AGENDA For a meeting of the ENVIRONMENT OVERVIEW AND SCRUTINY COMMITTEE to be held on TUESDAY, 20 FEBRUARY 2018 at 10.30 AM In the WITHAM ROOM - COUNCIL OFFICES, ST. PETER'S HILL, GRANTHAM. NG31 6PZ Aidan Rave, Chief Executive Chairman Councillor Mike Exton Councillor Ashley Baxter Councillor Bob Russell (Vice-Chairman) Councillor Lynda Coutts Councillor Brian Sumner Councillor Nick Craft Councillor Martin Wilkins Invited Cabinet Members Councillor Dr Peter Moseley, Cabinet Member for Environment Support Officer: Lucy Bonshor Tel: 01476 40 60 80 extn 61 20 E-mail: [email protected] Members of the Committee are invited to attend the above meeting to consider the items of business listed below. 1 COMMENTS FROM MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC To receive comments or views from members of the public at the Committee’s discretion. 2 MEMBERSHIP The committee to be notified of any substitute members. 3 APOLOGIES 4 DISCLOSURE OF INTERESTS Members are asked to disclose any interests in matters for consideration at the meeting. 5 ACTION NOTES FROM THE MEETING HELD ON 5 DECEMBER 2017 (Pages 3 - 7) (Enclosure) 6 UPDATES FROM THE PREVIOUS MEETING 7 AIR QUALITY UPDATE (Pages 8 - 90) Report ENV679 from the Cabinet Member for Environment. (Enclosure) 8 BIG CLEAN FURTHER UPDATE (Pages 91 - 94) Report ENV682 from the Cabinet Member for Environment. (Enclosure) 9 NEW HIGHER STREET STANDARD (Pages 95 - 117) Report ENV681 from the Cabinet Member for Environment. (Enclosure) 10 ENVIRO CRIME ENFORCEMENT (Pages 118 - 136) Report ENV680 from the Cabinet Member for Environment. (Enclosure) 11 TRADE WASTE 12 ANY OTHER BUSINESS WHICH THE CHAIRMAN, BY REASON OF SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES, DECIDES IS URGENT Agenda Item 5 MEETING OF THE ENVIRONMENT OVERVIEW AND SCRUTINY COMMITTEE TUESDAY, 5 DECEMBER 2017 10.00 AM COMMITTEE MEMBERS PRESENT Councillor Ashley Baxter Councillor Bob Russell (Vice-Chairman) Councillor Lynda Coutts Councillor Brian Sumner Councillor Nick Craft Councillor Martin Wilkins Councillor Mike Exton (Chairman) CABINET MEMBERS Councillor Dr Peter Moseley Cabinet Member for Environment Councillor Jacky Smith Cabinet Member for Wellbeing, Health and Skills OTHER MEMBERS PRESENT Councillor Bob Sampson OFFICERS Strategic Director Environment and Property (Tracey Blackwell) Assistant Director Environment (Ian Yates) Service Manager Venues and Town Centre Management (Paul Stokes) Team Leader Operations (Mike Smith) Premise and Facilities Co-ordinator (Carolyn Baker) Democratic Officer (Lucy Bonshor) 29. DISCLOSURE OF INTERESTS None disclosed. 30. ACTION NOTES FROM THE MEETING HELD ON 26TH SEPTEMBER 2017 The action notes from the meeting held on 26th September 2017 were agreed as a correct record. Page - 3 31. UPDATES FROM THE PREVIOUS MEETING A Member asked why he had not been circulated with the tender specifications for street lighting as noted in the action notes from last time. The information was unfortunately not available and the Chairman apologised to the Member. A further question was asked about the environment workshop that was happening after the meeting, who had requested this? The Chairman stated that following the last meeting it was clear that not enough information was available and he decided that a workshop should be held, open to all Members to help collate evidence and inform what the content of an Environment Enforcement Policy should include. 32. STREET LIGHTING The Chairman referred Members to the recommendation contained within report FM0012 which asked Members to consider various options for street lighting and proposed a working group be convened to look at the options in more detail. One Member asked what the working group would be looking at to which the Chairman replied that the options within the report would be discussed in more detail and a recommendation made. Members were reminded that any recommendation from the working group would have to be put before a public meeting of the Environment Overview and Scrutiny Committee for approval to go on to the Cabinet Member. Discussion then followed on the proposal to hold a working group to discuss the issue. One Member had circulated a document at the meeting giving a further option for Members to consider. This had been previously e-mailed to Members and he could not see what was not clear about discussing the options contained in the report and circulated at the meeting that day. Another Member agreed that there was ample evidence to discuss the issue that day. Further discussion followed about having enough information to consider all options and the Cabinet Member stated that he wanted to see a good debate take place and see that all options were considered. A working group would allow Members to contribute to the debate with any ideas that they may have, someone may have an innovative approach that had not been considered and he was fully