Meeting documents

Apologies for absence were received from Bill Chapple and David Carroll.

To disclose any personal or disclosable pecuniary interests.

There were no declarations of interest.

Of the meeting held on Wednesday 26 June 2013 to be confirmed as a correct record.

The minutes of the meeting held on the Wednesday 26 June 2013 were agreed as a correct record.

How can I have my say?

There is a dedicated public platform item where members of the public can register to speak on any agenda item or suggest matters which they would like the Committee to look at.  Written notification must be received at least 7 working days in advance of the committee meeting that you would like your issue raised. 

For further information please see:

http://www.buckscc.gov.uk/assets/content/bcc/docs/overview_scrutiny/public_platform.pdf

There were no public questions.

For the Chairman of the Committee to provide an update to the Committee on recent scrutiny related activity.

The Chairman explained that the Environment, Transport and Locality Services Select Committee has a varied and wide workload. 

One of the challenges during the year will be to schedule the agendas as the items arise as well as address some of the big issues/topics already on the agenda for the Committee.

Gill Harding, Senior Manager, Country Parks and Property

For members to be briefed on Green Spaces and Country Parks

GurbakshBadhan, Waste Service Business Manager

For members to be briefed on Household waste and recycling centres policies, in particular, the  review of the Waste Acceptance & Access Policy.

David Sutherland, Sustainability Service Business Manager

Environment issues and future proofing services: For members to be briefed on the environment issues emerging for the local authority and impacts on local authority services.

The Chairman welcomed Gill Harding, Country Parks and Property, Gurbaksh Badhan, Waste Service Business Manager and David Sutherland, Sustainability Service Business Manger to the meeting.

Gill Harding explained that the Place Service Senior Management responsibilities were as follows;

Martin Dickman, Senior Manager, Place;

·         ‘Go To’ for the Cabinet Member for Environment

·         gypsies and travellers – contract manager (the management contract currently sits with Oxfordshire County Council)

·         Energy from Waste Project Lead

Gill Harding

·         general overview of Place Service and Environment, Green Spaces and Country Parks, finance and performance

Gurbaksh Badhan

·         household waste and recycling

David Sutherland

·         sustainability and future proofing services

Joe Nethercoat

·         waste and sustainability

Stephen Walford

·         Planning, Advisory and Compliance Service (PACS) (a new team brought together as a result of the Place restructure 18 months ago)

Household Waste Recycling Centres (HWRCs)

Gurbaksh Badhan gave the following overview of the Household Waste Recycling Centres;

·         Buckinghamshire County Council has a statutory function as a Waste Disposal Authority to provide one or more Household Waste Recycling Centres (HWRCs) where Buckinghamshire residents can recycle and dispose of their own household waste.

·         BCC have 10 Household Waste Recycling Centres operating under Performance Based contract by FCC Environmental

·         The contract commenced in April 2012 and includes:

o  Self monitoring of 36 Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

o  Recycling and diversion targets for encouraging submission of a

business case for new recycling streams

o  A share of net income/cost on recycled materials

·         The contact is for a period of 7 years with the option to extend the contract for a further 3 years.

·         75% of waste collected across the 10 sites was reused or recycled in 2012/13

·         The Waste Acceptance and Access Policy was brought in in 2006 to replace the use of height barriers and to deter trade waste being brought in for free and by setting limits, restrict quantities of non- Household waste.

·         The policy has been implemented through a ‘Permit Scheme’. 

·         Householders can apply for a permit in various ways i.e. via the BCC website, by telephone or in writing.

·         There are four types of permit, general, recyclable, DIY and/or asbestos.  Permits are free and are for a fixed duration (general/recycle – 1 month (3 month on renewal), DIY 31 days / one visit for six items of DIY waste).

·         Local Businesses may dispose of Commercial and/or construction & demolition waste at one of five Trade Waste HWRC’s.  Charges apply and are published on the BCC website.

·         A project took place from April – June 2013 under PRINCE 2 to look at how to deliver services, the location of the HWRC’s, the impact, the delivery of services in the last 6 years and the legislation elements.  The project is 90% complete.  An options list will be developed in July/August which will be presented to the Project Board for detailed analysis and modelling. The aim is for the Project report to be reviewed and finalised by September 2013.

Sustainability and Future Proofing Service

David Sutherland, Sustainability Service Manager gave the following overview;

The two  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6.

Proposed committee work – Kama Wager, Scrutiny Officer

·         Proposal Document – Problem Debt in Bucks

·         Proposal Document – Public Transport in Bucks - Buses

Kama Wager, Policy Officer referred Members to the documents enclosed with the agenda detailing two proposals for committee work.

Members were asked for their agreement that the two areas proposed fall with the remit of the Committee and that they should be looked into further.

Proposal No 1 - Tackling Problem Debt in Buckinghamshire

The key areas that could be addressed are highlighted (payday loans, prevalence of people using payday loans, high interest lenders, high unemployment etc)

Proposal No. 2 - Bus usage and public transport links in Buckinghamshire

This is a legacy item from the Overview and Scrutiny Committee passed onto the ETL Select Committee to look at areas such as transport networks bus routes based on historic demands and future demands, if services meet demands and rural accessibility.

