Archived decisions

p I.F.E. Beagley

a Carol Boulton

a A.S. Carew

p Anne Edwards

p Mrs K. Heron

p Keith House

p G.M. Hockley

p Sam Payne

p Mrs M.J. Tucker

p Mrs. S.A. Wheale

p John K. West

Also present, Councillor M.J. Kendal, Executive Member for

Environment; Councillor M.J. Woodhall, Chairman of the County Council; and Councillor Mrs J. Porter

Action

95 APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE

Apologies were received from Councillors Boulton and Carew.

96 DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST

Members were mindful that, where they believed they had a personal or a personal prejudicial interest in any matter to be considered at the meeting, they should declare their personal interest and having regard to the circumstances described in paragraphs 9, 10, 11 and 12 of the County Council's Code of Conduct, consider whether to leave the meeting whilst the matter was discussed save for exercising any right to speak in accordance with paragraph 12 of the Code. The declaration to be made at the time of the relevant debate.

No such interests were declared on this occasion.

97 MINUTES

The Minutes of the meeting of the Committee held on 25 July, 2008 were confirmed as a correct record and signed by the Chairman.

Arising on Minute 94, Access to Health Facilities, it was reported that when the Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee investigated changes to health facilities it asked about accessibility issues and had regard to the availability of transport links. Reference was made to the new health facility recently opened in Aldershot, which appeared to be remote from public transport links.

With regard to quality contracts, a note giving details was circulated and a copy appears as Item 3(x) in the Minute Book.

98 CHAIRMAN'S COMMUNICATIONS

The Chairman referred to the importance of Members attending the budget briefings currently being arranged, and the Committee indicated that their preference would be for this session to be on 28 November if at all possible.

Scrutiny Team

99 TRADE WASTE CONTROLS - PROGRESS WITH IMPLEMENTATION

The Committee considered the report of the Director of Environment (Item 5 in the Minute Book) which had been adopted by the Executive Member for Environment on 15 September. It gave details of the changes recently introduced to the permit scheme in response to feedback from the public and users of the household waste recycling centres.

The amendments to the Trade Waste Controls Permit Scheme, to allow a resident using a van to gain access to the sites to dispose of bulky household or garden refuse, were generally welcomed by the Committee. The initial permit issued entitled the householder to use the van on 12 occasions, and there was provision for the permit to be renewed if necessary. However, there was also a series of checks to ensure that such use did not become excessive, and to verify that it was genuine household or garden waste, not commercial or trade waste, that was being deposited. Among the points highlighted by Members were:

· The need for clear and effective communications with site staff, users and residents to ensure that all understand the permit system and the changes recently introduced.


· The need to keep a close watch on the incidence of fly tipping, to ensure that this did not become an environmental or financial problem.


· The costs of operating the scheme - it was apparent that, once introduced, the costs were more than covered by the savings generated in terms of diverting from the household waste recycling centres the volumes of trade and commercial waste previously deposited there, and which generated costs of about £1m to the County Council.


· Improved quality of service at the household waste recycling centres which were now able to concentrate on their main role of providing an easy and convenient means for residents to dispose of their household or garden waste and for the majority of it to be recycled.


· The need to make optimum use of the existing 24 household waste recycling centres, since attempts to provide new or replacement facilities had proved either costly or controversial .


Councillor Mrs. J. Porter attended the meeting for this item and referred to the household waste recycling centre in Alresford, located in the middle of an industrial estate, and asked for some flexibility in the rules to enable businesses adjoining the centre to use its facilities to recycle - at present they were prohibited from depositing trade or commercial waste there. Officers agreed to look into this.


The Committee indicated that they would like to review progress in a year's time, and to that end asked for a suitable entry to be made in their work programme for October 2009.

Director of Environment (James Potter)

Chief Executive (Philippa Smart)

100 HAMPSHIRE MATERIAL RESOURCES STRATEGY

The Committee considered a presentation by Colin Rowland, Environment Department, on the subject of implementing a material resources strategy in Hampshire. A copy of the presentation is set out as Item 6 in the Minute Book. Salient points were that commercial and industrial waste were likely to grow at a greater rate than household waste, with an overall total growth in waste volumes of about 18% by the year 2020. Current rates of recycling were likely to increase from 40% to 60% by 2012 and even further by 2020. At present only 13% of waste in Hampshire went to landfill, and the aim was to eliminate that entirely through a programme of integrated sustainability: viewing all types of waste as a resource from which energy could be recovered. Among the points highlighted by Members were:

· Investigation of the scope for developers' contributions towards waste recycling and disposal infrastructure, which the Chief Executive would investigate further.


· Priority to waste minimisation in an attempt to stem the continuing growth in waste volumes.


· The need to involve fully the business and commercial sector in an effort to reach waste solutions which were sustainable.


· Possible innovative developments such as a heat-generating power plant fuelled by waste in an appropriate location, perhaps the proposed Whitehill/Bordon eco-town.


The Committee thanked James Potter for the thought-provoking presentation.

