Agenda and minutes

Members are requested to declare any disclosable pecuniary or affected interest in respect of any matter to be considered at this meeting.

Any Member with a Disclosable Pecuniary Interest or an affected interest in a matter should withdraw from the meeting when the matter is under consideration and should notify the Democratic Services Officer in attendance that they are withdrawing as they have such an interest. If the Disclosable Pecuniary Interest is not entered on the register of Members interests the Monitoring Officer must be notified of the interest within 28 days.

There were no declarations of interest.

To approve as a correct record the minutes of the Joint Waste Disposal Board held on 5 September 2013.

RESOLVED that the minutes of the Joint Waste Disposal Board meeting held on 5 September 2013 be approved as a correct record and signed by the Chairman.

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

There were no urgent items of business.

To consider the following motion:

That pursuant to Regulation 4 of the Local Authorities (Executive Arrangements) (Access to Information) Regulations 2012 and having regard to the public interest, members of the public and press be excluded from the meeting for the consideration of items6, 7 and 8 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.

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 the consideration of items 6, 7 and 8 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.

To receive a report on the progress in terms of the Excess Profit Adjudication since the last meeting of the Joint Waste Disposal Board.

Mark Howarth and Richard Mathews, Eversheds, gave a presentation in respect of the current status of the adjudication of the current areas of dispute.  The presentation included an overview of the issues under dispute, the relative positions of the respective parties and an update on the current status of negotiations.  Three meetings had taken place with the Contractors during November and December and it was felt that progress was being made towards reaching a resolution.

Members were advised that although Eversheds had been involved in the preparation of the original contract it was unlikely that a conflict of interest would now occur.  If at a future stage this was possible then under the Law Society rules Eversheds would be compelled to withdraw their services.

RESOLVED that:

1. The contents of the Project Director’s report be noted
2. The proposal to allocate additional funds from each re3 council, as detailed in paragraphs 3.12 and 3.13 of the Project Director’s report, be endorsed in order to achieve a conclusion to the prevailing disagreement
3. Analysis of the information provided by the Contractor should be completed by the end of January.  The Board’s Chairman, Vice Chairman and any other available members would meet in mid February 2014 to enable an assessment to be made of the re3 Councils’ position prior to the Board’s next meeting in March.

To consider a report presenting the draft budget for 2014/15.

The Board noted a report providing a second draft of the budget for 2014/15.

To consider a report  providing an update on the progress made towards the creation of a Waste Strategy for the re3 Partnership.

The Board received a report providing an update on the creation of a Waste Strategy for the re3 partnership. 

RESOLVED that:

           i.            The progress made in relation to the drafting of a shared re3 Waste Strategy be noted

         ii.            The proposed approach to a period of public consultation undertaken by officers from the re3 councils and the re3 project Team, as described in paragraphs 3.11 and 3.12 of the Project Director’s report, be endorsed

        iii.            An report providing an update on progress be brought to the Board’s March meeting  

To receive a presentation on the development of a Communications Strategy for the re3 Waste Partnership.

Ellie Ahmed, MEL Research, gave a presentation in respect of the work taking place to develop a Communications Strategy for the re3 Partnership.  The presentation included an overview of key target markets, the barriers to recycling that each market experienced and the messages and routes that might be used to help encourage greater levels of recycling across the re3 partnership area and bring about long term changes in people’s behaviour.  The presentation also included a draft Communications Framework that could be used to give structure to an annual rolling marketing campaign.

It was acknowledged that waste minimisation should be considered as important in the development of the strategy as increasing recycling rates.  It was also agreed that consideration needed to be given to how the strategy could be delivered within the re3 Partnership and in collaboration with the Council’s PR and Marketing Teams as appropriate.

It was agreed that more work would be carried out on the Strategy’s development.  A proposal for its delivery and a further update would be given at the Board’s next meeting.

The Board thanked Ellie Ahmed for her presentation. 

To receive a report providing and update on the management of the joint Waste PFI contract since the Joint Waste Disposal Board’s last meeting on 5September 2013.

The Board received a report providing an update on progress made since its last meeting on 5 September 2013.  The report included updates on performance, the Green Machine and financial matters.

It was clarified that the phased closure of material bays within the Transfer Station to enable repair works to the concrete push walls had lasted for approximately two weeks.  Scottish and Southern Energy would be connecting the Bracknell Primary Sub Station to Wokingham early in 2014.  This would have significant access implications for the re3 facility on Longshot Lane and would require partial closure of the site for three days.  It was acknowledged that the proposal had been developed to minimise disruption whilst recognising that the works were necessary and unavoidable.  It was acknowledged that the proposal would require significant PR work in advance to ensure that local residents were aware of the need to divert to the Smallmead facility in Reading during the period of the closure.

It was agreed that the full results of the User Satisfaction Survey would be circulated to the Board.

The Board noted the update on the progress of Green Machine the community paint recycling scheme.  It was acknowledged that having an easily accessible retail facility would boost the profile of the facility and that thought would need to be given to how Council’s marketing teams could help publicise the service more widely. Green Machine would be invited to the Board’s next meeting.

RESOLVED that:

1.      The contents of the Project Director’s report be noted

2.      The plans to facilitate the planned Scottish and Southern Energy cabling works as described at paragraphs 3.7, 3.8 and 3.9 of the Project Director’s report be approved

The Board was informed that Mark Moon, Project Director, would be retiring in February 2014 and Kevin Holyer would be leaving Reading Borough Council.  The Board thanked the officers for all the work that they had done to support the re3 project and wished them well for the future.