Agenda and minutes

Cllr Nigel Carter was appointed Chairman for the ensuing year.

Cllr Alan Hill was appointed Vice Chairman for the ensuing year.

Apologies were received from Cllr Peter Doyle, Cllr Jose Green and Cllr Steven Oldrieve.  Cllr Trevor Carbin substituted for Cllr Steven Oldrieve.

The minutes of the meeting held on 10 May 2011 were approved and signed as a correct record.

To receive any declarations of personal or prejudicial interests or dispensations granted by the Standards Committee.

Cllr Chuck Berry declared a personal interest in Item 168 – Delegation of Services to Town and Parish Councils as the Director of Healthmatic, specialists in the design and management of public toilets.

Cllr Trevor Carbin also declared a personal interest in Item 168 – Delegation of Services to Town and Parish Councils as a member of Southwick allotments (mentioned with the report).

The Chairman thanked the Committee for his appointment and expressed gratitude for the work undertaken by the previous Chairman, Cllr Mollie Groom.

There was no public participation although questions were received from several Councillors in relation to the Wiltshire Core Strategy.

Members had been made aware that the consultation undertaken in relation to the Southern Core Strategy would be amalgamated within the Wiltshire Core Strategy but expressed concern that this had not been widely communicated.

The Cabinet Member for Waste, Property, Environment and Development Control Services clarified that the Wiltshire Core Strategy following the consultation exercise would be circulated to Parish Council’s for consideration prior to its submission to the Inspectorate.

To address the concerns of the Committee the Chairman confirmed that invitations would be given to officers to provide a response on how the Salisbury Core Strategy and Wiltshire Core Strategy were to be amalgamated and the policies in place.  The Chairman was also minded in November to invite a report which provided an overview of the results to emerge from the consultation exercise.

The Cabinet Member for Public Health and Protection Services was in attendance to present a verbal update on the Air Quality Strategy ahead of its submission to Cabinet on 13 September 2011.

Clarification was provided that feedback received from previous Committee scrutiny had been fed into the revised strategy document.  A copy of the revised strategy would be presented to the Committee at its next meeting in September for consideration.

The Cabinet Member requested that the Committee take into consideration several key points as follows:

·         Air quality was an emotive issue and a complex and technical area.  With this in mind the revised strategy would be simplified into distinct areas as follows: 

o       Part 1 - To outline in simple terms the complexities of Air Quality (in line with guidance from the DEFRA publication). 

o       Part 2 – To provide more detailed technical.

o       Part 3 – To provide details of the proposed strategy itself.

o       Part 4 – Action Plan arising from the Air Quality Strategy.

·         There was a desire to install a ‘traffic light’ system on the Council’s website that would allow monitoring of air quality figures across the County in real time.  A pilot scheme was currently in place within Salisbury.

·         There would be budgetary implications in relation to the equipment required with monitoring stations equating to approximately £45k each with an additional cost of approximately £4k to update systems.

Whilst taking into consideration the information provided, the Cabinet Member requested that the Committee upon consideration of the Strategy also consider whether Part 4 of the Strategy document may be better placed as a separate document in its own right.

Ensuing discussion included that there was a need for behavioural change within the wider community including the use of vehicular transport through problematic areas where the Council had little or no control.

The Cabinet member recognised that the behaviour of residents across the county was also required to ensure better air quality but stressed the importance of a strategy to ensure the local authority was doing what it could to address the problem itself.  Localised air quality plans would be developed following approval of the Strategy.

There were several ‘hot spot’ areas within Wiltshire that were recognised as having poor air quality, including Bradford-on-Avon, Devizes, Calne and Salisbury. Discussions continued with these local communities to find the most appropriate avenue to reduce the poor air quality.

Members recognised that a more joined up approach across the Council was required to continue to address poor air quality and this would be included within the revised strategy. 

Members also questioned whether the air quality limit values for nitrogen dioxide issued by DEFRA were likely to impact on Wiltshire Council in the future.  The Cabinet Member confirmed that further investigation in this area would be undertaken and findings reported back to the Committee accordingly.

The Committee discussed areas in which poor air quality could be reduced which included the use of park and ride initiatives.  Evidence had shown that the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 166.

A report on the work taking place to deliver a single waste collection and recycling service cross Wiltshire was presented by the Cabinet member for Waste, Property, Environment and Development Control Services.

