Agenda and minutes

An apology for absence was submitted on behalf of Councillor Andrew Fear.  Councillor David Loades left the meeting at 8.10 pm as he had another commitment.

There were no declarations of interest.

Held on 12 March 2013, to be signed as a correct record.

Resolved:     That the minutes of the meeting held on 12 March 2013 be approved as a correct record and signed by the chair.

The panel discussed its visit to Stockport and Cheshire West and Chester Councils on 17 April.  It was noted that this had been a variation from the initial planned schedule in that it had been intended originally to visit the Material Recovery Facility and In-vessel Composting on this date and Cheshire East and Cheshire West and Chester Councils on 8 May.  The visit to the Material Recovery Facility and In-vessel Composting would now be undertaken on 8 May.

Copies of the presentations undertaken by the two authorities visited had been made available to members, and these set out in some detail the approaches taken by each and their rationale for determining the design of their services.

Stockport’s service was based around a four-bin system operated by an arms-length company, whereas the Cheshire authority utilised a kerbside sort system delivered by an external contractor.

Within its discussions, the panel considered the concept of four- and five-day collection weeks and expressed a wish to see a piece of work undertaken to set out the pros and cons of each.

In addition to the planned visit on 8 May, it was suggested that there would be considerable merit in a further visit to Stafford Council and the Biffa facility in Birmingham, if this could be achieved.  The intention would be to arrange this for a Wednesday between 10 and 31 May, with the date of preference being 22 May.

Resolved:

(1)               That the information and knowledge gleaned from the visits be taken forward by the panel in formulating its recommendations;

(2)               That information be submitted to a future meeting of the panel on the advantages and disadvantages of operating four- and five-day collection weeks; and

(3)               That steps be taken to arrange, if possible, a further visit to Stafford Council and the Biffa facility in Birmingham, as outlined above.

Andrew Bird, Recycling Strategy and Commissioning Manager, presented a comprehensive outline of the framework of background and current legislation affecting Waste Management Services.

The panel discussed each piece of legislation and its impact on the council, including the freedoms and constraints afforded by the various provisions.

Resolved:  That the information provided and the outcomes of the panel’s discussions be taken forward to inform its future work and the eventual formulation of its recommendations.

There was no urgent business.