Agenda and draft minutes

At this point, Members are asked to declare:

·        Any personal interests not included on the Register of Interests

·        Any prejudicial interests or

·        Any disclosable pecuniary interests

which they may have in respect of business on this agenda.

Members were asked to declare any personal interests not included on the Register of Interests, any prejudicial interests or any disclosable pecuniary interests which they may have in respect of the business on the agenda.  None were declared.

To approve and sign the minutes of the meeting held on 2 June 2014.

Resolved:  That the minutes of the meeting of 2 June 2014 be approved and signed by the Chair as a correct record.

At this point in the meeting, members of the public who have registered their wish to speak regarding an item on the agenda or an issue within the remit of the Task Group may do so.  The deadline for registering is 5.00pm on Tuesday 19 August 2014.

Filming or Recording Meetings

Residents are welcome to photograph, film or record Councillors and Officers at all meetings open to the press and public. This includes the use of social media reporting, i.e. tweeting.  Anyone wishing to film, record or take photos at any public meeting should contact the Democracy Officer (whose contact details are at the foot of this agenda) in advance of the meeting.

The Council’s protocol on Webcasting, Filming & Recording of Meetings ensures that these practices are carried out in a manner both respectful to the conduct of the meeting and all those present.  It can be viewed at http://www.york.gov.uk/downloads/download/3130/protocol_for_webcasting_filming_and_recording_of_council_meetings

It was reported that there had been no registrations to speak under the Council’s Public Participation Scheme.

Members are asked to consider the draft Final Report of the Domestic Waste Recycling Scrutiny Review.

Members considered the draft Final Report of the Domestic Waste Recycling Scrutiny Review.

Once the draft recommendations had been agreed by the Task Group, information on any associated implications and risks would be sought and included in the report prior to its presentation to the full Community Safety Overview and Scrutiny Committee in September 2014.

Members requested the following amendments to the draft report:

·        The report conclusions needed to highlight the importance of ensuring that arrangements were in place to clearly identify the sustainable increase in recycling generated by expenditure on specific campaigns and strategies. It was important to be able to identify the timescale within which expenditure on recycling strategies would be paid back through a reduction in general domestic waste and an increase in recycling rates.  Evidence needed to be in place to identify those strategies which worked well and provided the greatest value for money.  This should inform future work. Officers confirmed that they sought to do this, for example, although the Council had employed the services of a company to carry out the household survey, in future this would be done in-house or by working with the universities.    

·        Para 31 (bullet point 5) – include wording regarding the control area to state that participation rates recorded in many streets deteriorated over the course of the project.  This was due to anomalies created by a change of collection times and householders not putting recyclables out early enough for collection.  Rates were now returning to the previous levels.  Delete the final sentence of this bullet point.

·        In addition to the information provided on kerbside recycling tonnage yields, data should be included on tonnages of general waste.

·        The expenditure detailed in Annex G of the report should also include the costs of officer time.  The breakdown of these costs should form an annex to the report.  Reference should also be made to the 300 hours of work carried out by a student intern (unpaid).  The details on expenditure should be included in the main body of the report.

·        To address objective (ii) of the review, the wording tabled at the meeting should be included within the report.

·        The conclusion of the report should also make reference to the fact that consideration had been given to strategies which were in place in other local authorities.  Members had, however, determined that the work that was taking place in York was in line with this and that identifying the strategies which did and did not work was a more useful tool.

Members considered the draft recommendations and made the following amendments:

·        Recommendation (i) to be deleted

·        Recommendation (ii) to include more specific examples, such as engaging and working more with the universities.

·        Recommendation (iii) to also make reference to developing the work that was taking place with community groups including parish councils and residents’ associations

·        Recommendation (iv) wording to be amended to identify which strategies are working well and achieving value for money and which are not.

·        Include an additional recommendation stating  ...  view the full minutes text for item 8.