Environment - Approved Panel Minutes - 20 March 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)

Apologies

Deputy C. Scott Warr en (CSW)

Absent

In attendance

Mr M. Robbins, Scrutiny Officer

Ref Back

Agenda matter

Action

1.

Minutes.

The  Panel  approved  the  Minutes  of  the  meeting  of  10th March 2008.

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2.

Matters arising.

The Action updates were noted. RD. KLB. PLC. SC.

3.

Chairmen's Committee Briefing.

The  Panel  noted  the  briefing  notes  for  the  Chairmen's Committee of the Panels business during February and the beginning of March.

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4.

Item 4 10.03.08

Newsletter.

The Panel approved the draft of the newsletter and made two minor typographical changes to the text.

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Item 5 10.03.08

Annual Business Plan

The Panel noted the current draft proposals from the Council of Ministers. It was noted that some items had a suggested finance route of Environmental Taxes. This caused concern for the Panel as no such taxes had been approved by the States to date. A request was to be made of the Minister for Transport  and  Technical  Services  and  the  Minister  for Planning and Environment to outline their intentions and time lines for the proposed taxes.

The Panel considered the possibilities of commenting on the business plans within the Waste Plant Review.

RD. KLB. PLC. SC (Present for part of this item).

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6.

Item 6 10.03.08

Planning  Guidance:  Windows  and  doors  in  historic buildings.

Receiving a report which outlined the views of the Panel in response  to  the  public  consultation  for  supplementary planning guidance  of  windows  and  doors  of  historic buildings, the Panel confirmed that its views, as stated at the last meeting, had been reflected correctly in the document and that it was to be sent to the Planning Department.

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7.

Item 3 27.02.08

Building Bye-Laws.

The Panel noted a report relating to the conference

Your building, your environment, your future.'

The Panel recalled that it had been its intention to attend this conference but that the States business had run late that day. As a result, none of the Panel had been available to attend. The officer had attended and the report outlined the event.

It was noted that the event had been a launch for the new Building Bye-Laws  which were out to public consultation. The Panel noted that this was a significant document which contained important changes for the future of planning in the Island.  The  Panel  considered  that  a  briefing  from  the Department would be helpful to ensure the salient points were noted. This was to be arranged for the next meeting.

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8.

Item 1B 10.03.08

Economics and Countryside.

In  consideration  of  the  proposal  to  review  the  apparent economic  incursion  into  the  countryside  by  business concerns,  the  Panel  elected  not  to  pursue  the  review suggested as work was being done by Deputy S. Power into the  specific  issue  that  brought  the  generic  issues  to  the attention of the Panel. The Panel would wait until the report had been completed by the Deputy before deciding on the most appropriate course of action.

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9.

Email from member of public.

An  email  from  a  member  of  the  public  was  considered. Raising issues relating to the emissions from the Bellozanne Waste Plant. Hansard was to be checked to establish exactly what was said in the States by Deputy B. Fox in relation to the issue. The Panel rejected the prepared response to the email  and  agreed  that  the  Chairman  would  respond  in writing.

 RD. KLB. SC (Present for part of this item.) PLC.

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10.

Future Meetings

The next scheduled meeting was noted to be on the 10th April 2008 at 09.30 in the Le Capelain Room.

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11.

Item 10 10.03.08

Waste Plant Review

a)  The Panel considered the progress of the Waste Plant Review as contained within a report presented:

• The Chairman attended Juniper's offices to review the draft report. It was found to be acceptable.

• Juniper  had obtained  most of  the documentation  it required and continued to draft its report.

• The  updated  Solid  Waste  Strategy  Arisings  Model required by the advisors which was offered by T&TS was being drafted.

• A visit was made to Ethos Recycling in Avonmouth

Item 10 10.03.08

Item 3 10.01.08

where  a  pyrolysis  technology  plant  had  been successfully  running  for  seven  years  dealing  with clinical and other waste. The plant was expanding with 16 tubes being built alongside the existing plant which comprised  two  tubes.  The  Plant  when  completed would take all streams of Bristol's residual waste.

