01656 643696 Elizabeth Littlejohns
E-mail: scrutiny@bridgend.gov.uk
EL / SU: OSC.EPS.A.2 23 November 2006
To: All Members of the Environmental and Planning Services Overview & Scrutiny Committee Bridgend County Borough Council
Dear Councillor
ENVIRONMENTAL AND PLANNING SERVICES OVERVIEW & SCRUTINY COMMITTEE
A meeting of the Environmental and Planning Services Overview & Scrutiny Committee will be held on Wednesday 29 November in Committee Rooms 2/3, Civic Offices, Angel Street, Bridgend, CF31 4WB at 2:15 PM to consider the business set out in the attached agenda.
Yours sincerely
P A Jolley
Assistant Director Legal Services and Monitoring Officer
Distribution:
Councillors:
D Buttle |
C E Hughes |
C Rees |
K R T Deere |
K S Hunt |
J C Spanswick |
D T Greaves |
M Inglesant |
W H C Teesdale* |
M Gregory |
C J James |
|
J J Hipkiss |
E McIlveen |
ENVIRONMENTAL AND PLANNING SERVICES OVERVIEW & SCRUTINY COMMITTEE
DATE: Wednesday 29 November 2006, 2:15 PM
VENUE: COMMITTEE ROOMS 2/3, CIVIC OFFICES, BRIDGEND
AGENDA
Item No. |
Subject |
Page No.s |
1. |
Apologies for Absence |
- |
2. |
Declarations of Interest (Including Whipping Declarations) |
- |
3. |
Minutes of the meeting 18 October 2006 |
3-5 |
4. |
Quarterly Performance Monitoring In Attendance for Item 4: R G Jones, Executive Director – Environment |
6-22 |
5. |
Recommendations Monitoring: Maesteg Washery and Fleet Services In attendance for Item 5 R G Jones, Executive Director - Environment C Eades, Assistant Director – Transportation & Engineering |
23-30 |
6. |
Highway Maintenance: Interview with the Assistant Director – Finance In attendance for Item 6 A Phillips, Assistant Director - Finance |
31-35 |
6. |
36-38 | |
7. |
To consider any other item(s) of business in respect of which notice has been given in accordance with Rule 4 of the Council Procedure Rules and which the person presiding at the meeting is of the opinion should by reason of special circumstances be transacted at the meeting as a matter of urgency. |
- |
Elizabeth Littlejohns
Assistant Scrutiny Officer
23 November 2006
MINUTES OF A MEETING OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL AND PLANNING SERVICES OVERVIEW & SCRUTINY COMMITTEE
DATE: 18 October 2006
TIME: 2:15 PM
VENUE: COMMITTEE ROOM 2/3 CIVIC OFFICES, ANGEL STREET, BRIDGEND
PRESENT: Councillors: D Buttle, M Gregory, J J Hipkiss, K S Hunt, M Inglesant, E McIlveen, W H C Teesdale.
Officers: R David-Knight, Principal Scrutiny Officer,
R Hughes, Principal Solicitor,
E Littlejohns, Assistant Scrutiny Officer
1. Apologies for Absence
Apologies were received from Councillors D T Greaves, C James and J C Spanswick
2. Declarations of Interest (Including Whipping Arrangements)
(i) Councillor Hipkiss declared an interest as a member of the Ogmore Angling Association.
(ii) Councillor Hunt declared an interest as a member of the Maesteg RiverCare Group.
3. Minutes of Meetings
The minutes were approved as a true and accurate record.
4. Waterways Scoping Report
The Principal Scrutiny Officer presented the report to Members and outlined potential areas of interest for the development of the investigation into waterways. Members were advised that this was a preliminary report to assist members scope the investigation and decide on invitees to attend. Members were informed that the Environment Agency was contacted for problem areas which an investigation would add value which formed the basis of the report.
Water Quality Issues
Members discussed the importance of good water quality in light of the community usage of Rivers during summer months. It was agreed that the community use Rivers for bathing on a regular basis in the summer and as such the quality of the water should be maintained to ensure the community is safe whilst bathing. Members raised concerns that the rigorous laws associated with water quality were not easily enforced as this would require constant monitoring. Members agreed that this was an important area for consideration and that efforts should be focused on ensuring that groups that look after rivers are supported. With regard to pollution, Members commented that waste from domestic buildings should be taken into account when considering the pollution from industrial areas. Members agreed that controlling any pollution caused by domestic buildings in the area of local rivers was paramount to controlling water quality.
Members commented that the voluntary cleaning of Rivers had a positive response in the community and often promoted a positive cycle in that locals tended to respect River areas after a clean up had improved the environment. Members agreed that at present there were too few of these clean ups taking place and agreed that this was an important area for consideration within the investigation. Members commented that a potential area of development would be to involve local schools to enable the education of local children of the river environment and involve schools in the clean up operations as part of this education.
River Banks and Flooding
Members raised concern over collapsing River Banks in the Borough particularly those near to houses. It was suggested that this was a very expensive problem to rectify and that it was often a high risk area. Members commented that this was closely linked to flooding risks as this often had a detrimental effect to the riverbanks. It was agreed that this issue should be raised with an Officer in Public Protection and also the issue of a Policy for flood prevention should also be discussed.
Members commented that work had been recently completed in the Pencoed area on improving the river banks which had appeared to be successful, Members questioned what the parameters were for this projects and whether it could re-used in other areas. Members agreed to invite The County Borough Ecologist to comment on issues on river banks and flooding and it was suggested that he provide an insight into the relevant partnerships to consider.
Partnership Agencies
Members discussed the involvement of partnerships with the maintaining of the river environment and agreed that the committee should investigate partnerships in relation to enforcement and the improvement of water quality to determine the roles of each organisation within improving and maintaining the river environment.
Members agreed to involve agencies such as Keep Wales Tidy and Valleys to Coast as well as to contact local schools for potential future involvement and to ensure the issue of Rivers and Waterways re-enforces the community focus.
Conclusions
Members requested a map of the rivers in the borough to enable Members to understand the areas being discussed and to be aware of where the key areas are.
Members noted the information contained in the report and agreed to focus the investigation on Water Quality issues, Protection of the River Banks and Partnership Agencies and key themes within these topics would be community engagement and enforcement issues surrounding maintaining any improvements.
5. Highways Maintenance Task and Finish Group Membership
The Principal Scrutiny Officer outlined Members role to agree on the Membership of the Task and Finish Group. It was suggested that Councillors W H C Teesdale , M Gregory, K Hunt, E Mcilveen and J C Spanswick would form the Task and Finish Group.
6. Forward Work Programme
Members noted the information contained in the report and agreed the topics to be considered at the Committees forthcoming meetings.
7. To consider any other item (s) of business in respect of which notice has been given in accordance with Rule 4 of the Councils Procedure Rules, and which the person presiding at the meeting is of the opinion should be reason of special circumstances be transacted at the meeting as a matter of urgency.
The meeting closed at 3:30 PM
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