Environment Policy and Review Panel - Tuesday, 8th November, 2016 7.00 pm - Agenda and minutes

To confirm the Minutes of the Meeting held on 6th September, 2016 (copy attached).

The Minutes of the Meeting held on 6th September, 2016 were approved and signed by the Chairman.

The Cabinet Member for Environment and Service Delivery, Cllr M.J. Tennant, to attend the meeting to give details on any planned action to address the current level of recycling in Rushmoor.

The Cabinet Member for Environment and Service Delivery, Cr. M.J. Tennant, attended the Panel meeting to provide details on the planned actions to address the current level of recycling in Rushmoor.  The Panel was advised that very few local authorities in England received a recycling/composting rate of over 60%, the mid-point rate was 43%.  The top performing councils collected food waste at the kerbside.  One other major factor was the Index of Multiple Deprivation which indicated that the more affluent councils achieved a higher performance, particularly in dry recycling.

Rushmoor’s current recycling/composting performance was in the bottom quartile at 25.9%, the dry recycling was 19.7% and composting at 6.2%.  Waste disposal policies were determined by Hampshire County Council and through the Project Integra partnership which focussed on high values for dry recyclable materials, reducing the amount of waste going to landfill and delivering a sustainable solution to waste management.  None of the local authorities operating in Hampshire appeared in the upper quartile, all were in the lower quartile other than Eastleigh which had a separate food waste collection and Winchester which operated a free garden waste collection service.  The cost for introducing free garden waste in Rushmoor was estimated annually at £600,000 with a one-off cost of £300,000 for additional wheeled bins.

The option considered the most cost effective to help improve the recycling/composting levels was to increase the take-up of the garden waste scheme.  There had also been a review of dry recycling within Project Integra and it was expected that, within the next two years, a wider range of dry recyclables would be accepted to include mixed plastics and cartons.  This would also contribute to a reduction in the contamination rate.  It was not current Rushmoor policy to reduce the frequency of collecting residual waste.  However, Rushmoor had decided to reduce the size of the ‘standard’ residual waste wheeled-bin.  Under the new waste contract, litter would also be sorted where practicable to separate out dry recyclables, and in future some of the detritus currently picked up by mechanical sweepers could potentially be composted.

The Panel discussed the issue of recycling in Rushmoor and the statistics provided.  It was highlighted that a number of Hampshire authorities operating within Project Integra had a higher recycling rate than Rushmoor.  It was suggested that this was due to the affluence of the authorities. The view of some Panel Members was that it was due to them operating alternate weekly collections.  The actions being taken to improve recycling rates were as previously stated and it was reiterated that there was no support for alternate weekly collections under Rushmoor’s current policy.

The Panel NOTED the presentation.

The Cabinet Member for Environment and Service Delivery, Cllr M.J. Tennant, to attend the meeting to inform the Panel on the approach being taken to develop a Car Parking Strategy for the Borough.

The Cabinet Member for Environment and Service Delivery, Cr. M.J. Tennant, attended the Panel meeting to provide details on the approach being taken to develop a Car Parking Strategy for the Borough.  A working group had been set up and would be considering a number of issues including:

·                Residents parking – review and provision of a new schemes

·                Parking in town centres

·                Pay and display

·                School safety

·                Reviewing parking standards with planning requirements

The first meeting of the Working Group would be held on 22nd November where Members would discuss the issues, prioritise the work and shape the work programme.  A report on progress of the Car Parking Strategy would be brought to a future Panel meeting.

The Panel NOTED the presentation

The Planning Policy and Conservation Manager, Louise Piper, to attend the meeting to provide the Panel with key information on the development of the Rushmoor Local Plan.

The Panel received a presentation from the Planning Policy and Conservation Manager on the progress on the Rushmoor Local Plan.  The Local Plan would bring together a number of current plans into one document and would supersede the Core Strategy.  The consultation on the draft plan had been carried out in June/July 2015 and 550 comments had been received both in support and with objections.

