Meeting documents

Apologies for absence were received from Bill Chapple, David Carroll, Dev Dhillon and Bill Bendyshe-Brown.

To disclose any personal or disclosable pecuniary interests.

There were no declarations of interest.

Of the meeting held on 2 September 2014 to be agreed as a correct record.

The minutes of the meeting held on the Tuesday 2 September 2014 were agreed as a correct record.

Matters Arising

Full details of the contract for Community Impact Bucks are to be requested.

Action: DSO/Andrew Clarke

Timeline/scope of the internal review, the review being undertaken by Gate One and the Transport review are to be provided.

Action: Cabinet Member for Transportation/Gill Harding/Andrew Clarke

Forensic analysis report of the RJ contract is to be circulated to Committee Members when approved.

Action: Cabinet Member for Transportation/DSO

Details of the savings in the Transportation portfolio and re-investment are to be circulated to Committee Members when available.

Action: Gill Harding/DSO

Four Year plan is to be circulated to Committee Members.

Action: Cabinet Member for Transportation/DSO

This is an opportunity for members of the public to put a question or raise an issue of concern, related to Environment, Transport and Locality Services.   Where possible, the relevant organisation to which the question/issue is directed will be present to give a verbal response.  The member of public will be invited to speak for up to four minutes on their issue.  A maximum of 30 minutes is set aside for the Public Questions slot in total (including responses and any Committee discussion). This may be extended with the Chairman’s discretion. 

For full guidance on Public Questions, including how to register a request to speak during this slot, please follow this link:

http://www.buckscc.gov.uk/about-your-council/scrutiny/get-involved/

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 reported the following.

The main bulk of the work of the Committee has been the public transport inquiry.

Some of the members of the ETL Committee attended the Finance Select Committee meeting on the 30 September to give a joint update on the grass cutting contract.  A summary will be circulated.

Action: Phil Gomm/DSO

For Members to consider the Council’s response to flooding in Bucks, how the County Council carries out its statutory duty, the local issues and responses, roles and responsibility, and lessons learned from winter floods.

Lesley Clarke OBE, Cabinet Member for Environment and Planning

Karen Fisher, Lead Officer for Flooding (Place) and Environment Agency Representative 

David Cobby, Jacobs

Karen Fisher, Flood Management Team Leader, David Cobby, Jacobs,  Doug Hill, Environment Agency, Lesley Clarke OBE, Cabinet Member for Planning & Environment and Netta Glover, Deputy Cabinet Member for Planning & Environment were welcomed to the meeting.

Members of the Committee were referred to the report in the agenda pack which gives details of the background to the strategy, statutory responsibilities, challenges, issues and work that taken place.

The Flood Management Team sits within the Planning Advisory and Compliance and currently employs three full time officers and a Lead Officers/Senior Flood Management Officer.

The Buckinghamshire Strategic Flood Management Committee (BSFMC) was formed in 2009.  The Committee membership includes the Cabinet Member for Planning & Environment and representation from Partners organisations such was Thames Water, the Flood Management Agency and District Councils.  Meetings are held every three months and are chaired by a County Councillor.

The Cabinet Member also sits on the Thames Regional Flood and Coastal Committee (RFCC) where decisions are made for flood management capital projects.  Buckinghamshire County Council represents Slough Borough Council, Luton Borough Council and Central Bedfordshire Council on this Committee.

Winter Flooding in 2013/14 had a severe impact on the Buckinghamshire area.  This was a testing time for the Flood Management Team as there were only two officers in post. Work took place with colleagues such as TfB, the Resilience Team as well as external partners. 

The County Council has a statutory requirement to carry out flood investigations. The Flood Team has prepared 18 flood investigation reports on locations of the flooding which were the most severely impacted. Four of the reports have been completed and published.  It is hoped that the 14 reports will be completed by the end of the calendar year. An additional report was completed two weeks ago in response to 30 businesses in Chesham being flooded by surface water.

The County Council has a statutory responsibility to hold a register of all assets which impact on flooding (bridges, banks, structures etc). One member of staff has been dedicated to compile the Asset Register.

The final part of the Flood Water Management Act is still to be enacted. In the past week, a new consultation has been released by DEFRA which seems to substantially change the process for two tier Authorities by placing the approval process with the planning process and the Local Planning Authority.  The responsibility for the inspection, adoption and maintenance process is unclear.  This is a big change in income and resources set aside.

Going forward, the revenue funding from the Department of Environment, Food & Rural Affairs for 2014/15 could be phased out.  Jacobs has been commissioned to look at up to five locations around the county where temporary or demountable defences could be employed during a flood.

There are a number of capital projects in Chesham which are coming to completion (Fullers Hill and Spinney). The Marlow Flood Alleviation Scheme has been added back into the programme for the next six year funding scheme.  Work is taking place  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6.

Members will receive an update on the draft Bulky Waste Strategy and Re-use & Recycling Credits Policy, and will consider the draft policy providing their comments prior to the policy being presented to Cabinet.

Lesley Clarke OBE, Cabinet Member for Environment and Planning

Gurbaksh Badhan, Waste Service Business Manager

Lesley Clarke OBE, Cabinet Member for Planning & Environment and Gurbaksh Badhan, Waste Business Manager, were welcomed to the meeting.

