The Environment and Community Services Policy Development and Scrutiny Committee meeting was scheduled to review performance across various council services, consider budget monitoring, and scrutinise upcoming contract awards and policy updates. Key discussions were expected to focus on highway maintenance, parking policies, and the management of parks and green spaces.

Updates from Portfolio Holders

The committee was scheduled to receive updates from the Portfolio Holder for Environment and the Portfolio Holder for Transport, Highways and Road Safety. These updates would provide an overview of ongoing work and recent developments within their respective areas.

ECS Performance Overview - Quarter 3

A comprehensive review of the Environment & Community Services Portfolio Plan for 2025/26 was planned, focusing on performance indicators for the third quarter (October – December 2025). The report highlighted that most indicators were on track, but three were flagged with a Red RAG status. These included the percentage of 10-day and 35-day highway maintenance tasks completed within required timescales, and the number of people killed or seriously injured in road traffic collisions, which was projected to exceed its target. The report noted that a new arrangement with the highway maintenance contractor was in place and that efforts were being made to reduce road casualties, with Bromley performing relatively well compared to other London boroughs.

Q3 Budget Monitoring 2025/26

The committee was to review the revenue budget monitoring position for the Environment & Community Services Portfolio for the third quarter of the financial year. The report indicated a projected overall overspend of £1,077k for the portfolio by year-end. Significant variations were noted in Arboriculture Management (a projected overspend of £250k due to increased works and backlog mitigation) and Parking Services (a projected overspend of £727k, primarily due to a shortfall in parking enforcement income despite increased PCN charges and a decrease in PCNs issued). Highways also projected an overspend of £100k due to underachieving income from inspection fees and processing charges.

Capital Programme Monitoring - Quarter 3 2025/26

This report detailed changes to the capital programme for the Environment and Community Services portfolio, as agreed by the Executive on 11 February 2026. It outlined a revised programme for 2025/26 to 2029/30, including the re-phasing of £1,528k from 2025/26 into future years. Several new schemes were added to the capital programme, including funding for on-street EV infrastructure (LEVI), a static CCTV network, and the relocation of the Coroners Court.

Contract Award: Highway Drainage Cleansing Services

The committee was scheduled to review proposals for the award of the Highway Drainage Cleansing Services contract. This report, along with a Part 2 document, outlined the outcome of the tendering process for a contract commencing 1 July 2026, with an option to extend for a further two years. The service aims to maintain highway drainage infrastructure to ensure reliable performance and reduce flood risk, integrating with asset management systems for data capture and performance monitoring. The tendering process evaluated bids based on 60% price and 40% quality, with specific criteria for service delivery, methodology, access management, data management, resourcing, innovation, information governance, and security.

Award of Contract for Highway Maintenance

This report, to be considered by the Executive, detailed the outcome of the tendering process for highway maintenance contracts, specifically Lot 1 (Major Works) and Lot 2 (Minor Works). The proposed contracts are for an initial six-year term, commencing 1 July 2026, with options to extend for two further periods of two years each, making a maximum contract duration of ten years. The evaluation criteria comprised 40% quality and 60% price, with the quality aspect assessing operational competence, customer care, localism, innovation, and waste management. The council's highway network is valued at £1.1 billion, and maintaining these assets is considered crucial for the borough's appearance, prosperity, safety, and accessibility.

Integrated Parking Policies

The committee was to review a consolidated summary of Bromley's parking policies and operational practices. This report aimed to bring together current arrangements for off-street and on-street parking, Controlled Parking Zones (CPZs), waiting and loading restrictions, junction protection, enforcement (including CCTV), permits, and accessibility provisions. The policies are designed to improve road safety, support traffic flow, manage kerbside space, support town centres and residential amenity, and ensure legally compliant civil enforcement. The report highlighted that Bromley's parking charges are generally competitive compared to other London boroughs, and that surplus income from parking enforcement is used to support transport initiatives, including the Freedom Pass.

Environment & Community Services Risk Register – Quarter 3

This report presented the Environment & Community Services Risk Register for review. It detailed 18 risks, categorised as Compliance & Regulation, Finance, Service Delivery, Reputation, and Health & Safety. The register included a Heat Map summarising the net risk position. Key changes since the previous report included the addition of two new risks: Systems Failure (with a current risk rating of 12) and Contractual indexation exceeding budgetary inflation (with a current risk rating of 9). No risks were removed, and there were no changes to existing risk scores.

Corporate Contract Register

The committee was scheduled to review an extract from the Corporate Contracts Register as of 28 January 2026. This report provided a snapshot of active contracts with a whole life value of £50k or higher across all council portfolios. For the Environment & Community Services Portfolio, there were 30 active contracts, with 11 flagged as Green for procurement status, 3 as Amber, and none as Red. Twelve contracts were identified as Higher Risk based on the Risk Index. The report also noted that several contracts were approaching their end dates, requiring attention for future procurement or extension.