Agenda item

Further to Minute 55 (2014/15), the Committee received the Interim report of its Task Group established to review the Local Resilience Forum’s (LRF) independent, multi-agency debrief of the Averies Fire Incident. The Committee was invited to consider the report, including the findings and recommendations.

Councillor Maureen Penny, Chair of the Task Group, presented the report and explained that the Task Group met on 3 occasions to receive evidence from 18 witnesses. A further 5 meetings were held to consider the evidence and prepare the interim report.  The Committee noted that the Task Group decided to issue an interim report based on the review of the LRF debrief report, whilst the review of the circumstances that led up to the incident would be included in the final report. The final report would be produced following the conclusion of the prosecution of the operators of the Marshgate site by the Environment Agency (EA).

Councillor Penny spoke in detail about the Task Group’s interim findings and recommendations and explained that officers would be asked to take action on the interim recommendations and report back to the Task Group once further information was available.

Councillor Penny along with the other members of the Task Group (Councillors Bob Wright – Vice-Chair, Colin Lovell, Steve Weisinger and Des Moffatt) responded to the following observations and questions from the Scrutiny Committee and also a member of the public, invited to speak by the Chair:

·        The number of Health and Safety Inspections undertaken at the Marshgate site by the EA over the last 2 years.

·        Concern about the ability of the operator to distinguish the different types of waste received on site.

·        The monitoring of air quality in the vicinity of the site over the period of the event and possible repercussions in relation to residents future health issues.

·        The sorting of waste material from skips on site and the disposal of waste in the most appropriate way.

·        Queries about the landfill tax.       

·        Determination of the source of the fire.

·        The status of Averies Recycling and whether the company was still operating.

·        The existence of an insurance policy to cover such incidents at waste recycling sites and possible financial gain for operators following a fire.

·        The cost of the incident to Swindon Borough Council.

Councillor Penny thanked the Task Group members and officers for their hard work and contributions in the production of the interim report.

Resolved –

(1)  That the findings and recommendations of the Averies Task Group’s interim report be supported.

(2)  That it be noted that the Averies Task Group would prepare and submit a final report, to include consideration of the circumstances that led up to the incident, once the criminal proceedings instituted by the EA against the operator of the Marshgate site had been concluded.

(3)  That Councillors Maureen Penny, Chair of the Task Group, Bob Wright – Vice-Chair, Colin Lovell, Steve Weisinger and Des Moffatt be thanked for their hard work in the preparation and production of a very comprehensive and informative Interim Report.

(4)  That the Director of Law and Democratic Services forward the comments about the Local Resilience Forum debrief report contained in the interim report to the Local Resilience Forum.