Issue - meetings

To receive the Leader’s report on the work of the Executive since the Council meeting held on 15 January 2020.

The Leader of the Council, Councillor Bettison OBE, presented his report on the work of the Executive since that reported at the Council meeting on 15 January 2020.  The Executive had met twice on 28 January and 11 February 2020.

The Leader highlighted the following matters that had been considered:

• Revenue Budget and Capital Programme proposals were being considered as a separate item on the agenda
• Greening waste collection changes would be introduced for households from October as part of the Council’s response to climate change. Waste collection frequencies would also change to weekly food collection, two-weekly recycling/garden waste and three-weekly for refuse. Help and advice would be available on a case by case basis for large families, nappies and medical waste. The highlighted benefits included prevention of 4,000 tonnes of waste to landfill, anticipated increase in recycling rates from 39% to > 50% and saving for Council Tax payers of £219k over 7 years. This scheme would be phased in from April 2021 for flats supported by an Overview and Scrutiny review.
• £10.95m was included in capital programme for Heathlands Redevelopment of 64-bed EMI Dementia care home. A 50:50 shared ownership company would be created with Frimley Health Foundation Trust to operate the home. Initial arrangements for using ground floor had been agreed and Stepnell Ltd were appointed to undertake construction.
• School Places Plan and Capacity Strategy to 2024 had been agreed.
• Draft consultation document for Joint Central/East Berkshire Minerals and Waste Local Plan had been agreed.
• Agreement was reached on the procurement approach for Microsoft licencing.

In response to a question regarding whether methane capture was currently happening the Leader of the Council, Councillor Bettison OBE replied that residential waste was currently sent to Lakeside where it was incinerated. He reassured Members that the flue was subject to many different processes and cleaning to protect the atmosphere. Councillor Mrs Hayes MBE, Executive Member for Environment added that methane from the London Road site was used to heat a school’s swimming pool. She encouraged members to participate in the cross-party steering group developing proposals for food waste. Councillor Bettison OBE concluded that in the future food would be treated by anaerobic digestion with methane used to produce electricity and then residual material being composted.

A question was raised regarding how the logistics of the new waste collection would be programmed with the potential for congested scheduling impacting the number of bins and residential collections. Councillor Mrs Hayes MBE responded that work was ongoing with officers to review the collection programme and reported that there would not be problems with lorries in residential areas.