A meeting of the Transport, Environmental and Community Services Committee will take place in the Council Chamber, Council Headquarters, Glenurquhart Road, Inverness on Thursday 15 November 2007 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
Chief Executive

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.

Business

2.      Change in Committee Membership - Appointments to
         Working Groups

The Committee is asked to note that, following the appointment to the Committee of Mr D Henderson in place of Mr R Durham, Mr Henderson has been appointed to the vacancies on the Fishery Harbours Management Board and the Resource Monitoring Working Group.

3.      Revenue Budget Monitoring – 1 April to 30 September 2007

There is circulated Report No TEC-73-07 by the Director of Transport, Environmental and Community Services which sets out the revenue monitoring position for the period 1 April to 30 September 2007 and the projected year end position.

The Committee is invited to note the report and the attached monitoring statements which show the revenue monitoring position for the period 1 April to 30 September 2007.

4.      Capital Expenditure Monitoring – 1 April to 30 September
         2007

There is circulated Report No TEC-74-07 by the Director of Transport, Environmental and Community Services which summarises the capital expenditure monitoring position for the period 1 April to 30 September 2007 and the projected year end position

The Committee is invited to:-

i.        note the capital expenditure monitoring position; and

ii.        approve the budget virement of £0.100m from Brackletter landfill
          site restoration work, split evenly, to allow urgent remedial
          restoration works at Ardachu and Kilchoan landfill sites.

5.      Service Plan 2007-2011

There is circulated Report No TEC-75-07  by the Director of Transport, Environmental and Community Services introducing the draft Service Plan for 2007-2011.  The draft Service Plan is circulated separately in Booklet A.

The Committee is invited to comment on the draft Service Plan for 2007-2011 and agree any amendments.

6.      Presentation on Bridges

David MacKenzie, Chief Structural Engineer, will give a presentation on the overall position in relation to the Council’s bridge stock.

7.      Scottish Road Maintenance Condition Survey 2006/07

There is circulated Report No TEC-76-07 by the Director of Transport, Environmental and Community Services updating Members on the results of the Scottish Road Maintenance Condition Survey carried out in 2006/07 which supports the Administration’s commitment to set out a programme detailing planned maintenance of local roads and bridges.

The Committee is invited to note the results of the Scottish Road Maintenance Condition Survey 2006/07.

8.      Scale of Charges for Tourist Signing

There is circulated Report No TEC-77-07  by the Director of Transport, Environmental and Community Services highlighting recent changes to the Trunk Road Tourist Signposting Policy introduced by Transport Scotland in September 2006 and recommending that Members approve an increase in the Council’s administration charge for Tourist Signposting applications to reflect the additional requirements of the new policy.

The Committee is invited to agree that:-

i.        where applications for tourist signs impinge on the trunk road, the
         administration fee charged by the Council be increased from £80 to
         £250 to reflect the additional requirements of the new policy
         introduced by Transport Scotland in September;

ii.       where applications for tourist signs only affect Council roads and do
         not impinge on the trunk road, the administration fee charged by the
         Council be increased from £80 to £150; and

iii.       fees be paid in advance.

9.      Road Adoptions – Delegated Powers

There is circulated Report No TEC-78-07 by the Director of Transport, Environmental and Community Services proposing that the Director of Transport, Environmental and Community Services be given delegated power to add roads, which have been built under the Construction Consent Power of the Roads (Scotland) Act 1984, to the Statutory List of Roads.

The Committee is invited to:-

i.        agree to recommend that power be delegated to the Director of
          Transport, Environmental and Community Services to add roads
          constructed under Section 21 of the Roads (Scotland) Act 1984 to
          the Statutory List of Roads maintained under Section 1 of the same
          Act; and

ii.        note that power to add other roads to the Statutory List of Roads
          will be retained by the Transport, Environmental and Community
          Services Committee.

10.      Revision to Traffic Order Procedure

In view of the current procedure for the making of Road Traffic Orders being approved on 16 August 2007 the Committee will require to suspend Standing Order 20 in order to reconsider this matter.

There is circulated Report No TEC-79-07  by the Director of Transport, Environmental and Community Services proposing an amendment to the Traffic Order Procedure recently approved by the Committee, in order to reduce the potential delays in processing Traffic Orders.

The Committee is invited to approve the adoption of the Highland Council Traffic Order Procedure 2007, Revision 1, November 2007, as contained in Appendix 1 to the report.

11.      Progress on the Waste Treatment Strategy for the West Zone

There is circulated Report No TEC-80-07  by the Director of Transport, Environmental and Community Services setting out progress in developing the Waste Treatment Strategy for the West Zone (Skye, Lochalsh and Lochaber) and supporting the Administration’s commitment to meet landfill allowance targets to limit the amount of biodegradable waste going to landfill.

