Environment - Approved Panel Minutes - 13 November 2008

Present

Deputy R.C. Duhamel (Chairman) (RD) Connétable K. A. Le Brun of St Mary (KB) Deputy P. V. F. Le Claire (PLC) Connétable A. S. Crowcroft (SC)

Deputy C. J. Scott Warr en (CSW)

Apologies

In attendance

Mr. M. Robbins, Scrutiny Officer (MR)

Ref Back

Agenda matter

Action

1.  Minutes

The Panel received and approved its Minutes of the meetings of 30th September 2008.

RD, KLB, PLC.

Item 6 30.10.08

2. Matters Arising

The Panel recalled its discussion at the previous meeting regarding an abatement notice served by the Minister for Health and Social Services in connexion with public nuisance of noise pollution.

The Chairman was still to discuss any possible way forward for the Panel with the Greffier of the States. The Panel requested contact was  made  with  the   Deputy  Judicial  Greffier  to  establish  what needed to be done to appeal the abatement and to obtain any forms  necessary.  Further,  to  establish  other  legal  processes available to the Panel relating to composting at La Collette and other  waste  processes  that  have  created  complaints  of  public nuisance about which nothing seemed to have been done.

RD, KLB, PLC.

RD MR

3. Annual Business Plan

The Panel welcomed the Chief Officer and Financial Director of Transport  and  Technical  Services.  It  was  established  that  their

attendance  was  in  response  to  an  invitation  to  the  Minister  for Transport and Technical Services (TTS) and his officers to assist the  Panel  in  establishing  information  regarding  the  £400,000 shortfall in tipping charges first requested in April 2008.

It was explained that contractors on site do much of the recycling on large building sites these days and the overall effect of that combined with the natural change in the projects excavating during 2007 caused the downturn in revenue from States run recycling. The TTS budget has always been subject to the variables of the market.

The Chief Officer provided the Panel with copies of a J. D. Edwards accounts  printout  and  discussions  ensued  relating  to  the fluctuations in expenditure for individual streams and services from one year to the next.

As accounting officer, the Chief  Officer considered that he was unable to produce forecasts of cash revenue without a guarantee for the income. He could deal with under spends at the end of a financial year if revenue exceeds expectation, but he was legally obliged to avoid any overspend.

Therefore,  should  building  works  on  a  site  like  the  Esplanade Quarter commence the income could be accommodated. However were  it  to  be  delayed  by  a  year  or  two  it  would  present  an accounting problem due to those legal requirements which do not allow for long term planning.

It was decided that in future a meeting should take place in January between  the  Chief  Officer  and  the  Panel  to  examine  any fluctuations in expenditure. It was agreed that this would increase the Panels understanding of Departmental budgeting.

The Panel would recommend to any subsequent Panel that such meetings  would  prevent  any  further  communication  breakdowns and improve the working relationships between Scrutiny and the Minister.

This further understanding of the problems would allow scope not only for scrutinising problem areas but to support the Minister in his need for extra budgeting where appropriate.

The Panel thanked the Chief Officer and Finance Officer for their attendance.

RD, KLB, SC (part), CSW (part), PLC.

4. Urban Regeneration Review

Delegation from Eastleigh.

The Panel welcomed the following people to the meeting:

Councillor Chris Thomas, Chair Eastleigh Local Area Committee Cabinet Member for Customer Services and ICT

Councillor Peter Wall, Cabinet member for Business and Skills,

Eastleigh Borough Council

Graham Foreman, MD Foreman Homes

Steve Carrington, Director Foreman Homes and Town Planner

Following  a  full  explanation  of  the  background  of  the  Urban Regeneration Review from the Chairman, the delegation discussed issues relating to the sympathetic regeneration of buildings such as the former Church of the Resurrection in Eastleigh, which had won awards for being a most sympathetic regeneration of Brownfield or recycled building project. This building had lain derelict for 16 years and now housed 25 key workers in one and two bedroom flats. This compared with the demolition of an estate where there was no possibility  of  regeneration  by  other  means.  Eastleigh  were  also working on live/work properties and the building of small, high- density communities with small public areas.

In discussing the extension to the Environmental Protection and Improvement Areas (EPIA's) proposed by the Panel it was agreed that the Minister for Planning and Environment might be able to devolve his powers downwards to empower the communities in the development of their own areas. The entrustment of this power could for example be in Parish Deputies. If this were to happen, there would have to be safeguards to prevent small communities kidnapping' strategic areas. Talk of the supply of mains drains reminded the meeting that the provision of suitable infrastructure brought planned and structured development with it rather than the piecemeal development observed where the infrastructure followed development.

The Panel thanked the visitors for attending, the delegation retired. Review Update

The Panel considered the update report relating to the review and noted that the Proposed EPIAs' delegated to the Chairman at the meeting of the 30th October 2008 had been established on the large maps purchased for the purpose. That followed the concept that the communities could be involved in the future planning restrictions etc of  the  local  area,  allowing  each  area  to  maintain  /  change  its character according to the wishes of the local community.

Town Hall Exhibition.

The exhibition at the Town Hall had proceeded although it did not coincide  with  the  opening  of  the  reading  room  as  it  had  been delayed.

The  event  was  considered  a  success  with  the  large  maps  on display clearly showing the proposals of the Panel. There were A3 copies of the map for people to take away and further displays with more detailed explanations of the proposals.

All  Panel  Members,  various  members  of  the  public  and  the architectural profession attended the event. It was further noted that

two  members  of  the  architects'  profession  had  informed  the Chairman  that  it  was  "radically  refreshing  to  see  a  plan  which allowed concentration within a specific area".

Advisor.

The Panel received a further draft of the work undertaken by Mr Mason. The Panel was not satisfied with the work provided by Mr Mason and declined to authorise an interim payment. It agreed that a further meeting would be useful with Mr Mason at 13.00 hours on Friday 14th November 2008 during which the Panel could ensure the fulfilment of the contract requirements with best value achieved.

Report Draft

The Panel received a draft working copy of the report produced in the Scrutiny Office with a request for further direction in relation to the headings and likely content of the report.

RD, KLB, PLC(Part) , CSW(Part)

Item 10 22.07.08

5. Sustainable Procurement Conference

Connétable Crowcroft advised the Panel, through the Chairman, that  the  Sustainable  Procurement  Conference  report  would  be submitted to the Officer directly. The report was to be circulated to the Panel upon receipt.

RD, KLB, CSW, PLC.

7. Date of next meeting

The Panel noted that the date of its next schedule meeting was 27th November 2008 at 9.30 a.m. in the Le Capelain Room, States Building.

RD. PLC. SC. KLB.