A meeting of Transport, Environmental and Community Services Committee will take place in the Council Chamber, Council Headquarters, Inverness on Thursday 16 November 2006 at 10.30 am.
You are invited to attend the meeting and a note of the business to be considered is attached.
Yours faithfully
Alistair Dodds
Director of Corporate Services
Declarations of Interest – Members are asked to consider whether they have an interest to declare in relation to any item on the agenda for this meeting. Any Member making a declaration of interest should indicate whether it is a financial or non-financial interest and include some information on the nature of the interest. Advice may be sought from Officers prior to the meeting taking place.
1. Apologies for Absence
2. Highlands and Islands Strategic Transport Partnership (HITRANS)
Presentation
A presentation on the Draft Regional Transport Strategy for the Highlands and Islands will be given by officials from HITRANS.
3. Trunk Link Road Presentation
The Consultants employed to carry out the Study into the options for the Trunk Link Road, Scott Wilson Scotland Ltd., will give a presentation on the current status of the Study, and outline the next steps in the process.
4. Revenue Budget Monitoring to 30 September 2006
There is circulated Report No TEC 92/06 by the Acting Director of Transport, Environmental and Community Services which sets out the revenue monitoring position for the period 1 April to 30 September 2006.
The Committee is invited to note the information contained in the report and the attached schedules which show the revenue monitoring position for the period 1 April to 30 September 2006.
5. Capital Expenditure Monitoring to 30 September 2006
There is circulated Report No TEC 93/06 by the Acting Director of Transport, Environmental and Community Services which summarises the capital expenditure monitoring position for the period 1 April to 30 September 2006.
The Committee is invited to note the capital expenditure monitoring position.
6. Draft Five Year Capital Programme 2006/07 to 2010/11
There is circulated Report No TEC 94/06 by the Acting Director of Transport, Environmental and Community Services which seeks Members approval for the amendments to the agreed programme for 2006/07 to 2009/10 and the proposed programme for year 5 (2010/11).
The Committee is invited to
i. note the draft position of the 2006/07 to 2009/10 Capital Programme;
ii. agree the proposals for bids to the Budget Working Group for 2006/07 and
2009/10 Capital Programme; and
iii. agree the proposals for bids to the Budget Working Group for 2010/11.
7. Flooding Update
There is circulated Report No TEC 95/06 by the Acting Director of Transport, Environmental and Community Services which updates Members on recent flooding events which have affected Inverness, Ross and Cromarty, Sutherland and Caithness, and the resultant damage to the road infrastructure
The Committee is invited to note the status of the Flood Prevention Order for the South West Inverness Flood Relief Scheme and the efforts being made by officials to resolve the objections and agree:
i. further improvements to the Tower Burn are investigated;
ii. financial assistance be sought from the Scottish Executive to deal with the
repairs to the infrastructure and, details of the extent, nature, and costs of
the damage, resulting from the flooding event on 26 October, are passed
onto the Scottish Executive as soon as they are available; and
iii. the causes of major flooding are assessed to establish if there is a
requirement to carry out detailed flood studies with further reports taken
to Committee once this work has been completed.
8. Transport, Environmental and Community Services Structure
Beyond April 2007
There is circulated Report No TEC 96/06 by the Acting Director of Transport, Environmental and Community Services which sets out proposals for organisational change following the Council’s decisions in relation to “The Highland Council beyond 2007”. Appendix A to the report can be viewed by clicking here. The report makes specific recommendations in relation to:
i. senior management arrangements for Environmental Health and Trading
Standards;
ii. operational arrangements at area level for Roads and Community Works,
Street Lighting and Environmental Health;
iii. management responsibilities for waste collection and waste disposal;
iv. Sustainability Team to be created in the Chief Executive’s Office.
The Committee is invited to agree to the recommendations as contained in the report.
9. Camusnagaul Ferry
There is circulated Report No TEC 97/06 by the Acting Director of Transport, Environmental and Community Services which updates Members of the consultation with the local community in relation to the future of the Camusnagul Passenger Ferry, and provides details of the options set out in the previous report to the TEC Services Committee on 23 March 2006.
