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.
Environment Scrutiny Panel
PUBLIC MEETING Record of Meeting
Date: 22nd May 2008 Meeting Number: 78
Present | Deputy R.C. Duhamel (Chairman) (RD) Connétable K. A. Le Brun of St Mary (KLB) Connétable A. S. Crowcroft (SC) Deputy C.J. Scott Warr en (CSW) Deputy P. V. F. Le Claire (PLC) |
Apologies |
|
Absent |
|
In attendance | Mr. M. Robbins, Scrutiny Officer Mrs K. Cuccurullo, Secretary |
Ref Back | Agenda matter | Action |
| 1. Minutes of Previous Meetings Minutes of the meeting of 8th May 2008: The Panel preferred that the Minutes made reference to individuals, as opposed to the formal titles of the individuals concerned and, once these amendments were made, the Minutes were to be signed. RD. KLB. SC. CSW. PLC. | MR |
Item 3 08.05.2008 Item 9, 08.05.2008 | 2. Matters Arising House Sales Properties had yet to be identified and there was the possibility of the creation of a database. This was to be examined during the course of the week commencing 27th May. Bathing Water The Panel confirmed that the Chief Minister was to be asked if he felt it was sufficient for Jersey to pass the EU Imperative Standard but not achieve the Guide Standard, or whether the Island should in fact work towards an even higher standard of its own. Furthermore, the Panel was to write to the monitoring agency (the Centre for Research into Environment and Health, University of Wales) enquiring whether our system for monitoring was robust and whether there were any additional measures that could be applied to improve standards, for example in respect of viruses which were not eliminated by the treatment at the Bellozane Plant. Integrated Traffic and Transport Plan (ITTP) The Panel noted that it had been offered statistics relating to a bussing contract from the Transport and Technical Services | PLC RD/MR |
| Department's Director of Transport, who had supplied the required figures for one year. The Panel considered it needed full back-dated information, which had not been made available, and this was to be requested from the Department. The Panel was of a mind that the contracts relating to the Island's bus service should not be extended, but should go out to open tender and that the Panel should list its reasons for this objection in a letter which was to be sent to the Minister for Transport and Technical Services. RD. KLB. SC. CSW. PLC. | MR MR |
| 3. Items to Note The Panel referred to the notes of the meeting with Senator Cohen, which had been held on 20th May 2008, and agreed that they were a true representation of the meeting. The Panel noted that the meeting had raised questions which may require looking at during some future date by the Panel, such as why the Planning Minister rather than the Minister for Transport and Technical Services was looking at cycling, why Transport planning, generally, was not part of the Planning Minister's responsibilities. The Panel also noted that, as a result of the delay by the Minister for Transport and Technical Services to publish the ITTP, the St Helier Roads Committee had presented a cycling strategy to the Transport and Technical Services Department. RD. KLB. SC. CSW. PLC. |
|
| 4. Meeting with Council of Ministers The Council of Ministers received members of the Panel on 8th May and considered an oral representation from Deputy Duhamel regarding P1/2008. The Council concluded that it would be prepared to give further consideration to the matters raised at that meeting, subject to the timely provision by the Environment Scrutiny Panel of a suitable written report. This report was to set out in detail the issues and proposals outlined by the Chairman in respect of:
This was in order that the Council, the Town Park Project Management Group and the St Helier Task Force might form a considered view prior to the 3rd June 2008. RD. KLB. SC. CSW. PLC. | RD |
Item 5, 08.05.2008 | 5. Draft Sea Fisheries Regulations The Panel agreed that this was an ideal opportunity to do some work in legislation and noted that there were only two issues that the Panel was interested in: The reasons that the law was being brought forward as it was and whether the wording within the law was suitable to achieve the intended aims. The Panel instructed that scoping documents and terms of reference were drafted and that dates for hearings were arranged. The Panel also noted that there was a possibility that a licensing system may have a use in that fees for such licenses might assist in meeting the cost of policing the law. RD. KLB. SC. CSW. PLC. | MR |
Item 6, 08.05.2008 | 6. Drainage (Jersey) Law 2005 Policy Change In reviewing previous meetings held with the Ministers for Health and Social Services and Transport and Technical Services, it was clear to the Panel that there appeared to be some confusion as to whether the responsibility for drains lay with Transport and Technical Services or the Health Minister. The Panel also noted that the law was straightforward in relation to the ministerial decision made for the Minister for Transport and Technical Services in that he was perfectly entitled to make a decision to take drains underneath private land. To confuse matters, the Panel noted that the issue of drains was being used as a planning tool. The Panel referred to policy number NR2 of the Jersey Island Plan 2002, which states: New development proposals that rely on septic tanks, soakaways or private sewage treatment plants as a means of waste disposal will not normally be permitted. As a result, the Panel concluded that it wished to make a comment containing four elements:
RD. KLB. SC. CSW. PLC. | RD/MR |
Item 7, 08.05.2008 | 7. Annual Business Plan The Panel noted that as a result of the meeting with the Transport and Technical Services Minister and his Officers, it was awaiting information relating to £400,000 in tipping charges which was believed to have been used under another financial heading. The Panel heard that individuals who recycle inert waste could be licensed and that current accounting procedures appeared to be obstructive and misleading. The Panel noted that all States accounting procedures were being changed to the GAAP model |
|
| which was far more transparent. The Panel agreed that all members were to send bullet point notes to their Officer by Friday, 30th May. RD. KLB. SC. CSW. PLC. | PANEL/MR |
Item 8, 08.05.2008 | 8. Sustainable Communities 08 Conference In considering the Panel's decision of 8th May 2008 not to attend the conference provided bookings had not been confirmed, the Panel noted that payments of £125 per person had been made for three people to attend. The Panel maintained that it did not wish to attend this conference and it was to be established if the money for the delegates was refundable, creditable or whether the material was available from the conference at a charge. The members who had agreed to attend insisted that if the money was not refundable or creditable, then they were to personally make restitution and the Panel was to pay for any cancellation charges for the Officer's attendance. RD. KLB. SC. CSW. PLC. | MR |