This followed a request made by the Committee at its meeting in March 2011 when a report on the proposed harmonisation of the service was presented.

The Service Director for Waste Management Services was also in attendance to answer any questions arising.

Clarification was provided that in relation to the MBT plant to be constructed on the Northacre Trading Estate in Wesbury a sod cutting exercise was to be undertaken within the next week ahead of the scheduled building works to commence in August 2011.  It was expected that the plant would become operational in financial year 2013/14 as planned.

In relation to additional capacity required to accommodate the increased volume of both plastic and cardboard, Portmarsh Trading Estate in Calne would be used on a short term basis whilst planning permission was sought by Hills Waste for a longer term solution.  Contingency plans were in place should permission not be achieved.

The awarding of the contract to Hills had taken into consideration the existing costs associated with differing service providers across the County at present. The service provisions in place with other authorities had also been researched to ensure value for money was achieved.  A built in review of the contract would ensure that value for money remained applicable.

It was understood that residual waste from the existing MBT plant would continue to be exported overseas until the new MBT site was opened although the Cabinet Member was confidence that Hills would ensure due process continued to be adhered to during this time.

In relation to the garden waste collection opt-in service being offered by the Council, approximately 20,000 applications had been received to date.

In relation to Household Recycling Centres and  ‘bring sites’ currently in place, these would reviewed once the revised collection service was underway to ensure that they were still being utilised by the public.

Although in principle members were positive of the new service provision across the County, concern was raised in relation to those properties (i.e. flats and terraced houses) where the use of wheelie bins may not be practical.  Clarification was provided that in these circumstances residents were able to apply for the use of bags as a replacement and confirmed that communication of this fact would be addressed.

Resolved:

1)     To thank the Cabinet member and officer for the update provided;

2)     That the Committee receives a further update on delivery of the Waste Transformation Programme to its November meeting.

At the last meeting of the Committee, when considering the forward work programme, members agreed that they would like to receive an update on the authority’s programme to delegate services to Town and Parish Councils; with particular interest in public conveniences.

The Cabinet member with responsibility for this area will be available to provide the Committee with an overview of the progress made and to respond to the Committee’s questions.

The Cabinet member for Highways and Transport was in attendance to present a report on the Delegation of Services to Town and Parish Councils.  This item had been requested at the previous meeting of the Committee when it was resolved that an update would be requested on the programme in place with specific reference to public conveniences.

The officer responsible for delegated services was also in attendance to answer any questions arising.

The Cabinet member opened discussion by clarifying that several services had been delegated to Parish and Town Councils with other applications under consideration, details of which were provided within the report.

It was understood that several councils had been deterred from receiving delegated services as many did not have the facilities in place to address the statutory legislation obligations attached, such as TUPE arrangements and the control of litter regulations.

With specific note to public conveniences confirmation was provided that both Tisbury and Mere now had delegated responsibility of services with contracts being processed in relation to Salisbury.

Resolved:

To thank the Cabinet member and officer for their attendance and for the update provided.

The Committee at its meeting held on 10 May 2011 received an update on scrutiny of procurement and commissioning following a review undertaken by scrutiny upon the release of the Business Plan and consideration by the Liaison Board.

The proposed approach to future scrutiny was that each select committee would approve the formation of a dedicated Procurement and Commissioning Task Group to report directly to the Organisation and Resources Select Committee and replace the Major Contracts Task Groups.

All select committees have now considered the proposals made and have resolved that a new Procurement and Commissioning Task Group be established in line with the recommendations made.  The first meeting is expected to take place on 28 July 2011 with the following membership:

Although the Children’s Services Select Committee supported the creation of the new task group (and named 2 members) it also decided to retain its existing major contracts task group. This may have resource implications for the future but will be discussed further at the next OS Liaison Board on 28 July.

The Committee is asked to note the outcome of the consideration given to the Liaison Board’s recommendation and that the first meeting of the new task group will be held at the end of the month.

There were no updates available in relation to either the Housing Commissioning Board or the Gypsy and Traveller Project Board as neither had met since the Committees previous meeting.

However clarification was provided that Cllr John Thomson was now the appointed Chairman of the Housing Commission Board.

A copy of the draft Forward Work Programme is attached for consideration.

Any other items of business which the Chairman agrees to consider as a matter of urgency.

Cllr Alan Hill raised concern in relation to parking conditions for members of the Council.