The Committee is invited to:
i. agree that Option 1 (Retain Existing Council Operated Ferry Service) is
rejected due to the high running costs and the need to replace the boat
within the life of the next contract (5 years); and
ii. consider Options 2 to 5 as set out in Section 6 of the Report.
10. Cleaning and Servicing of Public Conveniences
There is circulated Report TEC 98/06 by the Acting Director of Transport, Environmental and Community Services which outlines the case for the cleaning and servicing of public conveniences to be subject to competitive tender. This follows the Audit of Best Value and Community Planning, published by Audit Scotland in April 2006, which was critical of the fact the Council had not subjected its Significant Trading Organisations (STOs) to competitive tender.
The Committee is invited to agree that:
i. a competitive tender is issued for the servicing and cleaning of public toilets
in Caithness, Sutherland, Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey and
Skye and Lochalsh. The contract will be for a period of three years with an
option to extend by up to a further two years;
ii. public toilets which are cleaned and serviced as part of a wider role of a
“Village Officer will not be included in this tender;
iii. toilets provided under the Highland Council Comfort Scheme will not be
included in the Tender, and the contract will allow for existing public toilets
to be removed from the contract where there is an opportunity in the
future to extend the Highland Comfort Scheme; and
iv. the Council submits a bid for this work and TEC Services will liaise with the
Catering and Cleaning Service of ECS to determine if it is possible to make
economies of scale.
11. Adopted Roads- Re-numbering of C and U Class Roads
There is circulated Report No TEC 99/06 by the Acting Director of Transport, Environmental and Community Services which details the need to approve the renumbering of the Council’s C and U class roads. The Roads (Scotland) Act 1984 requires the Council to hold a list off all adopted roads within its administration boundary, however there are two classification systems operated by the Council. The reduction of the number of operational Areas form eight to three, provides an opportunity to rationalise the current road numbering system. It is also proposed to clarify the description of adopted roads, where necessary, to remove ambiguity over the extent of the adoption.
The Committee is invited to approve:
i. the re-numbering of all C & U class roads; and
ii. an amendment to the definition of the extent of adopted road;
“….and extending to boundary fences or walls, or in walls, or in open ground to a distance of three metres from the edge of the surfaced carriageway or passing place, or to the top of the slop in cutting or the bottom of slope in embankment, whichever distance is greatest.”
12. Extension of Car Parking Charges – Parking Surveys
There is circulated Report No TEC 100/06 by the Acting Director of Transport, Environmental and Community Services which considers the results of car parking surveys commissioned for Nairn, Thurso, Wick, Alness, Dingwall, Kyle of Lochalsh, Drumnadrochit and Gairloch Pier. The report advises that based on the results of the surveys, parking charges are not introduced in all locations at this time, with the exception of Gairloch Pier. It also details that charges should be introduced in the Square and Slipway car parks in Kyle of Lochalsh from April to September, with the maximum stay limited to 3 hours. The charging arrangements will include a local discount scheme. A survey was not undertaken in Nairn due to construction works associated with the new Community Centre.
The Committee is invited to agree that:
i. parking charges are not introduced in Thurso, Wick, Alness, Dingwall and
Drumnadrochit at this time;
ii. summer car parking charges are introduced in the Slipway and Square car
parks in Kyle of Lochalsh from April to September, with the maximum stay
limited to 3 hours. The charging arrangements will include a local discount
scheme, further details of which will be brought to a future TECS
Committee; and
iii. A car parking survey is carried out in Nairn during the summer of 2007
following the completion of the construction works associated with the
new Community Centre.
13. Award of Public Transport Contracts
There is circulated Report TEC 101/06 by the Acting Director of Transport, Environmental and Community Services which advises Members of savings made in Public Transport budget since the Committee approved the award of contracts, due to start on 1 January 2007, at TEC Services Committee on 17 August 2006 and recommends that these savings are used to restore certain schemes which would otherwise be withdrawn.