The Committee is invited to:-

i.          note progress to date in developing the waste treatment strategy
           for Skye and Lochalsh; and

ii.         agree:-

a)        to seek to revise the Best Practicable Environmental Options contained
           within the Highland Area Waste Plan to reflect the closure of Portree
           landfill site, with a small scale Energy from Waste Plant with heat
           recovery identified as the preferred treatment method for residual
           wastes from Skye and Lochalsh; and

b)        that further work be undertaken including the preparation of a
           detailed comparative cost assessment, identification of possible
           development sites and consultation with potential end users for heat
           produced.

12.      Three Bin Waste Collection Trial

There is circulated Report No TEC-81-07 by the Director of Transport, Environmental and Community Services seeking approval to conduct a separate three bin waste collection trial from January to June 2008 in the Easter Ross/Cromarty Firth area, and supporting the Administration’s commitment to increase the amount of waste recycled in  the Highlands to 40% by 2010.

The Committee is invited to approve a six month trial of a three bin collection system using 100 volunteer households in the Easter Ross/Cromarty Firth area.

13.      Waste Data Digest 2006-07

There is circulated Report No TEC-82-07 by the Director of Transport, Environmental and Community Services giving Members the opportunity to comment on the Waste Data Digest before it is published on the Highland Council website.

The Committee is invited to comment on the Waste Data Digest for 2006-07.

14.      Local Transport Strategy

There is circulated Report No TEC-83-07  by the Director of Transport, Environmental and Community Services setting out the objectives which will determine the direction for the Council’s Local Transport Strategy.  Members are asked to comment on the objectives in order that they can be refined and incorporated in the draft strategy document.  The Local Transport Strategy supports the Administration’s commitment to improve transport and connectivity.

The Committee is invited to comment on the list of objectives for the Local Transport Strategy.

15.      Flooding and Flood Management Inquiry

There is circulated Report No TEC-84-07 by the Director of Transport, Environmental and Community Services seeking approval for a written submission to be made to the Scottish Government’s Rural Affairs and Environment Committee for an Inquiry which they intent to hold into Flooding and Flood Management.  The report supports the Administration’s commitment to work with COSLA and the Scottish Government to promote legislation to simplify the process of securing Flood Prevention Orders.

The Committee is invited to comment on the draft responses to the questions set by the Scottish Government’s Rural Affairs and Environmental Committee in relation to the Inquiry which they intend to hold on Flooding and Flood Management.

16.      Food Safety Customer Satisfaction Survey

There is circulated Report No TEC-85-07 by the Director of Transport, Environmental and Community Services informing Members of the results of the latest customer satisfaction survey in relation to food hygiene inspections and supporting the Administration’s commitment to sustainable communities.

The Committee is invited to note the results of the customer satisfaction survey.

17.      Provision of Analytical and Scientific Services

There is circulated Report No TEC-86-07 by the Director of Transport, Environmental and Community Services referring to the procedures which were previously approved by the Council in relation to tendering etc for analytical and scientific services for previous financial years and recommending that a similar approach be adopted for the years 2008 to 2010.

The Committee is invited to agree, in terms of Contract Standing Order 21c Section 1(iii) and in the interests of best value, that:-

i.            the tender/quotation/negotiation documents be broken down into
              the following categories:-

             a) analyses of food samples including complaints (tender)

             b) chemical analyses of waters for full portability (quotation)

             c) “limited” chemical analyses of waters (quotation)

             d) microbiological examination of waters (negotiation)

             e) microbiological examination of foodstuffs (quotation)

             f) chemical analyses of fertilisers and feeding stuffs (quotation)

             g) examination and analyses of consumer goods (quotation);

ii.           the tender/quotation period be two years (2008 to 2010); and

iii.          Scottish Water be included in the quotation process for analysis of
             water.

18.      Consultation on the Proposed EU Soil Framework Directive
           and Initial Regulatory Impact Assessment

There is circulated Report No TEC-87-07 by the Director of Transport, Environmental and Community Services providing details of the response submitted to the consultation on the proposed Soil Framework Directive which closed on 19 October 2007.  The report supports the Administration’s commitment to protect our Environment.

The Committee is invited to homologate the response to the consultation on the proposed Soil Framework Directive.

19.      Minutes

There are circulated for noting or approval as appropriate, Minutes of the:-

i.      Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross Licensing Committee of 19 
        June 2007;

ii.      Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross Licensing Committee of 21
        August 2007;

iii.      Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey Licensing Committee of 17
        September 2007;

iv.     Fishery Harbours Management Board of 1 November 2007; and

v.     Tanker Traffic in the Minch Working Party of 6 November 2007.