Item 9 08.05.2008 | 9. Integrated Traffic and Transport Plan The Panel heard further on the matter relating to the initiative of Deputy Le Claire for a rail or tram link between the town and the West of the Island that the company Transdev was intending to send two representatives to the Island on 4th June. The Panel also heard that Transdev was an international company that provided high quality local public transport in many cities, including Nottingham and Paris, river shuttles in Amsterdam and buses in Sydney. The company was responsible, overall, for carrying four million passengers a day. The Panel agreed that the two representatives of the company who were intending to travel to Jersey at their own expense were to be offered the hospitality of a meal on the night of Wednesday, 4th June, and that on 5th June they were to be taken along the route in order that the practicalities of such a system could be discussed. The Ministers for Planning and Environment and Transport and Technical Services were also to be invited. The Panel accepted that it would be required also to provide lunch for the party during Thursday, 5th June. The Panel noted that during the informal quarterly meeting with the Minister, on 20th May 2008, an invitation had been extended to the Panel to join a political section of an Island wide Cycle Strategy Group and the Panel considered that it would be appropriate to await a formal invitation to arrive from the Minister. RD. KLB. SC. CSW. PLC. | PLC/MR MR |
| 10. Urban Character Appraisal Report of St Helier (UCA) The Panel noted that work was needed in relation to the connection of settlement areas. The UCA Report was based on geographical areas and it was proposed that a weekend was put aside to examine the maps of the town and other settlement |
|
| areas in order to identify community boundaries. The Minister was expecting the Panel to do this work and needed the result within eight weeks. After discussion of this issue, the Panel considered that this was all part of the Island Plan Review which was work that should be undertaken by the Planning and Environment Department. The Panel highlighted its current workload, in particular the pressure point relating to the Island's waste issues and considered that this was a matter for the Environment Department to deal with which the Panel could not assist at present. RD. KLB. SC. CSW. PLC. | RD |
| 11. Technical Park The Panel noted that the Minister for Environment and Planning wished to visit the UK to examine various Eco Parks such as BedZed and that he would like members of the Panel to attend with him. The Panel were in agreement that this was a visit that could add value to their work but, due to the current workload, felt that the trip should not take place until after the Energy from Waste debate. RD. KLB. SC. CSW. PLC. | RD/MR |
| 12. White Paper Supplementary Planning Guidance The Panel noted the Planning and Environment Department's Supplementary Planning Guidance, entitled New Development Guidelines for the Town, which had been put out for public consultation. The Panel discussed whether it wished to make comment at this point or whether it wished to review the guidelines once the Department had concluded its public consultation. It was decided that the Members would look at the fourteen questions contained within the document and that they would send their answers to the office in order that the deadline of 30th May 2008 could be met. RD. KLB. SC. CSW. PLC. | ALL |
Item 3b 08.05.2008 | 13. Results of 2007 Survey The item was to be deferred and placed on the Agenda for the next meeting as was the Housing Price Index for the last quarter. RD. KLB. SC. CSW. PLC. | MR |
| 14. Future Meetings The Panel agreed that it's next Meeting was to be held on Thursday, 12 June 2008, at 9.30am in the Le Capelain Room of the States Buildings. RD. KLB. SC. CSW. PLC. | MR |
Item 11, 08.05.2008 | Current Reviews 15. Waste Plant Review The Panel agreed that there was a considerable amount to deal with in relation to this review and required that a meeting be arranged for Tuesday, 27th May, in order that the work could be done in the time available. The Panel discussed the suggestion that a public hearing be held to confirm shipping costs and for the Minister to outline the problems that his department had experienced with these costs. The letters relating to the costs of shipping which were held by the Chairman were to be produced to the Panel. The Panel was of a mind that public hearings for the shipping companies should be arranged. The Panel agreed that updated figures needed to be available and that it should not attend the meeting of the Comité des Connétable s scheduled for 9th June and that arrangements needed to be made by the Panel for a full presentation to all States Members by Juniper. The Panel considered a request by the Transport and Technical Services Department that Juniper visit to discuss the Report with them and agreed that it was not appropriate for TTS to meet Juniper on a private basis at the expense of the Panel and the Panel agreed that it did not intend to meet the cost of such a visit. The Panel also considered that a procedural line should be examined in relation to the requirement of the Minister to return to the States with two separate options for a plant to dispose of the Island's waste, one being a large plant with low recycling and one being a small plant with high recycling. RD. KLB. SC. CSW. PLC. | MR MR RD/MR MR |
Item 12, 08.05.2008 | 16. Air Quality Review The Panel considered that the Officer was to complete the report by drawing out comments from Mr Chapman during the public hearing in which he maintained his product reduced emissions. The report was then to be e-mailed to all Members of the Panel for agreement prior to publication. RD. KLB. SC. CSW. PLC. | MR |
| 17. Any Other Business Deputy Le Claire made an offer to the Panel to produce a thirty- two page newspaper in full colour at no cost to the Panel, with 30,000 copies being distributed, which could put across all the information required in relation to the Waste Review, in a manner which was reader friendly. However, the decision for this needed to be made immediately in order to give time for the publication to be prepared. The Panel did not wish to make a decision at that time, believing it should be an item for the Meeting to be held on Tuesday, 27th May, and the offer was therefore withdrawn. |
|
RD. KLB. SC. CSW. PLC.
Signed Date: ..
Chairman Environment Panel