Meeting documents

Southern Rural Committee
Thursday, 30th September, 2010 7.30 pm

  Printer Friendly
 Date: Thursday, 29th July, 2010 Time: 7.30 pm Place: Committee Room 1, Council Offices, Gernon Road, Letchworth Garden City
 PRESENT: Councillor D.J. Barnard (Chairman), Councillor A. Bardett (Vice-Chairman), Councillor John Bishop, Councillor Tom Brindley, Councillor Tricia Cowley, Councillor Jane Gray, Councillor Sal Jarvis, Councillor D. Miller, Councillor Mrs C.P.A. Strong.

NB Councillor Jane Gray arrived at 7.40 p.m.
 IN ATTENDANCE: Steve Geach (Parks and Countryside Development Manager), Daniel Kingsley (Service Manager - Waste Management), David Charlton (Senior Estates Surveyor), Alan Fleck (Community Development Officer) and Hilary Dineen (Committee and Member Services Officer).
 ALSO PRESENT:
Item Description/Resolution Status Action
PART I
18 APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE

Apologies for absence were received from Councillor Lee Downie.
 Noted   
19 MINUTES
Data/Southern Rural Committee/201009301930/Agenda/Minutes

RESOLVED: That the Minutes of the Meeting held on 17 June 2010 be approved as a true record of the proceedings and be signed by the Chairman.
 Agreed   
20 NOTIFICATION OF OTHER BUSINESS

No other business was discussed at the meeting.
 Noted   
21 CHAIRMAN'S ANNOUNCEMENTS

The Chairman reminded the Members that any declarations of interest in respect of any business set out in the agenda should be declared as either a prejudicial or personal interest and are required to notify the Chairman of the nature of any interest declared at the commencement of the relevant item on the agenda. Members declaring a prejudicial interest should leave the room and not seek to influence the decision during that particular item.
 Noted   
22 PUBLIC PARTICIPATION

There were no presentations by members of the public.
 Noted   
23 GROUNDS MAINTENANCE CONTRACT SPECIFICATION OPTIONS FROM 2012 ONWARDS
Report

The Parks and Countryside Development Manager presented the report of the Head of Leisure and Environmental Services regarding Grounds Maintenance Specification Options from 2012 Onwards. He informed Members that the current grounds maintenance contract would expire in 2012 and the aim was to change working methods to produce savings without losing the quality of the service provided. He drew attention to Paragraphs 4.1.1 to 4.1.5 which detailed potential changes to the contract and asked Members for comments.

Members asked several questions including what was the approved herbicide; would an invitation to tender be issued and whether the proposed snow clearance was to supplement County responsibilities.

The Parks and Countryside Development Manager advised members that the approved herbicide would be glycosate; that invitations to tender would be issues in 2011 and that the proposed snow clearance and gritting would be in areas such as parks and cemeteries, which were not County responsibility.

RESOLVED: That the Committee noted the proposed new contract arrangements for Grounds Maintenance and put forward any comments and suggestions on the proposals at this meeting or by email to: the Service Manager - Grounds Maintenance - andrew.mills@north-herts.gov.uk.

REASON FOR DECISION: To ensure that the Southern Rural Committee is able to review the grounds maintenance contract prior to submission to Cabinet
 Agreed   
24 WASTE MANAGEMENT - INCLUDING ANTI FLY-TIPPING OFFICER WORKING ARRANGEMENTS

The Service manager - Waste Management gave a verbal presentation regarding Waste Management - including anti fly-tipping - Officer working arrangements. He informed members that Jeanette Lowden was a new Officer responsible for all issues regarding waste management in the Southern Rural area with a remit to offer greater 1-1 contact and a more personal approach. He advised that a new inspection regime had been instigated which would be carried out by this Officer, however enforcement issues would continue to be the responsibility of the Enforcement Officer and therefore interaction between the departments was critical in order to provide an holistic approach. He explained that a new reporting structure had been developed with Veolia as the primary contact and that the aim of this new reporting structure was to ensure that evidence was gathered and clean up took place within as short a time period as possible. He further advised that, in the current quarter, there had been an increase of fly-tipping incidents, particularly of small amounts of plasterboard, that methods to restrict access to fly-tipping sites were being investigated and that one of the aims was to promote the anti fly-tipping message.

Members asked several questions including how would fly-tipping on private land be managed; which department were responsible for managing and deploying the covert cameras; that Members and Parish Councils should be notified of the details regarding the change of working practices, the names and responsibilities of each Officer and who receives the fine proceeds for successful prosecutions and whether consideration had been given to promoting the anti fly-tipping message through advertisements.

The Service manager -Waste Management advised Members that waste could be removed from agricultural land, although the budget for this was extremely limited and that, if a site was use to fly-tip on a regular basis, legal steps could be taken to demand that access to the site be secured; that the enforcement team were responsible for the covert cameras; that fine proceeds for successful prosecutions remained within the court system, however NHDC could claim costs for the work involved in clearing the waste and bringing the prosecution and that the costs involved with advertising on the side of waste vehicles was being considered..

RESOLVED:
(1) That the new Officer working arrangements regarding waste management, including anti fly-tipping be noted;

(2) That the Licensing and Enforcement Manager be requested to ensure that costs are claimed in all prosecutions.

