The official version of this document can be found via the PDF button.
The below content has been automatically generated from the original PDF and some formatting may have been lost, therefore it should not be relied upon to extract citations or propose amendments.
2.4 Deputy P.V.F. Le Claire of St. Helier of the Minister for Transport and Technical Services regarding green waste facilities at La Collette:
Would the Minister explain what is happening at La Collette in respect of the development and management of green waste facilities? What new cement laying and works are being carried out and at what cost?
Connétable M.K. Jackson of St. Brelade (The Minister for Transport and
Technical Services):
I note that the Deputy has also put this as a written question and the answer has been furnished ... written question 10. Is it your wish for me to repeat that, Sir?
- Deputy P.V.F. Le Claire:
It is a new tactic of mine that may be taken up by others, I do not know. In any event it does help that the Minister has supplied us with written answers to my questions so that I can now try to ask him some other questions that might elucidate upon the decision. From the written answers we see £1.65 million has been spent on these facilities. I have a number of other questions which you may or may not allow me to ask. I will just start very simply by asking simple precise questions. Where did that money come from and under what process?
The Connétable of St. Brelade :
The funding comes as part of the solid waste strategy from funds within the
department.
- Deputy P.V.F. Le Claire:
There is also reference this is to do with work that is of a commercial nature and there is a large number of materials and changes that are being made due to smells. It talks about the fact that the principal consultation - because I asked about that: "Where was the consultation?" - had been with the Environmental and Health Regulators. Is the Minister aware that the Minister for Planning and Environment has known nothing about this until this morning?
The Connétable of St. Brelade :
The processes undertaken down at La Collette are subject to the regulator, which is under the auspices of the Minister for Planning and Environment.
- Deputy P.V.F. Le Claire:
With respect, I did not ask that question, I asked is he aware of the fact that the Minister for Planning and Environment has known nothing about this until this morning.
The Connétable of St. Brelade : His officers will know about it.
- Deputy J.A. Hilton of St. Helier :
Is the Minister able to tell Members what measures he has taken to minimise the smell coming from the green waste site? Also, I know that there were a huge number of complaints in the past. Has that been addressed? I would like to know how the residents are dealing with that and whether they are still facing the same problems that they have done in the past?
The Connétable of St. Brelade :
The processes have been addressed as outlined in the answers to the question put by Deputy Le Claire. I have to say that in the past couple of years the complaints have been virtually negligible and the revised processes have achieved the goal of reducing the odours experienced by residents in the past. So I am quite satisfied that the moves we are taking at the moment are in line with what local residents rightly expect.
- Deputy T.M. Pitman:
Could I just ask the Minister, is he aware that some of the residents have stopped complaining because they have almost given up, the situation is that bad, or moved? There are still big problems with mosquitoes and flies and things; people keeping their windows shut. Is he aware of that?
The Connétable of St. Brelade :
I cannot be aware of complaints if they do not exist. But in practice the department monitor the odours very stringently around the area and the processes have achieved a significant reduction in the odours experienced by the local residents through the recording measures taking place. So I am perfectly satisfied that the processes presently undertaken are certainly far more acceptable to the local residents than they were in the past.
- Deputy P.V.F. Le Claire:
If I could tell the Minister as of yesterday I was receiving complaints as to the odour in that area. Historically over the last few months, coming in from sea, at a mile or 2 when they just turn the green waste, you can smell the odour when the wind is in a certain direction. So if it is a south-westerly, I feel sorry for the poor people living at Havre des Pas. That said, funding was put aside to cover that area. What has happened to the funding? Is it likely to be covered with a building to cover the green waste? Is it likely to happen?
The Connétable of St. Brelade :
The funding that was allocated to a covered vessel, if you like, has been in abeyance within the department for some time and probably will go back to the Treasury, because it is felt that the covered building will not achieve what was intended and will not be an improvement on the present processes. Yes, I can understand the Deputy 's comment about smelling when the compost has been turned from seaward and I have experienced that myself. But it is far better that the odours are taken out to sea and the turning is done when the wind is in the north than, as he suggested, when it is in the south-west.
[10:15]
I would suggest that we do not presently turn when the wind is blowing toward the town if we can possibly avoid it. But the present processes, as laid out in the answer to Deputy Le Claire's question, have mitigated those odours to a very large extent.
- Deputy R.C. Duhamel of St. Saviour :
Could the Minister inform the House whether or not his department has been conducting trials in the recent past to add - as is suggested as one of the reasons for going with this new process - nitrogen-rich materials probably from sewerage components or from the leachate components on to the existing materials? If so, could he inform the House on which dates this process has taken place?
The Connétable of St. Brelade :
I am afraid I am unable to answer the Deputy 's question on that, but I am perfectly prepared to ask and investigate and furnish him with the answer.
The Bailiff :
One supplementary, Deputy Le Claire.
- Deputy P.V.F. Le Claire:
It is of concern recently we had a ... I would like to ask the Minister if he could maybe issue a paper bringing Members up to date. We recently had a debate in this Assembly on the introduction of a commercial charge for green waste. No mention of this was brought into that debate and it obviously must have been going through a planning process at that stage. There remain a number of questions I would like to ask the Minister. One of concern, which has just been raised by the Minister for Planning and Environment in relation to the addition of sewerage sludge, because if that enters the land that is currently being used
The Bailiff :
One supplementary, Deputy , please ask your question.
Deputy P.V.F. Le Claire:
Yes, Sir. The smell was reduced because a portion of the green waste service was moved to Bellozanne. Is this now to be returned when this is completed to being sorted at La Collette?
The Connétable of St. Brelade :
The portion of the green waste reception moved to Bellozanne was the domestic green waste reception. Once it is accumulated there in skips it is moved to La Collette for composting, which is still exactly the same case as was before. So the only change has been the actual reception of it. Sorry, I do not know if there was another part to the Deputy 's question, I think that would have answered it.
The Bailiff :
Thank you. We now come to question 5 which Deputy Southern will ask of the Minister for Social Services.