Agenda and minutes

The Chair reminded Members of the need to declare any known interests in any matters to be considered at the meeting.  No declarations were made.

To receive the minutes of the meeting held on 29^th January 2020.

Resolved – That the minutes of the meeting held on 21^st April 2020, be confirmed and signed as a correct record.

The Chair reported that a number of questions had been received in accordance with Standing Order 28 from Mr Johnathan Sheldrake regarding Covid-19 and its impact on Swindon residents.  As these questions related to the remit of the Adults’ Health, Adult’s Care and Housing Overview and Scrutiny Committee he had referred these questions to that Committee for consideration.

(Oral)

The Cabinet Member for Climate Change made an oral report to the Committee regarding the Council’s response to climate change, including the work of the Climate Change Cabinet Members’ Advisory Group.

The Cabinet Member for Climate Change highlighted the following issues as part of his presentation and members’ scrutiny:

·        That the Cabinet Members’ Advisory Group had initially constituted four sub-groups (buildings, transport, policy and lobbying and communications and education) but that these were to be consolidated into two as most of the activity had centred on buildings and transport which were the two largest contributors to climate change.

·        The transport had already identified a lot of work and the Council could influence a lot of areas relating to transport, including alternative forms of transport and strategic planning for transport.

·        The LED street lighting replacement programme would also offer a major contribution to reducing the Council’s carbon footprint by 2030 and would be in place by 2022.

·        The issue of buildings was primarily being led by Councillors Williams, Milner-Barry and Sumner who were looking at lobbying; the group had already been in contact with the Housing Minister regarding reducing VAT on works to retrofit buildings.

·        The Council could also invest in building energy efficient properties that could be purchased or Council properties that may be used for those that most need them.

·        Work was going to enable zero carbon construction on Council properties, and although this was costly it was an aspiration.

·        Work on a forthcoming strategy for the October meeting of the Cabinet was continuing to set out deliverable actions in response to the Council Motion on Climate Change agreeing the Council is Carbon Neutral by 2030 and as a Borough being carbon neutral by 2050.

·        It was intended that much of the work to ensure the Council’s carbon neutrality by 2030 would be put in place within the next three years.

·        It was recognised that the Borough carbon neutrality target was not directly under the Council’s control and would be working with partners.

·        Many companies in Swindon, including energy intensive companies, had obtained or were working towards carbon neutrality.

·        That there needed to be a support structure to assist companies working towards carbon neutrality.

·        That the sub-group comprised members from outside the Council in order to widen expertise and ideas.

·        The ambition to move all the Council’s waste management and collection vehicles to electric and to process all the Borough’s waste at waterside.

·        The auditing of the Council’s carbon saving and carbon off-set measures and the use of remote working to reduce the Council’s carbon footprint.

·        Lessons learnt on carbon reduction arising from the last six months, for instance arising from remote working and previous efficiency initiatives such as the reduction of paper usage, and how this might be carried forward.

·        The review of transport strategies to learn lessons from the reduction in COVID 19 traffic levels and encouraging a range of transport options including car sharing, further work to the strategic cycle route within Swindon and the provision  ...  view the full minutes text for item 4.

(Report to follow)

The Head of Streetsmart submitted a report updating Overview and Scrutiny on the current position with Littering and EnviroCrime and any impact as a result of COVID-19. 

Following an introduction to the report the Head of Streetsmart responded to members’ questions and comments in respect of:

·         That the last public prosecutions were undertaken in 2016. Prosecutions were used for the most serious which tended to be commercial in nature rather than individuals.

·         The development of an on-line education tool in response to the restrains arising from the COVID pandemic and the uncertainty of school re-opening dates and as a future resources that is publically available.

·         The conversion of two posts within the Waste Enforcement and EnviroCrime Team from fixed-term to permanent contracts as well as the recruitment of two additional posts.

·         The staffing of the Waste Enforcement and EnviroCrime Team and in particular enforcement officers.

·         Revenue generation created through the enforcement team which largely stemmed from abandoned shopping trolleys which helped support education and guidance work. It was an offence under the Clean Neighbourhoods Act for supermarkets to have abandoned supermarket trolleys and when the Council clears abandoned trolleys this cost is re-charged to the supermarket or store they belong to.

·         That the rate of littering during lockdown did impact the town centre. Work related to the clearance of littering had largely been transferred to the town centre.

·         In respect of fly-tipping there was no evidence to directly link increases to the lockdown during the pandemic and closure of the Household Recycling Centre at Waterside.  There had been an increase over the previous year although it was down on the period two years previously.

·         Last year there were 321 incidents of enviocrime and 162 actions were undertaken; this year there had been 493 incidents with 338 actions undertaken.

·         The Council was currently trialling new software for the reporting of fly-tipping to improve the methodology of reporting fly-tipping by members of the public; this included the ability to supply photographs and better locate fly-tips. This work had been shortlisted to an AI award (the only public sector body to be in the finals) and feedback to date from the public had been positive.

·         The new reporting system made it easier for members of the public to report fly-tipping and this may have been one of the factors that led to an increase in reported incidents.

·         Work to extend the new reporting system to include reports of graffiti.

·         The benefits of using drones to identify fly-tippers although no such work had been undertaken to date.

·         The potential for the education of small business in respect of the disposal of waste.

Resolved – That the report be noted and officers be thanked for their attendance and informative response to members’ questions.

(Report to follow)

The Head of Streetsmart submitted a report updating Overview and Scrutiny on the current position with position with regard to the Food Waste Collection and roll out. 

Following an introduction to the report the Head of Streetsmart responded to members’ questions and comments in respect of:

·        The procurement process and tender thresholds for vehicles and receptacles remains both currently and post the exit from the European Union.

·        The anticipated recycling of 7,000 tonnes of food waste per annum with a gate fee of £45 per tonne.

·        The positive feedback received from residents who had participated in the food waste collection trial.

·        The tangible benefits arising from recycling waste food and the benefits in other trials of producing good behavioural habits reducing the overall waste collection tonnage over that of food collected.

Resolved – That the report be noted and officers be thanked for their attendance and informative response to members’ questions.

The Committee considered a report by the Chief Legal Officer setting out the Committee’s proposed Work Programme for the Municipal Year 2020/21.

Resolved – (1) That the report be noted and Work Programme for the current Municipal Year be approved.

(2) That, (a) a Council Bicycling Strategy be added to this Committee’s Work Programme for the Municipal Year 2020/21, and (b) the effect on Communities and the Voluntary Sector, including the financial impact, be included as part of the COVID response report:

(3) That a working group be established to address Minute 86 of the Council (Motion - Damaged Verges and Kerbs).