Director of Environment

Chief Executive

(Liz Ellam)

101 DISPLAY ENERGY CERTIFICATES

The Committee considered a briefing note (Item 7 in the Minute Book) on the challenge posed by the EU Energy Directive in showing that the County Council's building-stock was energy-efficient. This aspect had a very high profile in the case of the current development at Ashburton Court, but it was recognised that the main area for the County Council with regard to Display Energy Certificates would be school buildings. Reports would be made periodically to the Buildings, Land and Procurement Panel and to the Executive Member for Policy and Resources.

The Committee indicated that they would like to receive the baseline information compiled on the recent introduction of the Display Energy Certificates and strategies to achieve improvements. The scrutiny officer would contact the appropriate officers and arrange for the information to be circulated.

Chief Executive

(Phillip Smart)

102 VEHICLES IN THE COUNTRYSIDE

The Committee considered a briefing note by the Director of Recreation and Heritage (Item 8 in the Minute Book) on the use and management of motor vehicles on rights of way and unsurfaced roads in the countryside. This followed the introduction of the new policy approved by the Executive Member for Recreation and Heritage in November 2007. Experience over the past year had shown that the policy gave a welcome degree of clarity for countryside users on what uses were lawful and acceptable on rights of way. The restrictions in place were proportionate, there was effective support in enforcement from the Police and, in appropriate cases, temporary or permanent traffic regulation orders could be made to control use where excessive access was causing damage.

The Committee welcomed the progress made and expressed their appreciation to the Director of Recreation and Heritage for the effective way in which the policy had been introduced and enforced.

103 LYNDHURST BY-PASS - UPDATE ON SCRUTINY REVIEW

The Committee received a detailed response from the Executive Member for Environment (Item 9(a) in the Minute Book) setting out responses and further actions proposed in reply to the recommendations which they had made. Councillor Kendal, Executive Member for Environment, presented the key features and drew attention to:

· The work of the local strategic group which was pursuing detailed issues.


· Adjustments to the left turn from High Street into Romsey Road and the road layout to accommodate heavy lorries.


· Alternative safe routes to school.


· Changes to priorities to give bus priority at the Shrubbs Hill/High Street junction in order to improve reliability and punctuality.


· The free summer time bus service introduced to Lyndhurst from the railway stations at Brockenhurst and Ashurst/New Forest, which had been well used during the summer holiday period, but less so outside that time: it was proposed to repeat that experimental service next year.


· Continued monitoring of traffic levels and in particular on numbers of heavy lorries.


The Committee welcomed the response and actions contemplated as set out in the Executive Member's report and asked for a further report on progress in March 2009.

Chief Executive (Philippa Smart)

104 STATE OF HAMPSHIRE ROADS - UPDATE ON SCRUTINY REVIEW

An email update had been sent to all Members of the Committee (copy set out as Item 9(b) in the Minute Book).

105 TRANSPORT IN THE COMMUNITY - UPDATE ON SCRUTINY REVIEW

The Director of Environment and Executive Member for Environment gave an update on recommendations B and C from the scrutiny report. With regard to recommendation B, an explanation of commercial and subsidised bus services in Hampshire was given as well as the work being done on a progressive basis by consultants to evaluate all the relevant data on service usage. The Executive Member for Environment indicated that a final report was expected in the summer of 2009. He explained that among the options being investigated by the consultants, in addition to those referred to in the report, were

· The possible creation of a new community social company to provide rural transport effectively on a partnership basis.


· The review of the respective roles of the community and voluntary sectors and the question of the extent to which subsidy of bus transport services was an appropriate response.


He was in regular liaison with the consultants and would provide a periodic report on their progress.


The Committee asked for a further report to be included on their work programme.

With regard to Recommendation C: smaller areas for bus tendering, the Director of Environment and Executive Member for Environment reported on the outcome of the recent tendering exercise in the Romsey and Waterside areas, which had proved effective in retaining most services in a cost effective manner. The result had been more bidders entering the market and thus more competition, and the outcome was positive both in financial and service provision terms.

Director of Environment

Executive Member for Environment

Chief Executive

(Philippa Smart)

106 ROAD INFRASTRUCTURE AND POPULATION GROWTH - CURRENT SCRUTINY REVIEW

The Scrutiny Officer reported that there were discussions in train between the Chairman, Vice-Chairman and Officers on the scope of this review, to cover assessment of need, costs, sources of funding, procurement and areas for improvement. The Committee was asked to nominate members to serve on the Review Group and it was


RESOLVED:

(a) That Councillors Mrs Edwards, House, Hockley, Payne, Mrs Tucker and Mrs Wheale be nominated to serve on the Review Group for scrutiny of road infrastructure and population growth.


(b) That an initial meeting of the group be held in early November.

Scrutiny Officer (Philippa Smart)

107 LEAD SCRUTINEERS

The Committee considered a briefing note by the Chief Executive (Item 11 in the Minute Book) on the potential role of lead scrutineer. Members felt that they were generally too heavily committed to proceed with this initiative at the present stage, and it was therefore agreed that the matter should be brought forward again for consideration at the meeting in July 2009.

Scrutiny Officer (Philippa Smart)

108 FORWARD LOOKING WORK PROGRAMME

The Committee considered the Schedule prepared by the Chief Executive's Scrutiny Officer (Item 12 in the Minute Book). It was agreed subject to the addition of matters identified at the meeting.