Agenda item

Public Speaking/Open Session

A total period of 15 minutes is allocated for members of the public to make a statement(s) on any matter that falls within the remit of the Committee.

 

Individual members of the public may speak for up to 5 minutes, but the Chairman will decide how the period of time allocated for public speaking will be apportioned, where there are a number of speakers.

 

Note: In order for officers to undertake any background research, it would be helpful if members of the public contacted the Scrutiny officer listed at the foot of the agenda, at least one working day before the meeting to provide brief details of the matter to be covered. 

 

Minutes:

Five registered speakers attended the meeting and gave a statement on the Household Waste Recycling Centre in Congleton.

 

1)    Congleton Town Councillor, Paul Duffy spoke against the proposed closure of the Household Waste Recycling Centre (HWRC) in Congleton.  He queried the stated £4million costs to build a new site and suggested that these were more in the region of £100k per annum.  The Council could find £100k funding through the Capital Programme.  With the addition of new homes to the area a generated income had been proposed of £8.5million, this could be invested back as a HWRC.

He recommended that the Cabinet decision in April be delayed to enable proper scrutiny of other plans.

 

2)    Brereton Parish Councillor, Andy Lindsay spoke in favour of a new HWRC in Congleton, and drew attention to the fact that there had been an increase in housing in the Brereton area with 3,000 new homes being built around Congleton.

Councillor Lindsay advised the Committee that the Council should rethink as there was an opportunity to build a new HWRC in Congleton with good road access to the new Congleton Link Road.

 

3)    Congleton Town Councillor, Robert Douglas spoke against the proposed closure of the Congleton HWRC.  He advised the Committee that over the past three months, residents had been challenging the £4million anticipated build costs.  In Norfolk and Nottingham, Local Authorities had built new sites for less than this.  Councillor Douglas challenged the statement in the report that stated residents would only add 1 or 2 items to their domestic waste bin.  He advised the Committee that in his opinion queues to alternative HWRCs would get worse, that would put lives at risk and this had not been highlighted anywhere in the report.  Finally he requested that this Committee consider a working group to look into alternative options for Congleton and then to report its findings back in 6 months.

 

4)    Congleton Town Councillor, Kay Wesley spoke against the proposed closure of Congleton HWRC.  She advised the Committee that she was the Chair of the Community and Environment Committee at Congleton Town Council.  She noted that Cheshire East Council had ambitious goals to reduce waste and improve air quality but she suggested the closure of Congleton HWRC would contribute to working against those targets.  She felt there was a significant risk of fly tipping.  She also noted the Equality Impact Assessment included as part of the agenda report had a passing reference to disabled residents having to be driven to the tip.  Councillor Wesley challenged the statement there was no gender impact in that a disproportionate number were women, who were vulnerable, older or single parent without a car.  She advised the Committee that it should consider recommending that a Cabinet decision on 13th April would be premature and that it would be more prudent to establish a Task and Finish Group to explore avenues before reaching a decision.

 

5)    Congleton Town Councillor, Suzy Firkin spoke against the proposed closure of the Congleton HWRC and encouraged this Committee to be part of the solution by challenging the Portfolio Holder and Leader of the Council to do better in the way other councils and countries are finding creative solutions.  Councillor Firkin challenged the consultation data and suggested it was highly contested.  Councillor Firkin suggested the closure of the site at Congleton would be an easy and flawed decision and that Climate and Budget need to be taken seriously.  Councillor Firkin agreed with her colleagues on the Town Council by advising that the Committee should consider recommending that a Cabinet decision on 13th April would be premature and that it would be more prudent to establish a Task and Finish Group to explore avenues before reaching a decision.

As a point of clarity the Chairman advised that this Committee could advise but not instruct Cabinet.

 

RESOLVED

That the speakers be thanked for their attendance and statements and were invited to stay in the meeting where the main points of concern could be addressed later in the agenda.