Agenda and minutes

In accordance with the agreed protocol the Chairman shall be a District Council appointee with the Vice Chairman being a County Council or Torbay Council appointee.

RESOLVED that Councillor D Wood and Councillor A Davis be elected Chairman and Vice Chairman respectively for the ensuing year.

COUNCILLOR DAVIS IN THE CHAIR   

Minutes of the meeting held on 8 February 2017 (previously circulated)

RESOLVED that the minutes of the meeting held on 8 February 2017 be signed as a correct record.

Items which in the opinion of the Chairman should be considered at the meeting as matters of urgency.

There was no item raised as a matter of urgency.

The operating rules and Terms of Reference for the Devon Authorities Strategic Waste Committee are attached, for information.

The Committee noted its operating rules and Terms of Reference.

R Scarisbrick and A Coulton (Keep Britain Tidy) attended and spoke to this item at the invitation of the Committee.

The Committee received a presentation from Keep Britain Tidy on their Action Plan for Fly-Tipping covering:

• householder information and encouraging them to do the right thing
• research and innovation
• development of effective and consistent enforcement strategies
• encouragement of the circular economy
• encourage stiffer sentencing in the magistrates courts in line with guidance

The representatives outlined the offer to the Devon Local Authorities to join their national campaign (locally customised) ‘CrimeNotToCare- the cost to you!’ launched in March 2017 as part of a process to encourage residents to seek guidance from their local authority.

Members observations and comments related to:

·         Keep Britain Tidy’s history and current funding sources, noting that it was now self-financing and a registered charity

·         the suggestion for further work by KBT with Industry in accessing data relating to sales of white goods and disposal arrangements.

The Chairman thanked the representatives for their presentation. 

Joint report of the Acting Chief Officer for Highways, Infrastructure Development and Waste and Teignbridge District Council Waste and Cleansing Manager (HIW/17/43) attached

The Committee considered the Joint report of the Acting Chief Officer for Highways, Infrastructure Development and Waste and Teignbridge District Council Waste & Cleansing Manager (HIW/17/43) on the Government’s Litter Strategy for England and the regional work to develop behavioural change and education initiatives to help reduce litter and fly tipping and the potential impact of the introduction of a plastic bottle deposit scheme.

A Government consultation document on the Litter Strategy was available online at

www.gov.uk/government/publications and the response made by the Teignbridge District Council to the consultation was noted.

Members would be updated on the outcome of the consultation once known.

Members also noted that the Cabinet on 8 March 2017 had referred the following Notice of Motion to this Committee for consideration and report back alongside its consideration of the wider issues relating to litter/fly tipping campaigns and the potential for prevention/education and co-ordinated activities with partner agencies to tackle such problems: 

"That the County Council supports, in principle, the Sky News anti-litter campaigns and in particular the proposal which is to be considered in Parliament after Easter to introduce a deposit scheme on plastic bottles: such schemes are currently in operation in 11 European countries and more than 30 countries worldwide where their introduction has seen a massive leap in plastic bottle recycling - in many cases upwards of 95%.

The County Council will contact all Devon MPs urging them to support a plastic bottle deposit scheme to reduce waste, increase recycling and also make a major contribution to reducing dangerous marine pollution, the latter being a significant and increasing problem with plastic bottles and containers".

Members noted that little was known about how a proposed deposit scheme would work and further detail was needed for examination by an officers’ group before any decisions were made.

Members noted that the Devon Local Government Steering Group had asked to receive further information in relation to littering and fly tipping and in particular closer collaborative working following consideration of the issue by this Committee. Collaborative working was already being undertaken by the Devon Litter Forum and there could be scope for widening the role of this Group which currently focussed on the Primary Route Network.

It was MOVED by Councillor Cann,  SECONDED by Councillor Lake and

RESOLVED

(a) that the Litter Strategy for England be supported;

(b) that further work be undertaken across the Region with partner bodies to develop behavioural change and education initiatives to help to reduce litter and fly tipping and consideration be given to expanding the Devon Litter Forum, and the Devon Local Government Steering Group be notified accordingly;

(c) that the Devon Environmental Service Managers Group (DESMG)  be requested to investigate further the impact of a potential plastic bottle deposit scheme and that the Cabinet be notified accordingly.

Joint report of the Acting Chief Officer for Highways, Infrastructure Development and Waste and Teignbridge District Council Waste and Cleansing Manager (HIW/17/44) attached

The Committee considered the Report of the Acting Chief Officer for Highways, Infrastructure Development and Waste (HIW/17/44) on the Budget out-turn for 2016/17, areas of underspend relating to, inter alia,  the ‘real nappy campaign’ ‘Don’t let Devon go to Waste’ and Online campaigns and audit fees.

It was MOVED by Councillor Cann, SECONDED by Councillor  Wright and

RESOLVED that the unspent allocation amounting to £36,786 be carried forward to invest in a residual waste analysis project in Autumn 2017.

Presentation and Interactive session led by Devon County Council

The Acting Chief Officer for Highways, Infrastructure Development and Waste reported on the current 5 year Devon and Torbay Waste and Resource Management Strategy 2013 which was now subject to review and outlined the issues involved relating to:

•   Householders’ and the Councils’ priorities

•   setting appropriate targets and how they could be met

•   ways of achieving an aligned collection model across Devon and Torbay and options for waste collection delivery

•   making greater savings and income generation options

•   closer working between the County and District Councils and what form this might take

•   the relative importance of the proximity principle noting the need for best value

•   possible improvement to Household Waste Recycling Centres

•   implications arising from exit from the EU.

Members discussed various options and views in respect of the issues outlined which would be examined and developed by a Members’ and Officers’ Group and a draft Strategy would be presented to a future meeting.  

For discussion.

The Acting Chief Officer for Highways, Infrastructure Development and Waste presented a draft reported that on a draft Work Plan and agreed to circulate the proposals for approval at would be presented to the next meeting.

1 November 2017 and 7 February 2018 at 2.15 pm at County Hall, Exeter

The County Council’s Calendar of meetings is available:

http://democracy.devon.gov.uk/mgCalendarMonthView.aspx?GL=1&bcr=1

1 November 2017, 7 February 2018 at 2.15 pm at County Hall, Exeter

The County Council Calendar of meetings available on the website:

http://democracy.devon.gov.uk/mgCalendarMonthView.aspx?GL=1&bcr=1