Agenda and minutes

Venue: Education Centre, Smallmead Waste Recycling Centre, Reading

Contact: Hannah Coman  01344 352209

Items
No. Item

18.

Declarations of Interest

Members are required to declare any personal or prejudicial interests and the nature of that interest, in respect of any matter to be considered at this meeting.

Minutes:

There were no declarations of interest.

19.

Minutes of the Meeting of the Joint Waste Disposal Board - 17 December 2008 pdf icon PDF 59 KB

To approve as a correct record the minutes of the Joint Waste Disposal Board held on 17 December 2008.

Minutes:

The minutes of the meeting of the Joint Waste Disposal Board held on 17 December 2008 were accepted by the Board and signed by the Chairman.

20.

Presentation by WRG on Events for 2009/10

Minutes:

Ella Clark, Waste Recycling Group (WRG), attended the meeting to give a presentation on the events for 2009 which would promote the Re3 partnership to businesses, Council Members and residents in Bracknell, Reading and Wokingham.  In particular it was highlighted:

 

  • Smallmead Visitor Education Centre would be officially launched on 30 June 2009 when 60 guests including headteachers, Councillors and the press would receive a talk on the educational facility and would be given a tour of the site, including information on the history and construction of Smallmead, and the work of the Re3 partnership.
  • The Re3 Schools website would also be launched in due course and could be seen at www.re3schools.org.uk.
  • The Grand Opening of Longshot Lane would take place in autumn, and from September public open days at Smallmead and Longshot Lane would allow members of the public find out more about operations at both sites and the visitor education centres would be open to provide information about recycling and waste minimisation initiatives.
  • Other events included a stand at the Chartered Institute of Wastes Management Futuresource Exhibition and Conference from 9 – 11 June 2009, and seminars held by Re3 throughout the autumn to showcase best practice partnership working examples.

 

Members noted the hard work in place and it was hoped that the upcoming events would help to promote the work of the partnership internally and externally, and raise awareness of the continued good work of the local Councils and WRG.

21.

JWDB Project Update pdf icon PDF 56 KB

(Project Director)

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Board received a report which provided an update on project activities since the last meeting on 17 December 2008.  The Project Manager highlighted the following:

 

(i)                  there was currently a projected under spend of £490,000 against the budget which was primarily due to contract tonnage being significantly lower than forecast, 205,000 tonnes compared with the 2008/09 forecast of 215,000 tonnes.

(ii)                Currently the Materials Recycling Facility (MRF) was showing a 9% contamination rate and rejecting a significant amount of material.  Efficiency of the MRF would be monitored and partners would need to continue to educate residents on what materials could and could not be recycled.

(iii)               The negotiation regarding an extension to the Longstop Date for the commissioning of Lakeside had proved successful and as a result confirmation had been received of an extension to 31 December 2009.

 

Members of the Board agreed that they would take up opportunities to see the progress at Lakeside with visits during commissioning, and in the autumn.

 

RESOLVED that progress made since the last meeting on 17 December 2008 be noted.

22.

Joint Working Agreement pdf icon PDF 57 KB

(Project Director)

Minutes:

The Board received a report on the progress made in relation to the update of the Joint Working Agreement and seeking endorsement of the amended proposals to the Joint Working Agreement, as agreed by the Chief Executives of the three Borough Councils.  The Board had previously agreed a number of minor and other amendments at its meeting on 30 September 2008, all of which were being accommodated apart from one regarding the allocation of percentages in relation to the use of the Smallmead Waste Recycling Centre.  The proposed wording in relation to this one clause as put to the meeting in September 2008 needed further consideration.  Each authority would individually need to seek Executive authority to the proposed variations.

 

RESOLVED that the Board commend to the relevant Executive authority for each of the three authorities the amendments to the Joint Working Agreement:

 

(a)               the minor and proposed as ‘Significant Changes 1, 2 and 4’ and endorsed by the Board at its meeting on 30 September 2008, and

(b)               the revision of ‘Significant Change 3’ proposed in Section 3 of the report of the Project Director including an amendment to the first bullet point as follows:

·         the weighted average formula as applied to the waste arising from Longshot Lane and Smallmead during the period of construction shall cease to be applied from the date that the civic amenity facility at Longshot Lane is reopened to the public.

