Minutes of Meeting of the Transport, Environmental and Community Services Committee held in the Council Chamber, Council Headquarters, Glenurquhart Road, Inverness on Thursday 15 November 2007 at 10.30 am.
Present:
Mr J Laing, Mr G Farlow, Mr R Rowantree, Mr J Rosie, Mr D Bremner, Mr R Coghill, Mr R Greene, Mrs J Urquhart, Ms M Smith, Ms A MacLean, Mr A Henderson, Mr A Graham, Mr P Corbett, Mr N Donald, Mr D Henderson, Mr F Parr, Mr A S Park, Mr F D S Black, Mr B J Murphy
Non-Members also present:
Mr D Mackay, Mr G M Smith, Mrs I Campbell, Dr A Sinclair, Mr D Chisholm, Mrs M E Paterson, Mrs I McCallum, Mr W Clark
Officials in attendance:
Mr N Gillies, Director of Transport, Environmental and Community Services, Ms T Snow, Head of Business Support, Mr R Guest, Head of Roads and Community Works, Mr S MacNaughton, Head of Transport and Infrastructure, Dr C Clark, Head of Waste Management, Mr D MacKenzie, Chief Structural Engineer, Mr M Mitchell, Finance Manager, Mr A Yates, Principal Environmental Health Officer, Mr J Allison, Principal Administrator, Chief Executive’s Office, Miss M Murray, Administrative Assistant, Chief Executive’s Office
Mr J Laing in the Chair
Business
An asterisk in the margin denotes a recommendation to the Council. All decisions with no marking in the margin are delegated to Committee.
1. Apologies for Absence
Apologies for absence were intimated on behalf of Mr J McGillivray, Mr W J Ross, Mr A Rhind, Mr I Brown and Mr R Pedersen.
The Chairman, on behalf of the Committee, extended condolences to Mr A Rhind following a family bereavement.
1A. Good News
The Director of Transport, Environmental and Community Services advised that TEC Services had been successful in two categories at the Council’s Quality Awards which had taken place recently. The Green and Clean Award had been awarded for the investigation and management of contaminated land at Joss Street, Invergordon and the subsequent re-housing of residents. It was a joint award with Housing Services and was an excellent example of cross-service working. Team of the Year had been awarded in respect of the response to the storm damage in October 2006.
It was AGREED that the Committee’s congratulations be conveyed to all staff involved.
2. Change in Committee Membership
The Committee NOTED that, following the appointment to the Committee of Mr D Henderson in place of Mr R Durham, Mr Henderson had 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 was circulated Report No TEC-73-07 by the Director of Transport, Environmental and Community Services setting out the revenue monitoring position for the period 1 April to 30 September 2007 and the projected year end position. The report highlighted that there were no major issues or variances and that, based on the financial performance to date, it was predicted that the budget as a whole would be balanced at the end of the financial year.
The Committee NOTED the report and the monitoring statements which showed the revenue monitoring position for the period 1 April to 30 September 2007.
4. Capital Expenditure Monitoring – 1 April to 30 September 2007
There was circulated Report No TEC-74-07 by the Director of Transport, Environmental and Community Services summarising the capital expenditure monitoring position for the period 1 April to 30 September 2007 and the projected year end position and highlighting that the projected outturns for expenditure and income were £16.451m and £3.097m respectively leading to a balanced Capital Programme for 2007/08.
The Committee:-
i. NOTED the capital expenditure monitoring position; and
ii. APPROVED 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 was 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 had been circulated separately in Booklet A.
The Committee APPROVED the Service Plan subject to consideration of the inclusion of a reference to the need to improve the A9 at the Berriedale Braes and the A95 trunk road, subject to those changes being included in the Corporate Plan.
6. Council Road Structures
David Mackenzie, Chief Structural Engineer, gave a brief presentation on the overall position in relation to the Council’s road structures. The Highland Council had the largest number of road structures in Scotland with 1,400 bridges, 700 culverts and over 1,000 retaining walls. Currently, 250 bridges had sub-standard load capacity and that figure was likely to rise to 500 on completion of the load assessment programme which was underway. There was limited funding of £1m per annum for strengthening or replacement and there was concern that the bridge stock would continue to decline. To ensure the safety and availability of the Council’s road structures it was necessary to complete an asset management system, carry out thorough auditable bridge inspections, complete the bridge load capacity assessments and continue a programme of replacement, renovation and repair at a rate which would bring about improvements.