Members of the Committee agreed to look at both of the items at the September meeting after more research has taken place and further evidence has been gathered.

Welfare Reforms

Members were advised that a number of projects were taking place across the county to look at the impact of welfare reforms.  The requirements may only be for extra background research/ information to be fed into areas where the Committee may be able to add value and to take this through as a draft scope for a future inquiry topic.

The Chairman said that it would be useful to hear what work is Community Impact Bucks are carrying out on behalf of BCC.

Action: Kama Wager

Janet Blake, Cabinet Member for Transport and Planning,

Sean Rooney, Senior Manager, Transport

Karen Agbabiaka, Senior Manager, Place Service

Martin Heeley, Design, Construction and Business Manager.

Members will receive information on the Transport for Bucks contract delivered by Ringway Jacobs, and have the opportunity to ask questions of the senior officers and cabinet member. For this meeting specific focus will be on:

·         An executive summary of the contract

·         Criteria for extension of the contract.

·         Key performance indicators and the review process.

·         Impact on the contract of Key Performance Indicators not being met

·         Quality of works and future plans for the capital maintenance programme.

·         Access to information for members on capital works programme.

The previous Transport for Bucks scrutiny review can be found online at: Transport for Buckinghamshire - Ringway Jacobs Contract along with the Cabinet Response.

The Chairman welcomed Janet Blake, Cabinet Member for Transport and Planning, Sean Rooney, Senior Manager- Transport, Karen Agbabiaka – Senior Manager, Place Service and Martin Heeley, Design, Construction and Business Manager, Ringway Jacobs/TfB to the meeting.

The Cabinet Member introduced Lee Merces, Contract Director, Ringway Jacobs/TfB.

Sean Rooney took Members through a Powerpoint presentation on the Transport for Bucks (TfB), Ringway Jacobs contract during which the following key points were highlighted:

The rationale behind the Transportation Services Contract

The Transportation Services contract started in 2009 at which time it was a quite innovate and unique in terms of the way things are done in the industry.  Highways expertise was provided by Ringway Jacobs to work towards improving the service provided to businesses, customers and residents of Buckinghamshire.

The contract was not a traditional client/consultation. It was an arrangement very much about a self-audit and self-monitoring from Ringway Jacobs as part of TfB.  There was strategic client support of the contract with the ability to check and challenge on an on-going basis.  The important aspect was moving towards a different approach.  Instead of a tripartite arrangement there was a single TfB alliance.  Focus was on delivery across the service

Task Orders

Task Orders are the instruction BCC gives to the Contactor to carry out works on behalf of the Authority. 

A Task Order is a culmination of a significant business planning process which starts in October every year for the following financial year.  There is significant challenge and involvement from the client throughout the process

Task Orders are led by the contractor but are checked and challenged by BCC.  There is also involvement from the Cabinet Member towards the latter stages.

Principles of payment

This is the level of detail which gets picked up in the latter stages.  Each area of work is issued a specific Task Order which is linked into breakdown of the work which is expected to be delivered within the year.  This is also recorded for Capital and Revenue.

Key Performance Indictors (KPIs)

Key Performance Indicators set out the standards against which TfB’s performance is measured;

·         ‘minimum acceptable performance’

·         ‘expected performance’

·         KPI’s are reviewed yearly.

·         Contract extension is based on successful KPI performance

·         90% of KPIs must meet Acceptable Performance

·         If the performance is not achieved for two consecutive years, any extensions granted are reduced by a year (although contracts are awarded, there is still the ability for the Contractor to lose the contract)

·         If performance is not achieved for three consecutive years, ALL extensions granted are lost

·         Current extensions take the contract to 2012, with the potential of running until 2024.

During discussion, Members asked the following questions and made the following points:

There are two progress reports to Council with Cabinet response (27 February 2012 and 23 October 2012) from the previous Overview & Scrutiny Committee.  There 8 keys items outstanding from the October report.  Is it possible to have an update on the response?  The last response was made by Peter Hardy, Cabinet Member for  ...  view the full minutes text for item 8.

Report from the Chairman

·         Written update for Members on HS2

·         Committee Work Programme

Members were given a written update on HS2 for information.

Committee Work Programme

Suggestions made for the Work Programme and points made about priorities have been noted.

Priorities for the Work Programme and timescale are to be discussed

Action: Warren Whyte/Kama Wager

The next meeting is due to take place on Wednesday 25 September 2013 in Mezzanine Room 2.  There will be a pre-meeting for Committee Members at 9.30am.

The next meeting is due to take place on Wednesday 25 September 2013 in Mezzanine 2, County Offices, Aylesbury.  There will be a pre-meeting for Committee Members are 9.30am.

Future dates and times for 2013

Wednesday 6 November (12.30pm)

Wednesday 4 December (1.00pm)

Proposed dates for 2014

Tuesday 4 February

Tuesday 4 March

Tuesday 8 April

Tuesday 13 May

Tuesday 17 June

Tuesday 2 September

Tuesday 14 October

Tuesday 18 November