The Committee is invited to agree to:
i. award contracts for the following bus services:
- Broadford to Elgol;
- Dunvegan to Struan to Portree;
- Lochinver to Lairg; and
ii. approve a variation to the contract awarded to Drimnin to Lochaline to Fort
William.
14. Home Zone Guidance- Consultation
There is circulated Report No TEC 102/06 by the Acting Director of Transport, Environmental and Community Services which outlines the proposed response to the Scottish Executive consultation to the Home Zones Guidance.
The Committee is invited to approve the response to the Scottish Executive consultation on the Home Zones Guidance.
15. Amendments to Blue Badge Scheme
There is circulated Report No TEC 103/06 by the Director of Corporate Services which outlines proposals contained in the Draft Disabled Persons (Badges for Motor Vehicles) (Scotland) (Amendment) Regulations 2006 to amend the provisions of the Blue Badge Scheme that allows cars displaying a Blue Badge concessions in car parks and in on-street car parking. Comments are made on the impact of the proposals on the operation of the scheme in the Council’s area.
The Committee is invited to support the proposed changes to the Blue Badge Disabled Drivers Parking Regulations and to authorise the submission of comments to the Scottish Executive in line with this report and any further comments made at the committee meeting.
16. Refuse Collection and Waste Disposal Charges for Commercial and
Industrial Waste (2007-2008)
There is circulated Report No TEC 104/06 by the Acting Director of Transport, Environmental and Community Services which informs Members of the need to increase refuse collection and waste disposal charges for commercial and industrial waste and to introduce further recycling opportunities for commercial collection customers from 1 April 2007.
The Committee is invited to agree to the following, with effect from 1 April 2007:
i. increase the charges for commercial and industrial waste as detailed in
Section 2 of the report;
ii. freeze the cardboard collection charges at current levels; and
iii. offer commercial refuse collection customers access, free of charge, to the
recycling point and recycling centre network for the recycling of Glass,
Paper, Cans, Cardboard and Green Waste.
17. Award of Contract for Waste Transfer Station – Portree
There is circulated Report No TEC 105/06 by the Acting Director of Transport, Environmental and Community Services which informs Members of the decision taken by the Acting Director of TEC Services, in consultation with the Chairman and Depute Chairman (Waste Management) to award the contract for the construction of the waste transfer station at Portree.
The Committee is invited to homologate the decision to award the contract for the construction of the waste transfer station at Portree.
18. Update on draft implementation of Waste Electrical &
Environmental Equipment (WEEE) Directive
There is circulated Report No TEC 106/06 by the Acting Director of Transport, Environmental and Community Services which updates Members on the draft legislation to implement the WEEE Directive. It is expected that the Directive will be transported into UK Law in December 2006.
The Committee is invited to note the contents of the report.
19. Food Safety – Official Control Samples of Shellfish
There is circulated Report No TEC 107/06 by the Acting Director of Transport, Environmental and Community Services which seeks homologation for the decision to apply the Food Standards Agency for funding to carry out Official Control samples of Shellfish.
The Committee is invited to homologate the decision to apply the Food Standards Agency for funding to carry out Official Control samples of Shellfish.
20. Taxi/PHC Enforcement 2 Quarter 2006/2007
There is circulated Report No TEC 108/06 by the Acting Director of Transport, Environmental and Community Services which advises Members of the level of pro-active inspections and enforcement carried out by Trading Standards during the second level quarter of 2006/2007, in respect of Taxis and PHC’s licensed by the Council under the terms of the Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982.
The Committee is invited to note the current level or pro-active inspections and enforcement activity.
21. Minutes
There are circulated for noting or approval as appropriate Minutes of the:-
i. Highland Rail Partnership of 6 June 2006;
ii. HITRANS of 1 September 2006 ;
iii. Highland Home Safety Liaison Group of 28 September 2006; and
iv. Fishery Harbours Management Board of 17 October 2006.