Agenda, decisions and minutes

None.

The Portfolio Holder is asked to sign the minutes of the meeting held on 12 December 2014 as a correct record.

The Minutes of the meeting held on 12 December 2014 were agreed as a correct record.

The Environmental Services Portfolio Holder

AGREED        To sign-off South Cambridgeshire District Council’s “TEEP” Assessment.

The Head of Service Environmental Commissioning presented this report, which recommended that the Environmental Services Portfolio Holder sign-off the Council’s “TEEP” (Technically, Environmentally and Economically Practicable) Assessment to demonstrate compliance with the Waste (England and Wales) (Amended) Regulations 2012 (the Regulations).

It was noted that a RECAP (Recycling in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough) peer review had demonstrated that the Council’s current collection scheme complied with the regulations as the separate collection of glass, metals and plastic was unnecessary and both environmentally and economically impractical. It was agreed that in response to recent concerns, the fact that the Council would not be introducing extra bins needed to be communicated to all the partnership committees currently discussing the building of new communities. It was understood that underground bin storage was being considered in areas of new build.

The Environmental Services Portfolio Holder

AGREED        To sign-off South Cambridgeshire District Council’s “TEEP” Assessment.

The Head of Service Environmental Commissioning presented this report, which provided an interim update on the Business Improvement Efficiency Programme: Waste and Recycling service changes designed to achieve required efficiency savings that were agreed by Cabinet in February 2013. He explained that the £200,000 savings for 2014/15 would be achieved and he was confident that the target of £400,000 savings for 2015/16 would be met. It was understood that additional savings were expected from the Shared Service arrangements with Cambridge City Council.

It was noted that around 150 complaints had been received from residents about the service changes. It was understood that just over 50 of these complaints were received before the changes were introduced.

In response to concerns regarding the consequences for this authority should the County Council close any of its recycling centres, the Environmental Services Portfolio Holder explained that a mutual agreement existed with the County Council to ensure that neither authority made savings that would result in the other council incurring extra costs.

It was noted that a report on Waste Management was likely to go to Scrutiny and Overview Committee in April instead of March, to ensure that a full assessment could be made following the end of the financial year.

The Environmental Services Portfolio Holder thanked staff for their experience and expertise in implementing these changes and he

NOTED

A)        The progress and achievements of the project to date, in view of intended aims.

B)        That a full project end report will follow after financial year end, when a full assessment can be undertaken.

The Environmental Services Portfolio Holder

AGREED       

a)         To allocate £10,000 to the Elite Athlete Awards Scheme in 2015/16 as per the planned budget.

b)         To carry forward the outstanding total balance of £13,400 into 2015/16 on the understanding that, with the Leader’s agreement, it be reallocated to increase funding of Citizens Advice Bureaux by £13,400 in 2015/16.

The Sustainable Communities and Partnerships Manager presented this report, which invited the Environmental Services Portfolio Holder to consider the future of the Elite Athletes Awards Scheme in light of the fact that £13,400 remained unspent in the budget for 2014/15 and a further £10,000 was budgeted for 2015/16.

In response to the suggestion that the unspent £13,400 be allocated to the Active and Healthy for Life GP Referral Scheme, the Environmental Services Portfolio Holder explained that that an update on this Scheme was expected in approximately six months time and he did not support awarding extra funds to the Scheme without proper costings.

The Environmental Services Portfolio Holder noted that the demand for grants from these schemes had declined nationally since the London Olympics and whilst he wanted the Scheme to continue he pledged to monitor its expenditure carefully. He understood that the Council’s funding of Citizens Advice Bureaux had been reduced at a time when the District’s residents’ demand for its services had increased. He therefore supported the proposal to direct the £13,400 underspend in the Elite Athletes Awards Scheme to the Citizens Advice Bureaux budget, which came under the Leader’s Portfolio.

The Environmental Services Portfolio Holder

AGREED       

a)         To allocate £10,000 to the Elite Athlete Awards Scheme in 2015/16 as per the planned budget.

b)         To carry forward the outstanding total balance of £13,400 into 2015/16 on the understanding that, with the Leader’s agreement, it be reallocated to increase funding of Citizens Advice Bureaux by £13,400 in 2015/16.

The Portfolio Holder will be invited to agree a Forward Plan identifying all matters relevant to be considered by the Portfolio Holder at a future meeting.

Parking enforcement

The Environmental Services Portfolio Holder noted with concern that the Police did not consider enforcing parking restrictions in the District as a priority. However, he decided not to investigate the possibility of this authority appointing its own traffic wardens, as parking enforcement was not a District Council responsibility.

No future meetings are currently scheduled. Members are asked to bring their diaries.

The Environmental Services Portfolio Holder agreed to schedule a meeting for Wednesday 15 April at 2pm, on the understanding that the meeting will be cancelled if there is insufficient business.