Waverley Borough Council Committee System - Committee Document
Meeting of the Environment and Leisure Overview and Scrutiny Committee held on 21/06/2005
Minutes of the Meeting held on 21st June 2005
MINUTES of the MEETING of
the ENVIRONMENT AND
LEISURE OVERVIEW AND
SCRUTINY COMMITTEE held
on
21ST JUNE 2005
(To be read in conjunction with the Agenda for the Meeting)
*
Mr J R Sandy (Chairman)
Mrs L S R Hodgson
*
Mrs M V M Hunt (Vice Chairman)
*
Mrs S R Jacobs
Mr M H W Band
Dr P M Marriott
*
Dr J F A Blowers
*
Mrs P N Mitchell
*
Mr M W Byham
*
Mr J M Savage
*
Mr R D Frost
*
Mrs J A Slyfield
*
Mr P D Harmer
*
Ms M Taylor
*
Mrs P Hibbert
Mr A E B Taylor-Smith
* Present
Mr P B Isherwood, Mr A Rayner and Mr R C Terry attended as substitutes.
82.
MINUTES
The Minutes of the Meeting held on 24th May 2005 were confirmed and signed.
83.
APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE
Apologies for absence were received from Mr M H W Band, Mrs L S R Hodgson, Dr P M Marriott and Mr A E B Taylor-Smith.
84.
DISCLOSURE OF INTERESTS
No personal interests were declared at the meeting in relation to any items on the agenda.
85.
EXECUTIVE FOUR-MONTH ROLLING PROGRAMME (AGENDA ITEM 5, APPENDIX A)
The Committee noted the Executive’s four-month rolling work programme, and received an update on Environment and Leisure issues which were not on the agenda for the meeting. It was agreed that items marked as ‘Ongoing’ would not be included in the table in future.
RESOLVED: That the Executive Four-Month Rolling Programme be received and noted and that ‘Ongoing’ items be removed from the table.
86.
WORK PROGRAMME ITEMS (AGENDA ITEM 6)
WASTE MANAGEMENT SIG (AGENDA ITEM 6.1)
The Committee received an oral update on the work of the Waste Management SIG, which had been examining options for achieving at least the county-wide target of 36% recycling in Waverley. It was proposed that a special meeting of the Environment and Leisure Overview and Scrutiny Committee be held on 4th July to hear and discuss the final conclusions of the SIG. All members would be invited to the meeting and the SIG’s conclusions would then be passed to the Executive for discussion on 12th July.
RESOLVED: That the process described above be endorsed.
87.
CLEAN NEIGHBOURHOODS AND ENVIRONMENT ACT 2005 – IMPLICATIONS FOR FLY TIPPING - THE SUBJECT OF AN IN DEPTH REVIEW IN 2004 - (AGENDA ITEM 6.6.1, APPENDIX C)
The Committee considered a report outlining the effects of the Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act 2005. The new provisions, together with their effects, duties and responsibilities for Waverley were discussed. Most of the provisions would come into effect after June 2006 and have been brought into force by Government Orders. Once effective, these additional powers would provide Waverley with opportunities to undertake additional environmental enforcement activity.
After a full discussion about the powers effective from 7th June, the Committee agreed that enforcement powers would be extremely helpful in improving the local environment and that if possible, town and parish councils be given delegated powers to issue fixed penalties. It was agreed that where possible, work on the new powers which were available to the Council, be brought forward.
RESOLVED: That the report be noted and a further report with more detailed proposals be considered at a future meeting.
88
COMMITTEE WORK PROGRAMME: IN DEPTH REVIEWS
The Committee heard progress on the three items which were the subject of in-depth reviews. Work on the first item - regarding issues around current mobile phone technology - was progressing, and there had been some media interest since the previous meeting. Officers were looking at options for consultation and would report back to the Committee in September setting out plans for Select Committee style hearings.
The second item, Surrey County Council Highways Department, was on hold until the first study was complete. The third item, Haslemere Museum, remained a reserve item.
RESOLVED: That progress on the in-depth reviews be noted.
89.
BEST VALUE AND LOCAL PERFORMANCE INDICATORS – REVIEW OF WAVERLEY’S PERFORMANCE IN 2004/5 (AGENDA ITEM 7, APPENDIX D)
The Committee received a report setting out Waverley’s performance against national and local performance indicators in 2004/5. Each set of indicators was described in detail.
The Committee felt that the definitions needed to be clearer in future so that they were in a better position to judge performance. The Committee also made various observations about service performance and in particular noted that within leisure services, museum visits and volunteer activity had both declined. Given the scope of the services covered, the Committee felt that they should focus on seven key indicators in future. These would be:
§
82a - Household waste that is recycled;
§
84 - Kg of household waste collected per head;
§
109a - % of planning applications determined in line with the Government’s new development control targets to determine 60% of major applications in 13 weeks;
§
109b - % of planning applications determined in line with the Government’s new development control targets to determine 65% of minor applications in 8 weeks;
§
109c - % of planning applications determined in line with the Government’s new development control targets to determine 80% of other applications in 13 weeks;
§
204 - Percentage of appeals allowed against the authority’s decision to refuse planning applications; and
§
204 (a) - a local indicator (to be developed) to measure the proportion of appeals allowed where members had refused an application against officers’ advice.
RESOLVED that:
i) the Committee receive the report;
ii) in future, the Committee should focus on the seven performance indicators above and these be reported on each
quarter; and
iii) the above observations be forwarded to the Executive.
The meeting concluded at 9.09 pm
Chairman
Bureau/comms/O&S3/048
