Environment - Approved Panel Minutes - 16 March 2006

Item

(Ref Back)

Agenda matter

Action

1

Minutes

The minutes of the meeting held on 7th March 2006, having been circulated previously, were taken as read and were confirmed.

Connétable K.A. Le Brun and Deputy S. Power were not present for this item.

None

2

(07.03.06 Item 5)

Matters arising

Deputy R.C. Duhamel advised that he had met with Mr. C. Bright, Editor of the Jersey Evening Post newspaper and had discussed possible options for improved coverage of the work undertaken by Panels.  A  full  report  was  to  be  made  to  the  Chairmen's Committee on Friday 24th March 2006.

Connétable K.A. Le Brun and Deputy S. Power were not present for this item.

RD

3

(07.03.06 Item 7)

Draft Strategic Plan 2006 – 2011

The  Panel  considered  the  draft  Strategic  Plan  2006 – 2011, together with an accompanying report, prepared by the Scrutiny Office. A significant number of concerns and observations were made by the Panel regarding the introductory sections of the Plan and also in connexion with draft Commitments 1 – 4.

It was agreed that the Panel should reconvene on Tuesday 21st March 2006 to finalize its views on the draft Strategic Plan. In the intervening period, the Panel instructed its officers to produce a draft briefing paper in advance of that meeting summarizing the views already expressed.

IC

4 (07.03.06 Item 4)

Work  programme – Design  of  Homes  (Room  Sizes  and Parking)

Deputy S. Power informed the Panel that he had met with officers on Wednesday 15th March to review the progress he had made in scoping the review subject. He advised that he had arranged to meet with the Minister for Planning and Environment on Monday 20th March 2006. In addition he had refined the proposed work programme for the review and he intended to recommend to the review working group that placement in the local media of a call for evidence should be delayed until the end of April 2006, in order that members had sufficient time to conduct background research. Finally, Deputy Power reported that there was a general

lack  of  readily  available  statistics  concerning  the  amount  of buildings  constructed  over  the  last  three  years  at  or  near minimum standards of room size.

A discussion followed regarding appropriate working practices for lead members and their individual working groups. It was agreed that lead members should refrain from operating unilaterally and that other members of their working groups should be given an active rôle in progressing individual reviews. The Panel Chairman was to be given advance notice of any activities undertaken by working groups that involved public or media engagement and existing procedures concerning expenditure against the Panel's budget, whereby any expenditure by working groups was to be authorized in advance by the Panel Chairman, were to continue.

Deputy S. Power undertook to call a meeting of the Design of Homes  Working  Group  in  early  course  and  to  advise  other members of the outcome of his forthcoming meeting with the Minister for Planning and the Environment.

IC / MR

SP

5

(07.03.06 Item 5)

Work Programme – Planning Process

The Panel noted that the revised advertisement in the Jersey Evening Post calling for written submissions had cost £346 for placement on 3 occasions (run of paper). It was intended that the third and final advertisement would appear in the JEP on Monday 27th March 2006.

Deputy G.C.L. Baudains reported that he intended to write to a selection of companies and organizations with an interest in the planning process inviting them to make a written submission. A draft letter, together with a proposed circulation list, was to be approved by the appropriate working group members and copied to the Chairman for endorsement.

The Panel noted the position.

6

(07.03.06 Item 6)

Work programme – Waste

Deputy R.C. Duhamel advised the Panel that he had instructed the  Scrutiny  Office  to  obtain  relevant  data  from  a  number  of sources.  Particular  requests  made  to  the  Department  had included –

a) a breakdown of the components of the waste stream in

residential  and  commercial  collections  on  a  parish  to parish basis,

2. a breakdown of the components of the waste stream in residential  and  commercial  collections  delivered  to Bellozanne,
3. documentation relating  to the  assessment workshop at which  possible  locations  for  new  waste  units  were assessed,
4. the Terms of Reference/ Specification requirement for any expression of interest for a Composting Facility that the Department has issued, and
5. a list of the companies that had registered an expression of interest.

It was clarified that, where necessary, the information might be provided under a confidentiality clause.

On a related matter, the Panel noted that on 14th March 2006 Deputy  R.C. Duhamel  had elected  to propose that the States defer a debate on a proposition lodged au Greffe' by Deputy P.V.F.  Le  Claire,  entitled Composting  Facilities' (P.258/2005