23.

Joint Waste Authority Update pdf icon PDF 67 KB

(Project Director)

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Board received a report updating them on the likely characteristics of a Joint Waste Authority (JWA) for waste disposal and the potential benefits for the Re3 councils.  Since the Board had last met guidance and accompanying regulations had been issued by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) outlining the benefits of JWAs and how to make a proposal to become a JWA.

 

The Board had formed a Steering Group to look into the benefits and requirements of becoming a JWA and £50,000 of funding had been secured for a consultation exercise to gauge the opinion of residents of the three Boroughs.  The proposals included in the report of the Project Director were intended to outline the process that officers would be going through and the support to be given to members in order that a decision would be made by the Board as to whether to create a JWA for disposal at its next meeting in June 2009.

 

Members agreed that the Re3 partnership was a good example of joint working which demonstrated good practice to others and further work was needed in establishing the benefits of JWAs with a business case and the results of the public consultation in order for a decision to be made in June 2009.

 

RESOLVED that

 

(i)                  a business case for the creation of a Joint Waste Authority (for disposal) be developed, a decision on the approval of which would be made at the next Joint Waste Disposal Board in June 2009.

(ii)                an implementation plan for the creation of a Joint Waste Authority (for disposal) be developed, a decision on the approval of which would be made at the next Joint Waste Disposal Board in June 2009.

(iii)               a presentation would be received on, and analysis of, the results of the public consultation exercise on a re3 Joint Waste Authority at the next Joint Waste Disposal Board meeting in June 2009.

(iv)              the completed, draft application to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs for the creation of a re3 Joint Waste Authority be considered at the Joint Waste Disposal Board meeting in June 2009.

(v)                subject to the approval of the documents described at (i), (ii), (iii) and (iv) above Members indicate their preparedness to make a decision (at the next Joint Waste Disposal Board in June 2009) on whether the re3 partnership recommend to each Executive of the Councils that an application be made to the appropriate Secretary of State to create a Joint Waste Authority for disposal.

24.

Business, Resource, Efficiency and Waste (BREW Funding Bid) pdf icon PDF 64 KB

Minutes:

Pete Baveystock presented the Board with information relating to the bid submitted by Wokingham Borough Council on behalf of Re3 and partners for funding as part of the Business Resource and Efficiency and Waste (BREW) Centre for 2009/10.  Following a survey of 398 businesses and a gap analysis, a strategy had been developed with funding proposals for a number of projects:

 

  • a communications campaign including development of a website with a local recycling directory
  • direct waste management support for local businesses including waste training courses and business waste audits
  • further investigations into the feasibility of collecting and processing food waste, and reducing waste management costs.

 

The next phase of the BREW project was to drive forward the strategy and action plan and this would start with its launch and publication on 26 March 2009.  The Board would be updated on the progress of the project later in the year.

 

RESOLVED that the bid submitted by Wokingham Borough Council on behalf of Re3 and partners shown in Table 1 of the report be noted.

25.

Exclusion of Public and Press

To consider the following motion:

 

That pursuant to Regulation 21 of the Local Authorities (Executive Arrangements) (Access to Information) Regulations 2000 and having regard to the public interest, members of the public and press be excluded from the meeting for the consideration of item 11 which involves the likely disclosure of exempt information under the following category of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972:

 

(3)        Information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person.

 

Minutes:

RESOLVED that pursuant to Regulation 21 of the Local Authorities (Executive Arrangements)(Access to Information) Regulations 2000 and having regard to the public interest, members of the public and press be excluded from the meeting for consideration of item 11 which involved the likely disclosure of exempt information under the following category of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972:

 

(3)        Information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person.

26.

Risk Register

(Project Director)

Minutes:

The Board noted the exempt information detailed in the risk register.

27.

Date of Next Meeting

Minutes:

Wednesday 10 June 2009, 5.00pm, Smallmead Waste Recycling Centre, Reading.

 

Contact Information

Democratic services

Email: committee@bracknell-forest.gov.uk