Agenda and minutes

To receive any apologies for absence.

Apologies were received from Cllrs Alan Hill, Jose Green, Chris Humphries and Ian McLennan.

Cllr Chris Humphries was substituted by Cllr Charles Howard.

To confirm and sign the minutes of the last meeting held on 10January 2012.

The Minutes of the meeting held on 10 January 2012 were presented.

It was,

Resolved:

Subject to the final paragraph of Minute 6 (Draft Wiltshire Core Strategy) being amended to include:

“The Service Director (Economy and Enterprise) further informed the Committee of communications with Town and Parish Councils regarding those areas of the Draft Core Strategy that had been altered which affected them”,

To APPROVE the minutes as a correct record.

Cllr Chuck Berry declared a personal interest in Minute 25 through his personal business connection with the public convenience industry. He stated he would debate and vote with an open mind.

Cllr Rosemary Brown declared a personal interest in Minute 18 owing to one of the contracted service providers being a client of her employers. She declared she would participate in the debate with an open mind.

To receive any announcements.

There were no announcements.

The Council welcomes contributions from members of the public.

Statements

If you would like to make a statement at this meeting on any item on this agenda, please register to do so at least 10 minutes prior to the meeting. Up to 3 speakers are permitted to speak for up to 3 minutes each on any agenda item.  Please contact the officer named above for any further clarification.

Questions

To receive any questions from members of the public or members of the Council received in accordance with the constitution. Those wishing to ask questions are required to give notice of any such questions in writing to the officer named above no later than 5pm on Thursday 23 March 2012. Please contact the officer named on the first page of this agenda for further advice.  Questions may be asked without notice if the Chairman decides that the matter is urgent.

Details of any questions received will be circulated to Committee members prior to the meeting and made available at the meeting and on the Council’s website.

There were no questions.

An update report on the delivery of the RTPI system, including financial implications of converting to GPRS, was presented to the Committee at its meeting on 7 September 2010.

In considering the report, the Committee recognised that the GPRS system was expected to be complete by March 2011 resulting in an anticipated 93% coverage rate and resolved to receive a further update report in 18 months.

The update is now provided for consideration.

The Cabinet Portfolio Holder for Public Transport was in attendance with the Real Time Bus Information System Manager for the update on the RTPI system, as requested by the Committee in September 2011.

The Portfolio holder introduced the update, specifying that the system was centred on Salisbury, and clarified that it provided passengers with electronic information on the bus services and also timekeeping and route information for the bus operators, and was in partnership with Park and Ride operators until 2020.

The Committee was further advised that the latest installation had been completed in March 2011 at a cost of £127k, with the resulting operational savings over 9 years £223k. He also clarified that a significant dip in accuracy of the system in October 2011 had been the result not of a performance drop, but a technical glitch which had since been corrected. An eventual coverage of the county with the new system of 93% was targeted, the figure a reflection of the mobile operator service coverage used for the service.

The Chair then read a statement from Cllr Ian McLennan, praising the introduction of the RTPI system in the Laverstock area, and thanked the RTPI System Manager for her work on the project.

The Committee then discussed the update, including the scale of the projected coverage, the improvement in the LED displays, and the importance of swiftly identifying and fixing any disruptions to the system. It was suggested that Parish Stewards might be able to assist in checking the GPRS stations across the county.

The Portfolio Holder also invited Committee Members to visit to the RPTI offices in Salisbury should further details on the continuing project be desired.

After debate, it was,

Resolved:

1)    To thank the Cabinet Member and Real Time Bus Information Systems Manager for the update;

2)    To request the Committee continue to be kept updated on any developments with the RTPI programme.

A report on the Carbon Management Plan was submitted to the Committee for consideration on 10 May 2011.  Upon presenting the report clarification was provided that there were three additional action plans under the ECO Strategy, all of which would be presented to the Committee for consideration once available.

The Committee is asked to consider the attached report with appended Climate Change Adaptation Plan and to comment on the ECO Board’s recommendations to streamline the three Action Plans under the ECO Strategy into an Energy Resilience Plan for Wiltshire.

A report on the Carbon Management Plan was submitted to the Committee for consideration on 10 May 2011.  Upon presenting the report clarification was provided that there were three additional action plans under the ECO Strategy, all of which would be presented to the Committee for consideration once available.

The Service Director (Economy and Enterprise) was in attendance with the Head of Climate Change and the Cabinet Member for Waste, Property, Environment and Development Control Services, to present the ECO Strategy Plan Structure and Climate Change Adaptation Plan for 2011 and 2012.

