Agenda and minutes

·              Cabinet Member for Waste and Emergency Planning held 23^rd January, 2012.

·              Cabinet Member for Waste and Emergency Planning held 6^th February, 2012.

For signature by the Cabinet Member.

(See White Book – Minutes presented to Council on 7^th March, 2012)

Consideration was given to the minutes of the meetings of the Cabinet Member for Waste and Emergency Planning held on 23^rd January and 6^th February, 2012.

Resolved: - That the minutes of the previous meetings of the Cabinet Member for Waste and Emergency Planning be approved as a correct record for signature by the Chairman.

Claire Hanson, Senior Business Continuity Officer, along with the newly appointed Anthony McDermott, Emergency and Safety Manager, attended the meeting and provided an update in relation to Emergency Planning, Health and Safety and Business Continuity issues, drawing attention to:-

Health and Safety

·              Investigation and remediation of the asbestos found at Whiston Junior and Infant School.

·              Demolition of Crinoline House.

·              Health and Safety inspections in preparation of the Inspector’s visit.

·              IOSH training session for Strategic Leadership Team and Operational Directors has been arranged.

Business Continuity

·              Development of the business continuity software and rolling out amongst users.

·              Promotion of Business Continuity Awareness Week commencing Monday, 19^th March, 2012.

·              The submitting of comments to the Winter Weather Scrutiny Review.

Emergency Planning

·              Attendance by Operational Directors on the Conflict Management Model delivered by Chief Superintendant Keith Lumley.  Follow up sessions would be arranged in due course.

·              Control of the L.R.F. website would be returned to the Emergency Planning Shared Service shortly from Doncaster.

·              Involvement of the Borough Co-ordinator in the abandoned furniture warehouse fire.

·              Emergency Planning Operations Room – relocation to Riverside House.

Resolved:- That Claire Hanson be thanked for the update and the information be noted.

Adrian Gabriel, Waste Manager, attended the meeting and provided an update in relation to waste management issues.  These included:-

·              Cardboard Collection

The cardboard only collection had commenced this week.  Yorkshire Horticultural had been informed accordingly.  Residents were now advised that cardboard must not be mixed with green waste and be recycled according to the leaflets that had been distributed.

The request to issue Frequently Asked Questions would be developed and circulated to all Elected Members in due course.

Slightly larger collection bags would be distributed shortly.

·              Eastwood Drop-in Session

The Eastwood Drop-in Session was well received with fifty-two residents attending.  This resulted in the distribution of a further forty boxes, sixty bags and eleven lids.

·              Health and Safety

The Health and Safety Executive were to conduct an inspection on the Waste Services including a revision of contract procurement and operational services.

Pre-qualification questionnaires had indicated which areas would be covered and the Health and Safety Section had undertaken spot checks, which had not raised any concerns.

Resolved:- (1)  That Adrian Gabriel be thanked for providing this update and the information be noted.

(2)  That further updates be provided by the relevant officers on the involvement and progress with waste and cleansing operations in Eastwood.

-        Adrian Gabriel, Waste Manager, to report.

Consideration was given to a report presented by Adrian Gabriel, Waste Manager, which outlined the prices to be charged to customers for the collection and disposal of commercial waste with effect from 1st April, 2012 with the implementation with a proposed 5% increase.  The price increase covered the increases in the RPI (Retail Price Index) and Landfill Tax. 

It was necessary to recover the actual costs of operating the service whilst continuing to provide as wide a range of services as possible to meet customer requirements and comply with the duty imposed upon the Council by legislation.

Whilst the Council’s charges for commercial waste were the highest amongst neighbouring authorities every effort had been made to keep the increase to a minimum. It was proposed to increase the general scale of charges for Commercial Waste Collection by 5% which covered inflation and the additional waste disposal costs resulting from the increase in Landfill Tax by £8 per tonne with effect from 1st April, 2012.

In order to enable the business to capture additional market share, it was also proposed to adopt the principle of flexible charging for larger value contracts, or those covering a period longer than one year and to authorise officers to negotiate contracts on this basis.

It was also noted that in previous years a discounted scale of charges had been offered to charities, in accordance with the Controlled Waste Regulations, 1992 which currently allowed the Council to only raise a charge for the cost of collecting their waste, but not for its disposal.  Following a Government review of these Regulations, the legal framework was to be changed with the revised Regulations coming into force with effect from 6th April, 2012.  This revision meant that Councils would be allowed to recover both the cost of collection and disposal from charities. 

Resolved:-  (1)  That the proposed charging structure for collection of commercial waste for implementation from 1st April, 2012 be approved.

(2)  That a further report be submitted to the Cabinet Member in due course regarding flexible charging for larger value contracts.

(3)  That a further report be submitted to the Cabinet Member on the Controlled Waste Regulations, 2012,