The Local Plan covered a wide range of issues and therefore contained a number of elements to enable all of the information to be available in one document.  A summary of the areas included in the Local Plan was provided.

·                The Spatial Strategy – the heart of the plan which focussed on new developments within defined urban areas, protected existing sites and addressed regeneration of the town centres.

·                Shaping Places – a number of specific sites in the Borough were identified including the town centres, Farnborough Airport and the Wellesley development.

·                Delivering Infrastructure – covered transport, telecommunications and other infrastructure.

·                Creating High Quality/Distinctive Environments – protects the historic environment, open space and leisure, pollution and residential and amenity standards.

·                Meeting Local Needs – addressed dwelling mix, type and affordable, specific issues such as gypsies and travellers, neighbourhood renewal and neighbourhood shopping facilities.

·                Creating Prosperous Communities – to meet economic needs and to identify strategic and locally important employment sites.

·                Managing the Natural Environment – addressed the Thames Basin Heaths Special Protection Area, green infrastructure and water and flooding.

The final Draft Submission copy of the Local Plan would be presented to the Panel for information in January 2017 and taken to Cabinet and Council in February 2017.  Consultation on the Draft Submission Local Plan would be carried out during March and April 2017.

The Panel discussed the presentation and it was proposed that the Council’s policy on neighbourhood shopping facilities was added to the Panel work programme.  The Panel NOTED the presentation.

The Principal Contract Manager, Ashley Sharpe, and The Bereavement Manager, Kelly Chambers, to attend the meeting to provide the Panel with an overview on the issues surrounding the management and upkeep of Rushmoor’s three cemeteries.

The Panel received a presentation from the Principal Contracts Manager and Bereavement Manager on the issues surrounding the management and upkeep of Rushmoor’s cemeteries.  There were three cemeteries in Rushmoor located in Redan Road, Aldershot, Ship Lane, Farnborough and Victoria Road, Farnborough.  In 2015/16 there were 55 burials and 35 cremated remains burials carried out in total in the Borough.  The cemeteries were open 365 days a year.  The Redan Road cemetery was expected to have capacity for a further five years, Ship Lane had capacity for twenty years and Victoria Road was full except for re-opening of graves and cremated remains burials.  Graves were purchased for a 30 year term.

The income for 2016/17 was £174,000 with £297,000 of expenditure.  The fees had been raised by 10% plus inflation from 2002 to 2012 which had reduced the deficit by £100,000 over the ten-year period.  The grounds maintenance for the cemeteries cost £180,000 per annum which provided a team of four to carry out gravedigging, grass and hedge cutting, weeding and maintenance of floral displays in flower beds.  In previous years the gates at the cemeteries had been locked at 8pm; this practice had ceased in May 2012 to save staff resources and there had been no reports of anti-social behaviour.  This had resulted in a saving of approximately £100,000 over the previous four years.

The Panel discussed the presentation and raised some issues regarding security of the cemeteries and whether the locking of gates should be reintroduced.  It was highlighted that there had been no evidence to show that there was any issues of anti-social behaviour and therefore it was felt the locking of gates was not required.  The Chapel in Victoria Road was also discussed, especially the future plan for the Chapel.  There were discussions taking place regarding the creation of a columbarium for cremated remains which would go into the ground and therefore create more space.

The Panel NOTED the presentation.

To receive an update from the Chairman on the meeting of the Farnborough Town Centre Working Group held on the 24th October.

The Panel received an update from the Chairman on the meeting of the Farnborough Town Centre Working Group held on 24th October.  The Homes and Communities Agency had acquired the police station site and a company had been appointed to project manage the demolition of the building.  Work was progressing on selecting master planners for the entire civic quarter site.  In Kingsmead, a second restaurant had signed up to occupy one of the units fronting the cinema.  The extension to provide new retail units to accommodate Decathlon and Smyth’s Toys would open in early 2017.  A copy of the presentation given to the Farnborough Town Centre Working Group would be circulated to the Panel.

To note the Panel’s Current work programme (copy attached).

The Panel NOTED the current work programme.