Purpose

To approve the revision to the Council's General
Enforcement Policy.

Content

RESOLVED

That the Cabinet:

a)     
Approves Option C and adopts the updated General
Enforcement Policy (Appendix
A of report HCS/103).

b)     
Instructs, subject to the approval of Recommendation
2.1 a) each Head of Service in consultation with the Monitoring
Officer to update their specific policies and procedures, including
their own delegation schemes, in relation to any enforcement
activity to reflect the updated General Enforcement Policy.

(Generic Delegation 7 will be used to enact this
recommendation).

c)     
Delegates authority to the Head of Community
Services in consultation with the relevant Cabinet Member and Head
of Service (as required) to make amendments to the General
Enforcement Policy as further changes to legislation and statutory
guidance are introduced or following a subsequent review.

(Generic
Delegation 7 will be used to enact this recommendation).

Reasons for the
Recommendations

The updated policy will ensure officers are
applying a consistent enforcement approach, and thereby also
increasing the efficiency and efficacy of enforcement decisions
underpinned by evidence gathering. 

Following sustained year-on-year increases of
offences such as fly tipping, littering, dog fouling and public
space anti-social behaviour, an enhanced approach to enforcement
through a third-party enforcement concession contract was agreed by
the council.  In order for action taken by the third
party to be compliant, the policy must be updated to reflect
current legislation, and statutory guidance such as the regulators
code and Legislative and Regulatory Reform Act 2006.

The desired outcome is to have a comprehensive
policy that is treated as a live policy which sets out in detail
how the council will deliver enforcement and regulatory functions,
and for residents, businesses, and stakeholders to refer to, to
ensure they understand our enforcement and regulatory
protocols.

This is a council-wide policy and will affect
all teams across the council that provide any form of regulatory
enforcement.