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Environment Scrutiny Panel
Thursday 16th February 2006 Committee Room, Howard Davis Farm, Trinity 7th Meeting
Present Deputy R.C. Duhamel (Chairman)
Deputy G.C.L. Baudains (Vice Chairman) Connétable K. A. Le Brun of St Mary Deputy Le Hérissier
Deputy S. Power
Apologies
Absent
In attendance I. Clarkson, Scrutiny Officer
M. Robbins, Scrutiny Officer
Item (Ref Back) | Agenda matter | Action |
1 | Minutes The minutes of the meeting held on 7th February 2006, having been circulated previously, were taken as read and were confirmed. | None |
2 | Matters arising There were no matters arising from the meeting held on 7th February 2006. | None |
3 (19.01.06 Item 3) | Planet Jersey The Panel recalled that individual members had attended the Planet Jersey event held at the Royal Jersey Agricultural and Horticultural Society over the period 10th – 12th February 2006. Accordingly it considered whether the presence of the Panel at the event had been worthwhile. The Panel agreed that the erection and manning of a stand at what had proved to be a reasonably well attended event had afforded members a useful opportunity to promote Scrutiny and to engage with, and obtain views from, the public. It nevertheless expressed a degree of disappointment that the event had not focussed on the issue of wise resource management. In addition, the Panel considered that the discussion forum held during the course of the event could have been more constructive had a Panel member been invited to join the Minister for Planning and Environment and his officers on the platform. On a related matter, Deputy R.C. Duhamel advised that during the course of the event he had acquired a copy of a biodiversity report recently published by the Environment Department. Having noted that the report had not previously been made available to Scrutiny, and Panel members had not received formal notification or hard copies of certain other relevant documents, including the consultation document entitled, Making the Most of Jersey's Coast', the Panel agreed that the Chairman should write to the Minister for Planning and Environment and the Minister for Transport and Technical Services requesting clarification regarding the number and type of documents published in recent months. | RD/IC |
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4 Work programme - St. Helier Waterfront
(07.02.06 The Panel continued to consider whether to launch a review Item 7) concerning the St. Helier Waterfront.
Deputy R.C. Duhamel advised the Panel that he and several other States members had received correspondence from a Mr. A. Ferrari concerning an article in the Jersey Evening Post newspaper that implied the Panel would produce a visual guide promoting positive features of Jersey architecture. He reported that Mr. Ferrari's view was that the Panel should concentrate on establishing why previous consultations concerning design proposals for the Waterfront had failed.
The Panel, having recalled that the existing consultation on the Waterfront was due to close at the end of March 2006, concluded that questions regarding the application and effectiveness of the existing planning process as it applied to the Waterfront could be addressed by the planning process review as proposed by Deputy G.C.L. Baudains. It further concluded that the production of a suitable architectural guide would ordinarily be regarded as a matter that fell squarely within the remit of the Department of RD / IC Planning and Building Services.
The Panel agreed that it was not minded to commission a dedicated review of St. Helier Waterfront at the present time. Although it was agreed that the production of an architectural reference guide might well be of benefit it concluded that the Minister's own department was well placed to produce . It further agreed that the Chairman should write to the Minister for Planning and Environment advising of the Panel's decision.
5 Work Programme – waste
(07.02.06 The Panel continued to consider whether to launch a review Item 9) concerning aspects of the Solid Waste Strategy.
Deputy R.C. Duhamel reported that he had discussed with officers his proposals for a project outline and associated terms of reference. Having reviewed reports considered by the Council of Ministers recently, together with a draft report that was due to be submitted to the Waste Strategy Steering Group by the Transport and Technical Services Department, Deputy Duhamel advised that he remained of the view that the recycling targets contained within the Solid Waste Strategy were less than ambitious. In addition, he maintained the view that a further and more detailed consideration of the viability of certain alternative energy from waste plant technologies would be of considerable use to States members. He nevertheless acknowledged that a review encompassing both topics would be difficult to complete before the Council of Ministers brought forward a proposition recommending a preferred energy from waste plant solution. Accordingly Deputy Duhamel invited the Panel to undertake a review of waste recycling targets based on the following broad terms of reference –
- to assess the quantities, and types of, solid waste produced by the average Jersey household,
- to consider developing policy and trends in international
best practice concerning the disposal of household waste,
and
- to assess the viability of commercial and non-commercial methods of recycling specific classes of household waste produced in Jersey.
