Agenda and minutes

RESOLVED

That the minutes of the meeting held on 24 April 2012 be approved as a correct record and signed by the Chairman.

On behalf of the Committee, the Chairman thanked the previous Chairman and Vice Chairman for all their hard work during the 2011/2012 Municipal Year.

There were no declarations of interest.  

To provide an opportunity for Members to declare the existence of a party whip in relation to any item on the agenda.

There were declarations of Party Whip

There were no members of the public who wished to speak.

To give consideration to the Work Programme

Consideration was given to the work programme, it was agreed that a Task and Finish Group comprising of Councillors H Davenport, K Edwards, R Fletcher, P Hayes, P Hoyland and B Livesley, be established to investigate the current position with regard to waste and to determine a suitable way forward. It was also agreed that a Task and Finish Group comprising of Councillors H Davenport, S Davies, S Hogben and B Livesley, be established to review the Planning Enforcement Service. Both reviews would need to be completed by September/October 2012.

With regard to the Car Parking Task and Finish Group, the Chairman highlighted that in order to fit in with Cabinet deadlines, it may be necessary to bring forward the Environment and Prosperity Scrutiny Committee scheduled to be held on 18 September 2012.

RESOLVED

That the work programme be amended to reflect the issues highlighted above

To give consideration to the Forward Plan

Consideration was given to the forward plan. It was agreed that the report relating to the Future Operation of the Town Hall, Macclesfield, should be considered by the Environment and Prosperity Scrutiny Committee, at its meeting scheduled to be held on 24 July 2012.

RESOLVED

That a report on the Future Operation of the Town Hall, Macclesfield be added to the work programme for 24 July 2012.

To give consideration to a report on the Carbon Management Programme Annual Review

Consideration was given to an update the Carbon Management Plan Annual Monitoring Report. The plan identified a range a projects to be developed to achieve a 25% reduction in energy consumption from the 2008/09 baseline, which would be equivalent to 51,037 tonnes of CO2. If action was not taken to meet the target, it would cost the authority an estimated £13.2 million over the next 5 years.

Members noted that while the authority had done well over the past 3 years to reduce its carbon footprint, a number of quick wins had been achieved.

Within the original plan, the identified projects did not account for all the savings needed, leaving a gap of 4.8%, or 2504 tCO2. This gap would be likely to grow larger with time, therefore new projects needed to be developed.

It was noted that Children and Families had a paper going to schools on how to share responsibilities, proposing a ‘pay as you go’ model which would be ready for implementation on 1 April 2013. Members agreed that the Children and Families Scrutiny Committee should be made aware of this.

Members agreed that this issue should be closely monitored and an update report be received in 6 months time, highlighting what had been done to engage with schools to reduce to reduce their carbon footprints.

RESOLVED

1.    That an update report including information on what had been done to reduce the carbon footprint in schools be received in 6 months time.

2.    That the Children and Families Scrutiny Committee be informed of the work ongoing to reduce the carbon footprint in schools.

3.    That Cabinet be recommended to:

·         Accept the figures presented as the Carbon Management Plan annual monitoring report 2011-12.

·         Support the proposal that additional resources would need to be made available to projects yet to be identified within the Plan in order to achieve the savings target set.

To give consideration to a report on the arrangements for waste and recycling collections during Christmas period.

The Committee received a report outlining the proposed arrangements for waste and recycling collections over the Christmas period for 2012/2013, based on lessons learned and experience from 2011/2012.

It was noted that the revised service would cost approximately £60,000, which was not currently in the base budget.

It was agreed that the revised arrangements should be emailed to Members in December 2012 and that rather that circulating a generic letter to all households; the Communications Team should formulate a letter specific to each household, ensuring that the information is as clear as possible.

It was also agreed that the arrangements should be reviewed in January/February 2013, to ensure that the objectives of the revised arrangements had been achieved.

RESOLVED

1.    That Cabinet be recommended to approve the proposed arrangements for waste and recycling collections over the Christmas period for 2012/2013.

2.    That in future, the resources required be included in the base budget.

3.    That the revised arrangements be emailed to Members in December 2012 and that the Communications Team formulate a letter specific to each household, ensuring that the information is as clear as possible.

4.    That the arrangements be reviewed in January/February 2013, to ensure that the objectives of the revised arrangements had been achieved.

To receive an update on highways maintenance (deferred)

M Averill, Service Leader, Cheshire East Highways, circulated a briefing paper informing the Committee that the new Highway Services Contract was let in June 2011 to Ringway Jacobs Ltd. The contract had a default duration of 5 years, extendable to 7 years dependent upon performance across a number of Key Service Indicators. The new partnership had been branded “Cheshire East Highways”, with all vehicles etc. being branded in the same fashion.

The contract would employ around 130 people, the majority of which transferred under the TUPE Regulations from the Borough Council and the old provider, BAM Nuttall.

It was agreed that this item would be deferred until the next meeting of the Committee, when an in-depth report would be presented covering:

·         People

·         Operations

·         Members’ briefings and stakeholder communications

·         Wider communications

·         Information Technology

·         Performance Management & Governance

·         Forward plan

·         Major Projects

·         Investment

M Averill encouraged Members to read the recent press statement relating to LED lighting and selective switch off trials for street lights on the Wilmslow bypass.

RESOLVED

That the Highways Maintenance Update be deferred until the next meeting of the Committee.