basis’ with other councils.

The expected outcome of the meeting is to ‘recommend a model for service delivery in this area’.

Like other councils across North Wales, Wrexham had been using the controversial litter enforcement firm, Kingdom, since April 2016.

Over the two year period the council faced pressure from some quarters and calls to cancel the contract after a series of complaints over the ‘zero tolerance’ approach taken by the company when issuing Fixed Penalty Notices (FPNs) for litter and dog fouling

However Wrexham Council ended up being the only local authority in Wales still be contracted to the company after Kingdom announced it would be ending its work in Flintshire, Denbighshire and Conwy from mid-August.

A few months later Wrexham Council announced that it 90 days notice to quit had been served and that its contract with Kingdom would be fully binned off by the end of the year.

Information released at the time, stated: “Officers have written to Kingdom advising that the contract should be terminated in line with the provisions of the contract with three months’ notice.

“Kingdom have acknowledged receipt and the necessary arrangements are now commencing to arrange closedown of the systems, processes and new enforcement activity has ceased. The contract cessation date is December 28th 2018.

“Officers are now examining options for the future of environmental enforcement in Wrexham. This will include an examination of all opportunities, including collaboration.

“An update report on business case of options will be provided, initially to the Homes and Environment Scrutiny Committee early in the New Year.”

In July 2018 it was confirmed that discussions with other authorities across North Wales over the creation of a regional enforcement service have taken place. However details of what this could entail and how it would work, are not yet known, with discussions described as ‘informal‘.

The item is currently scheduled to take place at the February meetings of the homes and environment committee. However as usual with the council’s forward work programme, this could be subject to change.