• BDO had met with Transport and Technical Services and were awaiting documentation. A meeting was to be held between BDO and the Chairman to confirm the work process.

• Due  to  restraints  on  Junipers  time  and  delays  in documentation being available, the review time line had slipped and it would now be completed at the end of April.

• A letter had been written to the owner of premises in the town area which should prove perfect if it could be procured for the exhibition. The exhibition dates had

now been set for 25th and 26th April.

• Ethos Recycling had expressed an interest in coming over  for  the  exhibition  as  had  Waste  &  Recycling Solutions Ltd. Greenfinch and Oaktech had sent items for  a  display  but  will  not  be  attending.  Other companies were being contacted.

The Panel was satisfied with the update.

2. The forthcoming exhibition was confirmed to be at the Town   Hall  on 25th and  26th April  2008  as  efforts

towards securing a shop in the town area had not been  successful.  Concern  was  voiced  that  the arrangements for the CPA Visit during the week of 21st to 26th April might have conflicted with the exhibition. It was established that this was not the case.

The Panel considered that the presentations at the exhibition should be recorded and made available to the Panel for presentation to other Members who did not attend the exhibition. Enquiries were to be made into the practicalities and cost of this. Further, there was a meeting of the Comité des Connétable s on 19th May and an invitation was to be sought for the Panel to make such a presentation to the Comité.

Invitations to individual Members and guests would be arranged between the Chairman and Officer for issue during the following days.

3. The  report  relating  to  the  recent  SDUK  2008

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conference  was  accepted.  It  was  agreed  that  no further contribution was required by the Members.

4. The Panel noted the account from Juniper in the sum of £21,173.58 which included the travel expenses of £698.68 and approved payment.

5. The  Panel  noted  that  Juniper  had requested information about the bio-solid land bank employed by the  Transport  and Technical  Services  Department. The  Department  had  produced  a  briefing  note summarising the assumptions behind the land bank considerations  of  the  Department.  The  Panel disagreed with counting of vergées of the islands land which left only half the available land for composting and felt  that  agricultural  compost  and  dairy  slurry could all be dealt with by Anaerobic Digestion. The Panel expressed reservations of the contents of the report, which were confidential.

6. The  Panel  considered  ministerial  decision  MD-PE- 2008-0055  in  which  the  Minister  for Planning  and Environment had agreed that two local operators were to both charge 5p for disposable plastic carrier bags from 6th May 2008, that the money raised was to be gifted to the charities of the operators choice and that an annual report was to be presented to the Minister by the operators with details relating to the money raised. The Panel welcomed this initiative regarding it to have been an argument in favour of the Panel's view on the actual waste arisings in the Island.

This led the Panel to discuss weather the Comité des Connétable s or the Health and Social Services Minister considered  an  initiative  to  recycle  expensive  medical equipment  was  practical.  This  was  to  be  aimed  at preventing equipment such as crutches and walking sticks from entering the waste stream. A letter was to be written relating to this.

The Panel agreed that the whole review rested on the presentation of the costs of dealing with various streams of waste, including the publication of transport costs. It accepted that these figures were due to be presented at the conclusion of the review.

The Panel noted a letter sent to and the reply from the Treasury Minister, Senator T. Le Sueur, concerning the progress of the Transport and Technical Services Minister with the proposed new waste plant. The Panel were content that the reply contained the following assurance from the Minister:

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"On this basis I am entirely content the procurement and its timing have been structured in a fashion that both seeks to provide the States the freedom to take the necessary decisions and also provides the safest possible route from a financial perspective."

The Panel accepted that as time was running towards the end of the review, it may be necessary to meet at short notice to resolve problems as they arose. All efforts would be made to attend where possible.

RD. KLB. SC(Present for part of this item). PLC.

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Item 11 10.03.08

Air Quality Review

The Panel recalled it had instructed that the report was to be completed by the end of March. It understood that all that was required was some minor amendments and the addition of some photographs. The Panel accepted that there was a member of staff available from the Scrutiny Office if required to assist with this report but considered the work could be undertaken within two or three hours. It directed that the Chairman should work with the officer assigned to support the Panel to complete the report.

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