Council and democracy

Agenda and minutes

Venue: Committee Room 1, Civic Offices, New Road, Grays, Essex, RM17 6SL. View directions

Contact: Jenny Shade, Senior Democratic Services Officer  Email: Direct.Democracy@thurrock.gov.uk

Items
No. Item

10.

Minutes pdf icon PDF 94 KB

To approve as a correct record the minutes of the Cleaner, Greener and Safer Overview and Scrutiny Committee meeting held on 13 July 2017.

Minutes:

The minutes of the Cleaner Greener and Safer Overview and Scrutiny Committee held on the 13 July 2017 were approved as a correct record.

11.

Items of Urgent Business

To receive additional items that the Chair is of the opinion should be considered as a matter of urgency, in accordance with Section 100B (4) (b) of the Local Government Act 1972.

Minutes:

Councillor Jones asked Councillor C Kent to provide Members with an update on progress made so far on the Review Panel of the Fly Tipping of Alley Ways. Councillor C Kent thanked members for their contributions and suggestions and that those had been collated by Officers and would form part of the Public Consultation that would commence on the 16 October 2017. A report would be presented at the Cleaner Greener and Safer Overview and Scrutiny Committee in December.

 

Councillor Piccolo questioned whether there would be sufficient time between the consultation finishing and the December Committee to fully evaluate such a big project. Officers reassured Members that the consultation would be continually promoted and responses monitored as they were received. Councillor C Kent stated that the questions were straightforward enough to enable residents to be able to put their points forward. Councillor Collins asked whether Members could have sight of the questions, Gavin Dennett agreed to send to Members following the Committee.

 

Councillor Jones stated that Members had expected to receive an update on Route Optimisation from the Waste Service tonight. Julie Rogers, the Assistant Director of Environment, advised Members that the new service commenced in May 2017 and was still being imbedded and further advised that the Waste Disposal Contract procurement was currently underway for new contracts to be in place for December 2017. Once the outcome of this was known a more detailed report and the implications this had for route optimisation, along with the solutions being put in place to address this would be presented to the Committee.

12.

Declaration of Interests

Minutes:

No interests were declared.

13.

Update on Air Quality & Health Strategy pdf icon PDF 93 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Ann Osola, the Assistant Director for Highways and Transportation, presented the report that was endorsed by Cabinet in December 2016 and explained that the Strategy framed the authority’s approach to improving the air quality and reducing air pollution exposure to safe levels for human health across the borough. Ann Osola updated Members on the following approaches that the Council would be delivering:

           

           The implementation of measures for managing air quality throughout the borough to prevent new Air Quality Management Areas from arising.

           Implement measures contained within the action plan for existing Air Quality Management Areas.

           Collaboration with external bodies to reduce background pollution from inside and outside the borough.

 

Beau Stanford-Francis and Navtej Tung briefly summarised the actions from the Health Strategy which covered:

 

           Monitoring and reducing the air quality in new developments by promoting public transport.

           Working closely with schools to promote walking and cycling and improve those infrastructures.

           Landscaping and tree planning programmes working alongside the Highways Scheme.

           Looking at actions specific to Air Quality Management.

           Promoting heavy goods vehicles management schemes.

           Providing appropriate signage.

 

A summary of the progress made so far on borough wide actions and those specific to Air Quality Management Areas were provided to Members.

 

Ann Osola explained that the Air Quality Steering Group had meet for the first time this week to look at actions and identify issues and address any additional work on air quality being commissioned as part of the work of the Lower Thames Crossing Task Force. That future prediction of air pollution from traffic was crucially dependent on understanding how traffic would use the borough’s local networks and the knowing and planning would be key to mitigating those impacts.

 

Councillor Jones thanked Officers for the report and that the measures being undertaken would be good for Thurrock.

 

Councillor Jones asked for further information on the General Practitioner Scorecard. Officers agreed to supply this.

 

Councillor Jones questioned whether any cycle routes in East Stanford were being proposed. Officers confirmed that plans to create a cycle route to connect from the east to the west of Stanford Le Hope were under consideration working alongside Network Rail.

 

Councillor Allen questioned that with 140,000 vehicles using the Dartford Crossing daily what impact would the Lower Thames Crossing have on the borough. Ann Osola stated that at the moment the Council did not know and that a lot of work had to be done for this to be understood. Ann Osola stated that the Council had to understand the situation that Thurrock was in at the moment, to prepare baseline information which can be monitored and accessed and to look at predictions for the future. That Highways England had their own models and that these would need to be scrutinised thoroughly. An Independent Technical Advisor on Environmental Issues with a PHD in atmospheric chemistry had been brought in to fight Thurrock’s case and that the Lower Thames Crossing Task Force Group were meeting again next  ...  view the full minutes text for item 13.

14.