The Committee NOTED the presentation subject to concern being expressed at the level of resources that would be required to maintain and replace the bridges infrastructure to required standards.
7. Scottish Road Maintenance Condition Survey 2006/07
There was 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 supported the Administration’s commitment to set out a programme detailing planned maintenance of local roads and bridges.
The Committee NOTED:-
i. the results of the Scottish Road Maintenance Condition Survey 2006/07;
and
ii. that a report on the maintenance programme would be submitted to a
future meeting of the Committee.
8. Scale of Charges for Tourist Signing
There was 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 which recommended 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 AGREED that:-
i. where applications for tourist signs impinged 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 affected Council roads and did not
impinge on the trunk road, the administration fee charged by the Council
be increased from £80 to £150;
iii. fees be paid in advance; and
iv. Visit Scotland be written to requesting them to take account of the nique
geography of the Highlands when carrying out their review of the
destinations eligible for Tourist Signing as the Committee would not wish to
see facilities remote from the trunk road disadvantaged by the new policy.
9. Road Adoptions – Delegated Powers
There was 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 had been built under the Construction Consent Power of the Roads (Scotland) Act 1984, to the Statutory List of Roads.
* The Committee:-
i. AGREED to recommend to the Council 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 Act;
and
ii. NOTED that power to add other roads to the Statutory List of Roads 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 AGREED to suspend Standing Order 20 in order to reconsider the following matter.
There was circulated Report No TEC-79-07 by the Director of Transport, Environmental and Community Services which proposed 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 APPROVED the adoption of the Highland Council Traffic Order Procedure 2007, Revision 1, November 2007, as contained in Appendix 1 of the report.
11. Progress on the Waste Treatment Strategy for the West Zone
There was 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 which supported the Administration’s commitment to meet landfill allowance targets to limit the amount of biodegradable waste going to landfill.
The Committee:-
i. NOTED progress to date in developing the waste treatment strategy for
Skye and Lochalsh;
ii. AGREED:-
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 the heat produced.
iii. NOTED that the Energy from Waste Plant in Skye and Lochalsh could be a prototype with the option for rolling out similar schemes to other communities in Highland.
12. Three Bin Waste Collection Trial
There was 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 APPROVED 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 was 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 was published on the Highland Council website.
The Committee NOTED the Waste Data Digest 2006/07.
14. Local Transport Strategy
There was circulated Report No TEC-83-07 by the Director of Transport, Environmental and Community Services setting out the objectives which would determine the direction for the Council’s Local Transport Strategy. Members were asked to comment on the objectives in order that they could be refined and incorporated in the draft strategy document. The Local Transport Strategy supported the Administration’s commitment to improve transport and connectivity.
The Committee APPROVED the list of objectives for the Local Transport Strategy subject to any further comments from Members submitted to the Director of Transport, Environmental and Community Services by 30 November 2007.
15. Flooding and Flood Management Inquiry
There was 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 intended to hold into Flooding and Flood Management. The report supported the Administration’s commitment to work with COSLA and with the Scottish Government to promote legislation to simplify the process of securing Flood Prevention orders.
The Committee:-
i. APPROVED the responses to the questions set by the Scottish
Government’s Rural Affairs and Environment Committee;
and
ii. AGREED that a hyperlink to the Scottish Government’s on-line survey be
forwarded to Mr R Rowantree.
16. Food Safety Customer Satisfaction Survey
There was 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 which support the Administration’s commitment to sustainable communities.
The Committee NOTED the results of the customer satisfaction survey.
17. Provision of Analytical and Scientific Services
There was circulated Report No TEC-86-07 by the Director of Transport, Environmental and Community Services referring to the procedures which had previously been approved by the Council in relation to tendering etc for analytical and scientific services for previous financial years and which recommended that a similar approach be adopted for the years 2008 to 2010.
The Committee AGREED, 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 (2208 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 was 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 supported the Administration’s commitment to protect our Environment.
The Committee AGREED to homologate the response to the consultation on the proposed Soil Framework Directive.
19. Minutes
The Committee NOTED or APPROVED, as appropriate, the 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. Minutes of Inverness, Nairn and Badenoch and Strathspey Licensing Committee of 17 September 2007 ; and
iv. Fishery Harbours Management Board 1 November 2007
The Committee further NOTED that the Minutes of the Tanker Traffic in the Minch Working Party held on 6 November 2007 would be submitted to the meeting of the Committee on 24 January 2008.
The meeting ended at 1.10 pm.