The ECO Strategy is a framework document, to be supplemented by at least four action plans: Carbon Management Plan, Climate Change Adaptation Plan, Low Carbon Transition Plan and Renewable Energy Action Plan. The Low Carbon Transition and Renewable Energy Action Plans are yet to be developed.

It was proposed that the Renewable Energy Action Plan be released to the Committee in chapters as they became available.

In response to queries the Committee was assured that delays in the finalization of the Strategy were not substantial, and that the need to await further central government announcements prevented faster progression. The Committee requested they be notified when the final action plans would be in place.

The Committee then discussed the ECO Strategy in detail, noting that School carbon emissions are included within the Council’s carbon emission totals. The Cabinet Member informed the Committee the Council was working with schools to identify reductions of 20%, highlighting Pewsey Primary receiving an award on Carbon reduction.

The Committee also discussed the Green Deal, a new government scheme mentioned in the Strategy, whereby Energy Companies will make finance available for people to insulate their homes at low interest costs.

The Climate Change Adaption Plan was then discussed in depth, drawing attention, in particular, to the risk tables for areas of high concern to the Council. The lack of health or environmental health officers on the proposed ECO Board was also noted.

After debate, it was,

Resolved:

1)    To thank the Cabinet Member and Officers for appearing before the Committee.

2)    To request the Head of Climate Change appear before the Committee in May 2012 to provide further details of the rationale of risks within the Adaptation Action Plans.

3)    That the Action Plans of the ECO Strategy be presented to the Committee once they are finalized.

Following the Planning Peer Challenge carried out in September 2011 a significant number of issues were raised highlighting opportunities for change and improvements in a number of areas of development services. 

The Service Director for Development Control will be in attendance to present a verbal update on the Transformation Programme which is being conducted during 2012.

The Committee is asked to consider the update and provide comment as appropriate.

Following the Planning Peer Challenge carried out in September 2011 a significant number of issues were raised highlighting opportunities for change and improvements in a number of areas of development services. 

The Service Director (Development Service) was in attendance with the Cabinet Member for Waste, Property, Environment and Development Control Services and presented the Development Services Transformation Programme PID for the Committee’s attention and comment.

The Service Director (Development Service) highlighted the need to be more customer focused, to redefine measures of success as more than the quantity of work completed, the implementation of a new county-wide online planning system later in 2012, and the progression of a current public consultation on the planning service.

The Committee then discussed the Development Services Transformation Programme PID. The issue of enforcement of planning decisions and the level of involvement of Parish Councils was discussed, and the importance of the Peer Review being a starting point only was raised, with further detail and clarity required in specific areas.

The Task Group constituted at the 10 January meeting in relation to the Planning Peer Review recommendations was  identified as a potentially suitable vehicle for undertaking more scrutiny of the PID, although it was noted that it had not yet had its first meeting. The Scrutiny Manager was in attendance, and stated the Task Group would meet before the next meeting of the Committee.

After debate, it was,

Resolved:

1)    To thank the Cabinet Member and Service Director for their presence and comment.

2)    To note and approve the Development Services Transformation Programme PID subject to a further examination by the Development Services Review Task Group.

3)    To request the Committee be provided with a quarterly update report prior to its submission to Cabinet to enable the Committee to offer comment.

The Forward Work Plan was noted and amended to reflect the resolutions contained in these minutes.

To confirm the date of the next meeting as 03 May 2012, to be held at Monkton Park, Chippenham.

The date of the next meeting was confirmed as 03 May 2012 at the Council Chamber in Monkton Park, Chippenham.

There were no urgent items.

To agree that in accordance with Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972 to exclude the public from the meeting for the business specified in Item Number 13 because it is likely that if members of the public were present there would be disclosure to them of exempt information as defined in paragraph 3 of Part I of Schedule 12A to the Act and the public interest in withholding the information outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information to the public.

Resolved:

To agree that in accordance with Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972 to exclude the public from the meeting for the business specified in Minute 25 because it is likely that if members of the public were present there would be disclosure to them of exempt information as defined in paragraph 3 of Part I of Schedule 12A to the Act and the public interest in withholding the information outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information to the public.

A confidential report, regarding the upcoming decisions for the Highways and Amenities contracts, was presented to Cabinet in November 2011.

An update report will follow on the preferred model of delivery for the services in advance of the start of the tendering exercise.

Members are asked to consider the information provided and comment as appropriate.

A confidential report regarding the forthcoming decisions for the Highways and Amenities Contracts was presented to Cabinet in November 2011. The Environment Select Committee requested regular updates as the tendering process developed and the opportunity to offer its views.

The Committee received the report and offered its recommendations.