Dog Wardens

Here's a helpful service provided by the Council, Serco, and an outfit called Animal Wardens - between them they will do their best to return stray dogs to their owners. I think it would be a great help if they could also train the owners to "poop scoop".​

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Big improvements to dog warden service

An enhanced service for lost and found dogs in the district is now up and running.

The city council is working with its contractor Serco and a company called Animal Wardens. People will now be able to report a lost or found dog between 8am and midnight, every day of the year, by calling 01227 290069.

Between 8am and 8pm, a warden will go out and collect a stray dog. Between 8pm and midnight, calls will be answered and arrangements made to collect the dog the next day.

A new website – www.animalwardens.co.uk – is also available for people to report that their pet is missing or to search to see if it has been found.

Animal Wardens staff will make every effort to reunite stray dogs with their owners, but owners are being reminded that it is a legal requirement that their pet has a collar and tag, even if it is also microchipped.

The council’s Head of Neighbourhood Services, Larissa Reed, said:

“A pet dog is an important part of the family and it can be very traumatic if it goes missing. We’re pleased to be improving the lost and found dog service by expanding the hours it operates and making it easier to find out whether a lost pet has been found. Owners can also help us by ensuring their dog has a collar and tag, because that way we can reunite them with their pet quickly and easily.”

CCC 5th Apr 2013

Serco wins grounds maintenance contract

The contract to look after the district’s parks and gardens from April 2013 has been retained by the current contractor, Serco.

Serco won the contract following a competitive tender process in which four companies submitted a bid. It covers council services such as parks, gardens, children’s play areas, sports pitches, benches and trees. Under the contract, Serco will also take over responsibility for the council’s dog warden service.

The contract will run until December 2017 with an option to extend it for a further five years. Executive member for the environment, Cllr Rosemary Doyle, said:

“This is an important contract because we want our open spaces to look the best they possibly can. After very careful consideration of the bids, the council decided Serco offered the best value for money and we look forward to continuing to work with them in the years ahead.”

CCC 11 January 2013

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I didn't know the Council had a dog warden service...

Volunteers step in to rescue THAT Christmas tree

Volunteers have stepped in to spruce up Herne Bay’s infamous Christmas tree after it was ridiculed for being the worst in Britain. They got together to give the fir some much-needed sparkle with tinsel and decorations following outcry over its "disgusting" appearance.

People were left fuming and even booed when the original tree was unveiled last month in front of a 1,000-strong crowd. But locals were left even more furious when the council decided to replace the tree with another that "looks even worse".

Workers putting new lights on Herne Bay’s original Christmas tree (left) – before it was replaced with a tree that "looked even worse"

The revamp group was led by dad and local firefighter Steve Enwright, who said the town had suffered as a result of the negative publicity. He said:

"I was a bit disappointed with the stick Herne Bay got so decided to try and do something about it."

In just five days, he managed to recruit a team of supporters and the help of local businesses and Serco staff to transform the 17ft tree. He said:

"Homebase, the Co-op and Canterbury Garden Centre all provided decorations and I have to say the two guys from Serco who arrived with all the equipment to make sure it was safe were brilliant. I've got kids and really enjoy getting into the Christmas spirit and just decided to see if it could be improved.

I got help from another local resident, Kim Walker, who did a lot of chasing around, and a couple of friends as well as the coastal towns manager Chris West who helped get Serco on board.It looks a lot better now and we even had a singer come along to help celebrate on Sunday morning.

We don’t want to be in this position next Christmas so I am organising a meeting at the angling club to try and plan ahead for next year."

kentonline 13th Dec 2012

Serco retains £40m contract to empty bins in Canterbury

SERCO has retained the £40 million contract to empty the bins of Whitstable, Herne Bay and Canterbury. The city council announced the decision on Tuesday.

It followed a controversial three-way pitch where councillors were forbidden to know which firm was bidding. Among them was Veolia which attracted many protests because of its connections with Israel. The new contract starts on April 1.

Councillors made the decision based on price and quality but could not release details until a ten-day "standstill" period to allow failed bidders the chance to appeal.

The new contract will include fortnightly doorstep collections of glass for the first time and a return to weekly collections of food waste.

Serco was Bidder 2 and came in with the lowest price of £39,289,911. The most expensive was almost £45.5 million. Decisions on the type and size of wheelie bins or boxes will now take place.

Head of Neighbourhood Services Larissa Laing said:

"All three companies put in very competent bids. We would like to thank the two unsuccessful companies for their interest. This is one of our most high profile contracts providing essential services to residents. The tender process has allowed us to create a high quality service while achieving excellent value for money for taxpayers. We now have a lot of work to do on getting the new waste collection system ready."

Council spokesman Rob Davies said:

"The tender was based on a price to quality ratio of 60 per cent/40 per cent. While we understand the concerns that were raised, we have been clear throughout this process that allegations about Veolia's activities in Palestine could not be a factor in determining who won the contract."

Other contracts still to be awarded include grounds maintenance, public toilets, building maintenance and office cleaning. Serco continues to hold the contract for these until the end of March. But councillors have taken the decision to split them into four smaller contracts from April 1.

Canterbury Times