1. Recycling in Rotherham – Adrian Gabriel, Waste Strategy Manager, to report.
2. Feedback from Town Centre Renaissance Tour – Paul Woodcock, Director of Planning and Regeneration.
3. Whiston Crossroads Update – Dave Cooper, Network Manager, to report.
Minutes:
(i) Recycling in Rotherham
Adrian Gabriel, Waste Strategy Manager, reported on developments since September 2003 to meet the demands of the recycling agenda with reference to the following:-
- blue box collections
- newspaper and magazine collection
- green bins
- alternate week collection and proposed inclusion of rural properties
- bulky items collection
- bring sites
- involvement of schools
- current performance
- new contractual arrangements for disposal:- interim waste treatment and disposal; green waste; paper; glass, cans and textiles
- Duty of Care
It was confirmed that all recyclable materials collected separately by the Council, along with that separated by both Sterecycle and Veolia through their facilities, are sent to re-processors, and that none of these materials are sent to landfill.
Reference was also made to:-
- difficulties over the 2008 Christmas period
- doorstep collection of plastics
- the need to further encourage of PFI schools to be involved in recycling
(ii) Feedback from Town Centre Renaissance Tour
Paul Woodcock, Director of Planning and Regeneration, reported on the tour of the town centre renaissance projects made by Members of the Panel and officers on 29th January, 2009.
Issues highlighted included:-
The river boom:- British Waterways had confirmed that the boom was cleaned regularly and that its function was to catch barges from the canal. As this was an essential piece of the waterways infrastructure it may be costly to move because of the engineering involved. A response from British Waterways was awaited.
Imperial building:- viewing of the apartments
Apartments on the Old Market site: had won an award in the Yorkshire and Humber Buildings of Excellence Awards
Westgate Demonstrator area – public realm works were proposed to start later this year on the streetscape and infrastructure
Westgate Chambers building:- the Council had acquired most of this building through the Housing Market Renewal Programme and work was on-going to develop a scheme with Iliad.
Natwest building and Deck of Cards/Site 5:- was also being programmed in with Iliad
Fusion@Magna: had also won an award in the Yorkshire and Humber Buildings of Excellence Awards and would go forward to the national competition
Members present also discussed the following:-
- High Street
- Council’s powers to Compulsory Purchase properties
- Lack of visibility of the market from the bus station/Boots square
- Location and value of mobile food traders
- Entrance to the market/Boots/fountain area
- Corporation Street:- frontages of privately owned buildings in need of attention and also burned out buildings
- Responsibilities of private property owners
- Improvements to the railway station scheduled to start in November 2009
- Use of screening and art work for empty properties
It was also reported that the Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Development Services and representatives from the Chamber conducted monthly town centre walkabouts to look at a range of issues.
Resolved:- That the Director of Planning and Regeneration provide a further update to the April meeting of the Regeneration Scrutiny Panel.
(iii) Whiston Crossroads update
Mick Powell, Engineer, reported that the signals were currently working on a fixed time cycle and were considered to be working well. However it was acknowledged that the signals did not currently respond to varied traffic flows. It was proposed to install a Mova (Microprocessor Optimised Vehicle Actuation) system at the crossroads and a provisional date of 19th March had been given by the contractor to commission this work.
In addition Ken Wheat, Transportation Unit Manager, reported that the DfT had given the Council a significant amount of money in the form of a transport supplementary grant and therefore a post-implementation review of the scheme would be carried out to see if it had achieved the objectives set out in the business case. The review would look at, amongst other things, the long term the accident rates, benefits for pedestrians, and the free flow of traffic.
Resolved:- That the outcome of the post implementation review be reported to a future meeting of the Regeneration Scrutiny Panel.