Linford Household Waste & Recycling Centre - Future Site Redevelopment pdf icon PDF 103 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Julie Rogers, Assistant Director of Environment, and Beau Stanford-Francis, Environmental Protection and Contracted Services Manager, presented the report that explained that Thurrock Council operated a single Household Waste and Recycling Centre in Linford. That this site was operating significantly over capacity and that the layout and infrastructure is not in keeping with modern sites and that the recommendation would be to undertake a planning application for the redevelopment of this site.

 

Councillor Jones thanked Officers for the report and the excellent presentation and that good things were happening. Councillor Jones questioned Officers whether having the two entrances would be sufficient instead of the three that were on the shown on the example layout. Officers explained this was an example layout, not the final layout that will be taken forward, and confirmed that it was viewed that initial feedback is that colleagues would favour two entrances, planning input would need to be considered but it was important that segregation of cars and heavy goods vehicles is vital.

 

Councillor Collins thanked Officers for the presentation and agreed that the review was long overdue and questioned that any reusable products suitable for charities could be considered.

 

Councillor Collins questioned the requirements stated in the report’s Legal Implications but Officers stated this was a statutory requirement that had to be undertaken and formed no part of the planning process. Officers explained that the right specification would attract the right bids.

 

Councillor Allen agreed that it was clear that consideration should now be given to how the site should operate going forward and agreed that the site needed updating. Councillor Allen stated that the presentation and report was absolutely fantastic and fully supported for this to be implemented as soon as possible.

 

Councillor Piccolo echoed Members remarks that improvements were now required and that cost savings could be considered for reusable items for community groups. Officers stated that reusable items would need to be viable for such groups and this could form part of the process.

 

RESOLVED

 

That the Cleaner Greener and Safer Overview and Scrutiny Committee are asked to make the following recommendation to Cabinet:

 

           To undertake a Planning Application for the redevelopment of the Household Waste and Recycling Centre in Linford, on its current Buckingham Hill site in line with the design principles detailed in 4.3 of the report.

15.

Public Bin Review Update pdf icon PDF 73 KB

Minutes:

Daren Spring, Street Services Manager, presented the report that updated Members on the Public Bin Review that would be carried out on all public litter bins throughout the borough and that the review would focus on the location, process for installation, purchasing of new dual process litter bins and the introduction of 10 Big Belly Bins. Monitoring would continue on locations, requests made and usage and that local schools would be approached to provide designs for the side of the bins.

 

Councillor Jones thanked Officers for the report and questioned whether the Big Belly Bins would only be for general waste. The Officers confirmed that yes this would be the case. Councillor Jones asked Officers to explain how the notification system operated. Officers advised they are compacting bins which send a notification when the bins need emptying.  Councillor Jones further questioned in relation to the Bartec system and how this would support emptying of bins. Officers confirmed that the system would be uploaded with all the bins in the borough, including the frequency of emptying, this will automatically produce a work program and schedule for staff, which would be presented to them on electronic devices.

 

Councillor Collins questioned whether the Big Belly Bins were reliable and maintained regularly. Officers confirmed that monitoring and servicing of the bins would continue for the period of the trial.

 

Julie Rogers stated that the Big Belly Bins were already in use in the public domain and are not known to have regular maintenance issues.   The trial would identify any issues of high demand and how frequently the sites would need to be visited for bins to be emptied, if they weren’t collecting high enough volumes they would be relocated.

 

Councillor Piccolo asked whether the Barrow Beat Sweepers in all wards could identify areas where rubbish was being picked up to establish where potential rubbish bins could be placed.  Officers confirmed this already takes place.

 

Councillor Allen questioned when the Big Belly Bins would be implemented. Daren Spring stated that the bins were in stock and hopefully be rolled out by the end of October.

 

Councillor Allen asked that the Barrow Beat Sweeper in Tilbury be commended for the work that he undertakes.

 

Councillor Jones thanked Officers for a very important report.

 

RESOLVED

 

That the Cleaner Greener and Safer Overview and Scrutiny Committee commented on the contents of the report.

16.

Work Programme pdf icon PDF 58 KB

Minutes:

The Chair asked Members if there were any items to be added or discussed for the work programme for the 2017-18 municipal year.

 

Members agreed to add a report on Route Optimisation from the Waste Service to the 14 December 2017 Committee.

 

Members agreed to add a report on Fly Tipping of Alley Ways to the 14 December 2017 Committee.

 

Councillor Piccolo requested that his report on “Bin It Campaign” be removed from the 14 December 2017 Committee.

 

RESOLVED

 

1.         That the item on Route Optimisation from the Waste Service will be added to the work programme for 14 December 2017 Committee.

2.         That the item on Fly Tipping in Alleyways will be added to the work programme for 14 December 2017 Committee.

3.         That the item on Bin It Campaign will be removed from the work programme.