Agenda and minutes

Venue: Smallmead Waste Recyling Centre, Reading

Contact: Katharine Simspon  01344 352308

Items
No. Item

1.

Election of Chairman

Minutes:

RESOLVED that Councillor Mrs Hayes be elected Chairman of the Joint Waste Disposal Board for the next twelve months.

2.

Appointment of Vice-Chairman

Minutes:

RESOLVED that Councillor Gittings be elected as Vice-Chairman of the Joint Waste Disposal Board for the next twelve months.

3.

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.

4.

Minutes of the Meeting of the Joint Waste Disposal Board pdf icon PDF 36 KB

To approve as a correct record the minutes of the Joint Waste Disposal Board held on 12 July 2012.

Minutes:

RESOLVED that the minutes of the Joint Waste Disposal Board meeting held on 12 July 2012 be approved as a correct record and signed by the Chairman.

 

Matters Arising

 

·         To date, no response had been received to the submission made in response to Oxfordshire County Council’s Minerals and Waste Core Strategy consultation.  Updates would be provided as they occurred.

·         The Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead had made no calls on re3’s services during the Olympics

·         The planning conditions pertaining to Longshot Lane had now been discharged.  Access arrangements were still under discussion with the contractor.

5.

Urgent Items of Business

To notify the Board of any items authorised by the Chairman on the grounds of urgency.

Minutes:

There were no urgent items of business.

6.

Joint Waste Disposal Board Project Update pdf icon PDF 27 KB

To receive an update on progress since the last meeting of the Joint Waste Disposal Board.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Board received a report providing an update on progress made since its last meeting on 12 July 2012.  The report included an update on Environment Agency guidance relating to street sweepings and gully emptying, the Contractor’s rebrand, the Mini-MRF and retail outlet and access to the Household Waste Recycling Centres. 

 

The Board noted the Environment Agency’s responses to queries about the guidance on the recovery of street sweepings and gully emptyings published in May.  It was also noted that the outcomes of an Environment Agency review of whether or not dedicated leaf litter collections could be composted would be available in October.

 

The Environment Agency had written to local authorities seeking volunteers who were willing to participate in the leaf litter recycling trials.  It was acknowledged that Wokingham and Bracknell Forest both had a number of areas with restricted vehicular access where significant volumes of leaf litter were collected and that some benefit could be gained from participating.  It was stressed that the conditions of any proposed trial were to be clarified and appropriate areas identified in all boroughs before a commitment to joining the trials was made.

 

Clarification had been sought over the potential implications of the contractor rebranding for the re3 project.  No response had been received to date but officers would continue to monitor the situation.

 

The Board considered a request from the Contractor to change the hours in which residents who had larger vehicles, and who were unable to fit under the height barriers, would be able to receive facilitated access to the Household Waste Recycling Centres at Longshot Lane and Smallmead.  It was noted that the weighbridge was shut at 4pm and that drivers of ‘overheight’ vehicles would still be unable to access the facilities outside the hours operating currently.

 

RESOLVED that:

 

  1. Progress made since the Joint waste Disposal Board meeting on 12 July 2012 be noted
  2. A further report on the impact of the Environment Agency guidance on street sweepings be brought to a future Joint Waste Disposal Board meeting
  3. the Hours of access to ‘overheight’ vehicles remain as they are currently
  4. Officers approach the Environment Agency about involvement with the Street Sweeping and Gully Emptyings trials

7.

Report on the Project Initiation Document for Review of Years Five to Ten of re3 Joint Waste PFI pdf icon PDF 24 KB

To consider a Project Initiation Document for the development of a 10 year waste management strategy.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Board received a report containing the Project Initiation Document that would be used to develop a Waste Management Strategy for the re3 PFI project for the next ten years.

 

The Board expressed concern over the length of time that the Strategy would be in place particularly in view of the expected increase in the number of new homes across the area in the coming years which would have a significant impact on the project’s services.  It was noted that officers would work closely with planning officers to ensure that a detailed understanding of the implications that additional housing would have on facilities and services was developed.

 

The Board was informed that although the strategy would have a ten year lifespan it would be reviewed on an annual basis to ensure that it was kept up to date and work to develop a new strategy would commence early in its lifespan. The Strategy would provide the Joint Waste Disposal Board with a clear strategic direction whilst at the same time enabling the introduction of new technologies and the maximisation of opportunities.

 

The Board stressed that the Strategy would need to go through the approval processes of each Council and that the proposed recommendations should be amended to reflect this.

 

RESOLVED that:

 

  1. the Project Initiation Document be approved for the purposes of consultation with the three partner Councils via their appropriate management arrangements and that such views be reported back to the next meeting of the Board prior to any actions being taken or agreed by all three partner Councils.
  2. Project updates be brought to each Joint Waste Disposal Board meeting with a final report being considered in July 2013.

8.

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 items 10 and 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, members of the public and press be excluded from the meeting for the consideration of items 10 and 11 which involve 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 (including the authority).

9.

Annual Finance Statement

To receive an update on the finances of the re3 project.

Minutes:

The Board received the Annual Finance Statement for the joint waste PFI.  The report concluded the management of finances for the 2011/12 financial year, detailed the emerging position for the 2012/13 financial year and presented a first draft of the budget for the 2013/14 financial year.

 

The Board noted the financial information pertaining to the Green Machine project.  It was agreed that publicity would be key to ensuring the success of the community interest company and it was suggested that the Green Machine be invited to the Board’s December meeting to discuss the matter in more detail.

 

The Board noted the content of the Annual Finance Statement and congratulated officers on the sound financial management of the PFI during the year.

10.

Report on Mediation of Recyclate Income

To receive an update on work undertaken to reach an agreement on the Recyclate Income.

Minutes:

The Board received a report providing an update on the latest position with regard to the mediation of the ongoing dispute between the re3 Councils and the PFI Contractor over the distribution of income from the sale of recyclable materials.  

 

A second day of mediation would be scheduled for early December and it was proposed that in advance of the second mediation session, Ernst and Young be contracted to analyse all the documentation pertaining to the case and identify a range of potential ways forward and the possible impacts that these might have on other areas.  It was agreed that Board members would be briefed on these potential scenarios prior to the second day of mediation.

 

RESOLVED that:

 

  1. £45,000 from the re3 project legal budget be used to cover the cost of further mediation work
  2. Board members to be briefed on any potential solutions to be used during mediation prior to the second day of mediation  

 

 

 

11.

Date of Next Meeting

Minutes:

It was agreed that the date of the next meeting of the Joint Waste Disposal Board would be rescheduled to Thursday 13 December 2012 at 10am at Wokingham Borough Council.

 

Contact Information

Democratic services

Email: committee@bracknell-forest.gov.uk