supportive of a working group taking place. Further comments were made concerning the working group and the fact that the public would not be able to attend. It was stated that any recommendation from the working group would have to go to a public meeting of the Committee to which members of the public could attend. It was proposed that a working group be held to consider the options for street Page - 4 lighting. The proposal was seconded and on being put to the vote it was agreed. Councillor Baxter asked that his vote against the proposal be recorded. (Cllr Craft left the meeting at 10:20am and did not return) A date for the working group was then discussed and it was agreed that a working Group would be held at 10:00am on Tuesday 16th January 2018. Action Note That Members be circulated with the date of the Working group to be held at 10:00am on Tuesday 16th January 2018 to discuss the options for street lighting. 33. EXTENSION TO GROUNDS MAINTENANCE CONTRACT Members had been circulated with report ENV673 from the Cabinet Member for Environment. The report concerned the grounds maintenance contract which expired on 28 February 2018. There was an extension clause within the contract should the Council wish to take this opportunity to extend the contract. The Cabinet Member was asking the Committee to recommend an extension to the contract to enable work to be undertaken to look at the options available and any alternative arrangements especially with the impacts that are likely due to Lincolnshire County Council changing their requirements through the contract. Members discussed the timeframe for the extension and referred to options that maybe considered or could impact the contract; working with parish and town councils lessons that had been learnt from the Big Clean project looking at an in house option changes to Lincolnshire County Council’s ground maintenance contract reducing the number of cutting times. financial implications to the extension of the contract the ground maintenance contract did not just deal with grass cutting Extending the contract for two years was mentioned but the Committee felt that a 12 month extension should give sufficient time to enable other options to be considered. A 12 month extension was proposed, seconded and unanimously agreed. Recommendation: That the Environment Overview and Scrutiny Committee noted the report and recommended that the Cabinet Member for Environment extends the existing Grounds Maintenance Contract with Glendale Grounds Page - 5 Management Limited (Glendale) for a period of 12 months. 34. BIG CLEAN UPDATE The Cabinet Member for Environment gave a brief update to Members. The second phase of the project was underway, concentration was on the legacy of the project which was two-fold, the enforcement: what policy was needed to help to underpin the work carried out (workshop to take place after the meeting) and also the higher street standard a draft of which would be coming to the next meeting of the Committee and be based on the evidence and issues experienced during the Big Clean project. The second team was due to be in place from April 2018 to continue work on higher street standards. Members gave examples of reported instances which hadn’t been addressed during the project and it was stressed that some may be outside of scope or fall into more long term ambitions of the project. The website was still up and areas could still be identified for cleaning. The project as a whole had been to target resources to get value for money rather than blitz the entire district. Often when one area was transformed it could leave others looking less “clean” and expectations needed to be understood and managed accordingly. A question was asked about the equipment and it was stated that some of it had been leased. Dialogue was happening with both parish and town councils on where the equipment that had been bought and was not being used by the team, could be used most appropriately and cost effectively. Members congratulated the project as a whole and felt that it had been a big success and noted the position to date. 35. TRADE WASTE The Cabinet Member for Environment informed the Committee that work was proceeding with the trade waste service, currently recruitment for a sales executive was proceeding as planned. 36. LOCATION OF MEETINGS The Chairman stated that during 2018 a meeting of the Environment Overview and Scrutiny Committee would be held at an alternative venue, this would not include the next two scheduled meetings. It was stressed though that it did depend on the content of the agenda. Reference was made to Members putting items on the agenda which were relevant to the remit of the Committee and it was stated that at the recent scrutiny committee training that had taken place Members could request for an Page - 6 item to be included on the agenda but could not demand that an item was included.