Agenda and minutes

Councillors Bisset, Greensmith, Truscott and Feeney. Councillor Hewson attended as substitute.

RESOLVED:

That the minutes of the above meeting, having been circulated, be approved as a correct record.

None.

Report of the Director of Organisational Development and Democratic Services.

The Director of Organisational Development and Democratic Services, Helen Barrington, informed the committee about the position against improvement for action and performance indicators in the 2016/2017 Gedling Plan.  She highlighted areas of particularly positive performance where targets have already been exceeded in Quarter 1 including:

·         134 theatre events/shows taking place at the Bonington Theatre against target of 97

·         54 cinema shows taking place at the Bonington Theatre against a target of 24

·         92% of One Stop shop customers seen within 15 minutes against a target of 83%

·         100% of Major planning applications processed within 13 weeks against a target of 90%.

Overall indicator performance at the end of Quarter 1 shows that out of a total of 33 indicators, 16 were on or above target, 4 slightly below target and 13 indicators missed their target.

Within the 13 which have missed their target,  areas of concern include

·         Homelessness, it is recognised that performance is not where it should be due to a variety of issues.  Additional training is being provided to improve the quality and efficiency of the service to progress towards the performance target. Members were concerned about the rehoming of child refugees from Syria in the borough and were informed that the Chief Executive was the East Midlands lead on this issue and Gedling has been instrumental in receiving two families.

·         Planning applications, whilst still below target progress is being made and further improvements are expected in Quarter 2.

·         Lack of housebuilding.  Members were informed that although there are 2000 planning permissions for new properties these have not been delivered for a variety of reasons including land prices, planning consent conditions and developers ability to obtain funding.  Teal Close has not moved forward due to a range of complex land ownership issues, but the Dunstan Street and Grove site have now been completed.  There has been progress on Blue Note site.

RESOLVED:

To note the report

Report of the Elections and Members’ Services Officer

Councillor Peter Barnes attended the committee to answer questions submitted in advance of the meeting.  Mike Hill, Deputy Chief Executive & Director of Finance, Melvyn Cryer, Service Manager, Parks and Street Care, and Caroline McKenzie, Service Manager Waste Services also attended the meeting.

The following questions were addressed:

Quarter 1 Performance report 2016/17

• NI 191 Residual household waste per household in Kg - what is the average target of similar authorities, and what is meant by the target being described as "challenging" in the year end performance report.

NI191was a target previously used and includes street cleaning and bulky waste collections.  Many authorities no longer use this target and just record the amount collected.  The two who do, Ashfield and Bassetlaw were also below target. Bassetlaw currently do not charge for the collection of garden waste, Broxtowe and Rushcliffe have just started to charge. Garden waste is still being deposited in black bins.  When green bins were introduced there was lots of education and information provided about what should be put in the bin. The level of information provision has fallen back as resources are no longer available, resulting in contamination by articles that should not be put in the recycling bin increasing. Free bulky waste collections are provided in January and February.

Following questions from members additional points were highlighted

·         About 27% of households have garden bins and this service is at capacity.  The purchase of a new vehicle will enable the service to be increased and there will be additional promotion of the service

·         The authority works with other local authorities to try and improve ways to encourage recycling

·         Work is being undertaken with the County Council to improve contamination rate and to enables more issues to be recycled. Pictorial stickers to remind what can be recycled are being developed

·         Difficulties arise as the public is unclear about which type of plastics are recyclable

·         Recycling rates have fallen across the whole of the county

·         Wormeries and wood collections were also discussed.

·         NI 195a. Percentage of streets with unacceptable levels of litter. Can you define "unacceptable”?  What are the criteria? Is the amount of litter measured? If so how?

An explanatory note was circulated which defined standards of unacceptable levels, this included photographs of the cleanliness grades defined by the Code of Practice on Litter and Refuse. 

·         LI 133.  Number of fly tipping incidents reported to Gedling Borough Council. Have any work initiatives or strategy been planned to halt this increase.  If the registration of vehicles at recycling centres increases incidents what measures will be put in place to mitigate the anticipated increase in fly tipping.

Public Protection Officers enforce fly tipping using fixed penalty notices. [To be signed off shortly]. They investigate the majority of cases in an attempt to evidence ownership of the dumped waste. 1 unit of four covert cameras have recently been purchased and are about to be deployed in our hot spot areas, (Gravelly Hollow, Calverton & Honeywood Gardens Estate to name two such areas),  ...  view the full minutes text for item 130.

Report of the Elections and Members’ Services Officer.

Members were updated on the Councillor Call for Action submitted by Councillor Ellwood relating to the processes undertaken by the Council for the issuing of Section 215 notices under the Town and Country Planning Act, specifically in relation to 72 – 74 Westdale Lane.

Planning Officers have acknowledged a number of issues impacted on the delay in actioning the Section 215 Notice for Westdale Lane and processes to ensure that this delay does not happen again are being developed. 

The land has been sold and ownership of the land has still to be established.  If a new notice is served at this stage it could well hold up the sale of the land.  Once the sale is complete and ownership known the new owners will be asked to tidy up the land, should they fail to do so in a reasonable time a new Section 215 notice will be issued.

RESOLVED to:

·         Note the report; and

·         Receive an update on the progress of the tidying up of the land and issuing of a new Section 215 notice at Westdale Lane at the November meeting.

Report of the Elections and Members’ Services Officer.

Scrutiny Review Updates

Members were informed that the response to the recommendations of the Obesity Review and an update on the success of the voice webcasting of meetings will be available at the November meeting.

Visit to the Material Recycling Facility

Councillor Lawrence discussed with members of the committee the interesting and informative visit to the Mansfield recycling facility. Members were then encouraged, through their role as school governors, to inform schools about the opportunity for visits to the facility.

East Midlands Ambulance Service

Members were advised about the attendance of EMAS at the next Overview and Scrutiny Committee and the reason for their attendance.

Willows Medical Practice

Members had been updated earlier in the meeting regarding the Willows Medical Practice. They were informed that the CCG is making plans which will ensure that patients have ongoing access to GP services.  A further report is being submitted to the Joint City/County Health Scrutiny Committee.

Scrutiny in Committee

Members agreed the programme of Portfolio Holder attendance.

Scrutiny Working Groups

After discussion it was decided to establish working groups to carry out in-depth reviews looking at waste collection, focusing on reduction, recycling and reuse, and also tackling the issues of a growing elderly population.

Councillor Lawrence will chair the waste collection review and Councillor Poole and Paling have agreed to be part of the review group.

Councillor Doyle will chair the elderly population review.  Working Group members will include Councillors Scroggie, Paling and Gregory.

Additional members will be invited from the wider council membership.

RESOLVED:

      I.        To note the information relating to:

·         The Obesity Review and the recording of meetings

·         The visit to the recycling facility

·         The attendance of EMAS at the November meeting

·         The Willows GP Practice

    II.        Agreed to establish working groups to examine

·         Waste collection

·         Issues around an aging population.

Reports and Notices to the Chair of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee under Contract Standing orders.

RESOLVED:

To note the report.

None.