Agenda and minutes

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Contact: Email: Democratic.Services@sevenoaks.gov.uk 01732 227199 

Items
No. Item

19.

Minutes pdf icon PDF 51 KB

To agree the Minutes of the meeting of the Committee held on 2 November 2017, as a correct record.

Minutes:

Resolved: That the Minutes of the meeting of the Committee held on 2 November 2017 be approved and signed by the Chairman as a correct record.

 

20.

Declarations of Interest

Any interests not already registered

Minutes:

There were no additional declarations of interest.

 

21.

Actions from Previous Meeting

Minutes:

There were none.

 

22.

Referrals from Cabinet or the Audit committee

Minutes:

There were none.

 

Change in order of agenda items

With the consent of the Committee, the Chairman brought forward consideration of the agenda item 7.

23.

Electric Powered Fleet Vehicles pdf icon PDF 51 KB

Minutes:

The Head of Direct Services presented the report which updated Members on electric vehicle procurement.  Members discussed the report and asked a wide range of questions before welcoming the use of ultra low emission vehicles where suitable, noting in particular the improvements in technology, environmental benefits and ever increasing value for money.

 

Resolved:  That the report be noted.

24.

Review into the Best Value delivery of the Environmental Health Out of Hours Service for SDC and DBC pdf icon PDF 371 KB

Minutes:

The Assistant Environmental Health Manager presented a report which recommended that the Out of Hours (OOH) service targeted the Environmental Health Officer resource at times of peak demand whilst simultaneously empowering the CCTV team to respond, record and provide advice to the majority of ‘one off’ complaints received by the service in order to make more efficient and effective use of resources and allowing serious or emergency public health matters to be dealt with all year round and provide an enhanced system during periods of highest demand.  The existing OOH provision for serious or emergency public health complaints would be extended via a year round cascade call system.

 

The shared service Environmental Health team currently provided an Out of Hours (OOH) Service to deal with complaints from residents within the Sevenoaks (SDC) and Dartford (DBC) districts.  This service currently operated everyday throughout the year between 17:00 and 22:00 Monday to Thursday, 17:00 to 00:00 Friday, 08:00 to 00:00 Saturday and 08:00 to 22:00 Sunday.  Demand for the service varied significantly throughout the year and by day of the week. Many of the calls received were not urgent and did not require immediate action and could be managed the next working day during office hours in accordance with agreed performance indicators.  In the past 18 months, experienced officers had left the OOH Service, and there as now a serious issue with fully staffing the Service in its existing format.

 

With reference to Appendix D and the analysis of calls, Members requested the breakdown figures of the times of calls made, especially on Saturdays and Sundays to help them make an informed decision. 

 

Action 1:  Data to be made available to the committee and for the Cabinet meeting on 19 April 2018 with the day by day breakdown of the time of calls (particular with regard to out of hours and weekends).

 

Members took the opportunity to ask questions.  In response to those questions: it was explained that shift work had been ruled out as it would be less cost efficient and all officers on the rota were multi-skilled as this made the team more resilient; and staff had indicated that they would be more willing to volunteer for out of hours if the number of hours to be available was reduced.  It was also acknowledged that it was not a statutory service which more recently had only been provided by two members of staff, which was not sustainable.  The Committee expressed their appreciation to these members of staff for maintaining the service.  Whilst it was not a statutory service Members felt that the value to the public needed to be assessed against value for money.

 

Public Sector Equality Duty

Members noted that consideration had been given to impacts under the Public Sector Equality Duty.

 

Resolved:  That it be recommended to Cabinet that the following recommended changes be agreed, that

 

a)     a targeted OOH service be implemented during the busiest service periods of Friday and Saturday night 18:00 to 00.00; 

b)     during  ...  view the full minutes text for item 24.

25.

Environmental Health Partnership - Environmental Protection Consultancy - Recovery of Costs pdf icon PDF 63 KB

Minutes:

The Environmental Health Manager presented a report giving an overview of the proposed Environmental Protection team’s consultancy scheme. The scheme would recover reasonable costs from businesses for bespoke consultancy advice. The charge would be based on cost recovery and would be calculated on the average cost that the Council currently incurred for the provision of the service.

It was agreed that Members would be updated on progress with this and other Environmental Health cost recovery schemes.

Public Sector Equality Duty

Members noted that consideration had been given to impacts under the Public Sector Equality Duty.

 

Resolved: That it be recommended to Cabinet that

a)     the Environmental Health Partnership recover their resource costs from businesses for Environmental Protection consultancy work; and

b)     a minimum fee be charged of £108 plus VAT and a standard photocopying charge for 2 hours work, and £72 per hour thereafter and a standard photocopying charge. (cost recovery charge only.)

 

 

26.

Kent Resource Partnership - consultation document: Refreshing the Kent Joint Waste Municipal Waste Management Strategy pdf icon PDF 48 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Chief Officer Environmental & Operational Services presented the report requesting feedback to inform the Council’s response, due by 27 April 2018, to the refreshing of the Kent Joint Municipal Waste Management Strategy (the latest version of which was tabled).

 

Members asked questions relating to Sevenoaks District Council’s recycling rate.  The Chief Officer Environmental & Operational Services stated that he would like to increase uptake in the garden waste but it was a chargeable service, albeit one which provided excellent value for money. A Member declared that her garden bin ‘was the best thing since sliced bread’.  It was noted that work was underway for the introduction of a ‘waste and recycling’ app. The Chairman clarified with Members’ that they were happy with the setting of ambitious targets providing they were realistic and attainable.

 

Members’ were invited to forward any comments to the Chief Officer Environmental & Operational Services who would be preparing the response to the consultation with the Portfolio Holder/Chairman’s final approval.

 

Resolved:  That the consultation document be noted and a response prepared in line with comments received.

27.

Update from Portfolio Holder

Minutes:

The Chairman, and Portfolio Holder for Direct & Trading Services, advised that

·        the Sevenoaks Greensand Commons Heritage Lottery Fund bid had been submitted, and a decision should be known in about two months;

·          further to the presentation on Bradbourne Lakes in July 2017 and as per the Committee’s recommendation, the council had commissioned consultants to work with the community to develop a vision for the park which would help inform decisions around funding and direct future work;

·          Dave Boorman, Senior Parking and Amenities Officer and Ken Naylor, Transport Manager were leaving, but a new Recycling Co-Ordinator, Patrick Cheung was now in post;

·          the crews had done a great job of persevering with collections during the snow where they could, as well as providing support to KCC with clearing and gritting.  Civil enforcement officers had also helped out delivering water residents who lost their supply; and

·          the recent snow had delayed the launch of the Great British Spring Clean.

 

28.

Work Plan pdf icon PDF 36 KB

Minutes:

The work plan was noted with the following additions proposed:

 

July

Bradbourne Lakes

Greensands Way

Air Quality Monitoring

Christmas Parking

 

October

The Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals)(England) Regulations 2018

Kent Joint Municipal Waste Management Strategy

Annual Review of Parking Management

Budget 2019/20.

 

 

 

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