An associated draft scoping document, prepared by the Scrutiny MR
| Office, was also considered. The Panel, having made certain amendments to the wording of the draft scoping document, agreed that it should conduct a review of waste recycling targets in the terms described. It therefore instructed its officers to submit the revised scoping document to the Chairmen's Committee for endorsement. On the matter of progressing the review, the Panel agreed that Deputy R.C. Duhamel should assume the rôle of lead member and that Connétable K.A. Le Brun and Deputy S. Power should provide assistance. | RD/KLB/SP/ MR |
6 (07.02.06 item 10) | Work programme – planning process The Panel considered a draft scoping document, prepared by the Scrutiny Office, in connexion with the proposed review of the planning process. Concerns were expressed regarding the broad nature of the terms of reference and the issue of how the success of such a review might be measured. Deputy G.C.L. Baudains advised the Panel that, notwithstanding the extent of the terms of reference as published, it was actually his intention to narrow the focus of the review on to any specific areas of concern that might be identified during the course of the initial research stages. Although the subjective nature of the planning process was acknowledged, Deputy Baudains explained that it was possible to measure success by way of a decrease in the number of planning decisions challenged by applicants and a decrease in the number of propositions taken to the States concerning contentious applications. The Panel, having made certain minor amendments to the draft scoping document, agreed that it should conduct a review of the planning process in the terms described. It therefore instructed its officers to submit the revised scoping document and terms of reference to the Chairmen's Committee for endorsement. On the matter of progressing the review, the Panel agreed that Deputy G.C.L. Baudains should assume the rôle of lead member and that Deputy R.G. Le Hérissier should provide assistance. On a related matter, Deputy G.C.L. Baudains advised that he had attempted to use the topic assessment and scoping document templates provided by the Scrutiny Office; however, he had found that the structure of the forms tended not to complement the working methods adopted by the Panel. The Panel concluded that the Chairman should recommend to the Chairmen's Committee that the topic assessment and scoping document forms be redesigned. | IC GB/RLH/IC RD |
7 (07.02.06 Item 11) | Work programme – room sizes and parking standards The Panel considered a draft scoping document, prepared by M. Robbins, Scrutiny Officer, in connexion with the proposed review of room sizes and parking standards. Having reflected on its previous decision to consider countryside policies concerning agricultural buildings as part of the room sizes and parking standards review, the Panel agreed that the inclusion of an agricultural dimension to what was originally envisaged as a residential planning policy review would result in a clear loss of focus. Accordingly the Panel decided to concentrate solely on policies affecting the design of domestic properties. The Panel, having made certain other amendments to the draft scoping document, agreed that it should conduct a review of room |
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sizes, parking standards and the Building Bye Laws (Jersey) 2004
in the terms described. It therefore instructed its officers to submit IC/MR
the revised scoping document and terms of reference to the
Chairmen's Committee for endorsement.
On the matter of progressing the review, the Panel agreed that SP/RD/KLB/ Deputy S. Power should assume the rôle of lead member and that MR/IC
Connétable K.A. Le Brun and Deputy R.C. Duhamel should provide
assistance.
- Items to note
The Panel noted recent ministerial decisions, as published on the States of Jersey Web site, concerning –
- planning applications – cooling off period,
- the Planning and Environment Business Plan 2006, and
- the Sustainable Travel and Transport Plan.
- Taxis
Deputy S. Power reported that he had received an approach from a representative of the Jersey Taxi Drivers Association requesting
that the Association be invited to meet with the Panel to discuss
aspects of transport policy. The Panel, having noted that the
Minister for Transport and Technical Services was due to present
policy proposals within the next 60 days concerning taxi provision, confirmed that it was prepared to meet with representatives of the
Jersey Taxi Drivers Association and with any other associations representing the interests of taxi and cab drivers. It nevertheless
agreed that it would refrain from expressing a view on any policy
issues concerning taxi or cab provision until such time as it had received, and had scrutinized, relevant policy proposals brought
forward by the Minister for Transport and Technical Services. RD/MR The Panel agreed that the Chairman should, in due course, write to
the Secretary of the Jersey Taxi Drivers Association inviting them
to a future meeting.
- Draft Water Resources (Jersey) Law 200-.
(07.02.06 Deputy S. Power advised the Panel that he had made enquiries in
Item 6) France regarding possible sources of hydro geological data that
might be of use in resolving questions regarding the flow of ground
water to Jersey. He had established that significant quantities of potentially relevant data was available in France and he further
advised that it was open to the Panel to write to a Monsieur Senateur Le Grand via the French Consul requesting access to the necessary information. RD/MR
The Panel thanked Deputy S. Power for having established the existence of relevant hydro geological data and agreed that the Chairman should write to Senateur Legrand, Président, Conseil
Général de la Manche, Saint Lô, France, seeking access to
relevant data.
- Time and date of next meeting
1.45pm on Tuesday 28th February 2006 in Le Capelain Room, States Building (informal meeting).
Signed Date ..
Chairman, Environment Panel