Ms Badhan thanked Committee Members for allowing her to attend the meeting. The purpose of the report being brought to the ETL Select Committee is:

·         To present the Committee with information on the Bulky Waste Strategy & Re-use and Recycling Credit Policy project;

·         To provide the Committee with an opportunity to review and comment on the options presented; and

·         To seek approval for the approach being taken

The main drivers of the project are;

·         A review of the existing (and subsequently revised) Joint Municipal Waste Management Strategy for Buckinghamshire identified re-use as a priority area. Bulky waste has been identified as a priority waste stream to target re-use.

·         The new Energy from Waste (EfW) facility at Greatmoor will provide the Council with a cost effective and performance efficient route for the treatment of residual waste that is currently landfilled.  It will not however, treat bulky waste in its original form without some form of pre-treatment.  Therefore under the EfW era, bulky waste is to be managed as ad hoc waste under the contract and will incur higher costs for its management compared to standard residual waste (i.e. black bag waste).

In terms of HWRC bulky waste re-use items, in 2013/14, approximately 1,250 tonnes of waste items destined for landfill were re-used, of which, about 220 tonnes were from bulky waste. This is a saving of £125,000 per annum to the County Council.

The Cabinet Member referred to the shops located at the Household Waste Recycling Centres in Aston Clinton and High Heavens, where funds raised from unwanted items which are suitable for re-use, are being used to support South Bucks Hospice to build and run a new hospice. The disposal of mattresses is a cause for concern.  Talks are taking place with the bed manufacturer, Hypnos, about the possibility of working with them to recycle mattress springs.  There is a bid in the MTP to purchase a shredder for bulky waste.

The officer added that step changes in the management of the material stream going forward have been considered.

In 2013/14, approximately 1250 tonnes of waste items destined for landfill were re-used, of which about 220 tonnes were from bulky waste.

Bulky waste is also collected by District Councils.  Householders are charged a collection fee.  There is no set window for collection. The drawbacks of this service are items ‘vanish’ before the collection is made and some of the items are weathered and not suitable for re-use. BCC meet the disposal costs so are keen to look at other avenues for disposal.

Several third party sector organisations have indicated they would like to be involved in diverting bulky waste for re-use and recycling. There have been various discussions through the re-use forum from which the challenges faced have been highlighted i.e. the lack of storage space and capacity. A money incentive has been looked at i.e. the re-use credit policy.  ...  view the full minutes text for item 7.

For Members to consider and agree the draft inquiry report and recommendations

The Chairman reminded members of the Committee that the public transport inquiry is a strategic high level look at the public transport picture in the county which includes a review of the current situation and looking at areas where change and opportunity might present itself.

The review is a timely reminder to make sure there is an impact in the 2015/16 budget review and Future Shape reorganisation of the County Council as well of the opportunities that exist to look at a step change in public transport delivery.

The key findings from the inquiry are detailed in the Executive Summary.

‘Public Transport has a vital role to play in enabling people to get to work, access services, support the local economy and help reduce social isolation.  This is a timely inquiry as the Council is undertaking a restructuring of its services to meet the financial challenges ahead.  Our report seeks to inform the Council’s strategic approach to public transport policy and delivery and to deliver the best possible overall value for money’

‘The Council needs to articulate a clear, long term vision for a total transport approach for public transport provision, rather than considering historic services in isolation.  Our recommendations are designed to help the Council achieve a strategic and joined-up approached to future commissioning of public transportation’.

The Chairman gave thanks to everyone who took part in the inquiry, particularly those listed in appendix 1 of the report who gave their thoughts and observations to the Committee.

Members of the Committee were asked for their comments, observations and endorsements of the draft report before it is presented to Cabinet on the 10 November 2014.

The following comments were made;

·         There is a lot of detail in the report. Tribute is paid to the Chairman of the Environment Select Committee, the Policy Officer and the Democratic Services Officer for organisation and marshalling of the inquiry sessions.

·         The report is concise and considered.  It looks at an integrated transport solution going forward.

·         Witnesses gave the Committee some good ideas for future services which have been included in the report. It is hoped that the relevant Cabinet Members will take the ideas into account which includes Home to School Transport and public transport

·         The residents of Buckinghamshire want change within the transport network.  Thanks are given to all those involved in the inquiry.

The Chairman said a lot of knowledge has been gained from the inquiry which will help the Cabinet Member and the team look at public transport in more detail. The ETL Committee has an important role in terms of challenging and monitoring how this might develop going forward.

Members of the Committee ENDORSED the report.

Members will discuss the Committee Work Programme and forthcoming Committee items

Members of the Committee NOTED the work programme.

The following is to be added to the work programme;

·         An update on flooding

·         An update on the recommendations made to Cabinet by the ETL Select Committee on the Ringway Jacobs contract.

An informal meeting of the Committee will be arranged in December to discuss proposed work programme topics and inquiry areas for 2015.

Action:  Policy Officer

The next meeting is due to take place on Tuesday 18 November 2014 in Mezzanine 2, County Offices, Aylesbury at 10.00am.  There will be a pre-meeting for Committee Members at 9.30am.

Proposed meeting dates for 2015

3 February

17 March

14 April

19 May

23 June

21 July

8 September

6 October

17 November

The next meeting is due to take place on Tuesday 18 November 2014 in Mezzanine 2, County Offices, Aylesbury.  There will be a pre-meeting for Committee Members at 9.30am.

Meeting dates for 2015