REASON FOR DECISION: To ensure that the Southern Rural Committee is able to comment on the Officer working arrangements regarding waste management - including anti fly-tipping .
 Agreed  Licensing & Enforcement Manager
25 LEASING OF LAND TO HERTS AND MIDDLESEX WILDLIFE TRUST
Report

The Senior Estate Surveyor presented the report of the Head of Finance, Performance and Asset Management regarding Leasing of Land to Herts and Middlesex Wildlife Trust. He advised that the Wildlife Trust had managed two old chalk pits at Barkway Nature Reserve and Hill End Nature reserve for some time, and that recently had taken on the management of Pryors Wood Nature Reserve at Great Ashby. He further advised that the Wildlife Trust had requested long term leases of all three nature reserves, which would allow them to apply for grant funding and that a management plan would be included as part of the lease.

Members asked whether the Nature Reserves had public access; whether insurance liabilities could be clarified and how much rent would be charged on these leases.

The Senior Estate Surveyor advised that the Nature Reserves were open to the public; that insurance liabilities would be the responsibility of the Wildlife Trust and that no rent would be charged for the leases, however NHDC would be absolved of costs associated with maintaining the land.

Members were keen to support the proposal.

RESOLVED: That the proposed leases of land to the Herts and Middlesex Wildlife Trust, as detailed in the report, be supported.

REASON FOR DECISION: To ensure that the Southern Rural Committee is able to comment on the leasing of land to Herts and Middlesex Wildlife Trust, prior to consideration by Cabinet.
 Agreed   
26 CHAMPION NEWS AND FINANCE REPORT
Report
Appendix 1 Budget spreadsheet
Appendix 2 Highways Work Programme
Appendix 3 Committee Work Programme

The Chairman informed the Committee that the Community Development Officer for Southern Rural was unable to attend the meeting an that Alan Fleck, the Community Development Officer for Royston and District had kindly agreed to attend the meeting.

The Community Development Officer presented the report of the Head of Policy, Partnerships and Community Development regarding Champion News and Finance Report and advised that he would take note of all comments and questions and ensure that responses were circulated to Members and published in the Minutes of the next meeting.

Members debated the report as follows:

PARISH AND TOWN COUNCILS CONFERENCE
That invitations to the Parish and Town Councils Conference should be sent earlier in the organisational process.

That a breakdown of feedback together with attendance details should be made available to this Committee.

That the Community Development Officers had the closest links with Parish Councils and were in a position to promote and encourage attendance at the Conference and therefore were the natural people to organise the conference.

RURAL STRATEGY
That at least 1 Member of the Southern Rural Committee should be part of the workshop regarding updating the Rural Strategy.

PLANNING SEMINAR FOR PARISH COUNCILS
The Chairman advised that he had invited Parish representative to a Planning Seminar on 30 September 2010 at 6.30pm in the Council Offices, at which Mary Caldwell (Planning Control and Conservation Manager) would be present to answer questions and give advice regarding liaison between Parish Councils and NHDC in respect of the planning process.

HIGHWAYS ISSUES
That recommendations from this Committee to North Hertfordshire Highways Partnership - Joint Member panel would be reinforced and made clearer if a Member of the Committee attended that meeting to speak to the referral.

That recommendations regarding schemes referred to the North Hertfordshire Highway Partnership - Joint Member Panel should be a detailed and a clear as possible to prevent any misunderstanding.

KERR CLOSE, KNEBWORTH
That the North Hertfordshire Highways Partnership - Joint Member Panel had agreed to part fund the work required at Kerr Close, Knebworth, however that this would be carried out as part of the review on parking in Knebworth.

VILLAGE OF THE YEAR
That only 2 Southern Rural Villages entered the 2010 Village of the Year competition and that further work was required to advertise and encourage villages to enter.

BUDGETS
Members noted the current financial position.

RESOLVED:
(1) That the budgetary expenditure, balances and carry forwards from the Development and Visioning Budgets be noted;

(2) That the actions taken by the Community Development Officer to promote greater community capacity and well -being for the Southern Rural area be endorsed;

(3) That the Head of Policy, Partnerships and Community Development be requested to ensure that the Rural Strategy working group include representation of at least 1 Member of the Southern Rural Committee;

(4) That the Head of Policy, Partnerships and Community Development be requested to ensure that invitations to future Parish and Town Councils Conference are sent at an earlier stage of the organisational process;

(5) That the Head of Policy, Partnerships and Community Development be requested to provide a breakdown of feedback and attendance details at the Parish and Town Councils Conference 2010, to the next meeting of this Committee due to be held on 30 September 2010;

(6) That the Head of Policy, Partnerships and Community Development be requested to consider whether the Parish and Town Councils Conference would be better run by the Community Development Team, due to their constant contact with Parish Councils.

(7) That the Chairman be requested to contact the CPRE to advise them of the Committees disappointment at the number of entries to the Village of the year Competition and that Parish Councils were being contacted for feedback;

(8) That the Community Development Officer be requested to make enquiries of Parish Councils as to what prevented them entering the Village of the Year Competition.

REASON FOR DECISION: To ensure that the Committee is kept informed of the work of the Community Development Officer and to inform Members of the financial resources available to the Committee.
 Agreed  Community Development Officer - GG, Head of Policy/Partnerships/Community Development
Published on Wednesday, 18th August, 2010
8.50 p.m.