Committees
A meeting of the Transport, Environmental and Community Services Committee will take place in the Council Chamber, Council Headquarters, Glenurquhart Road, Inverness on Thursday 25 September 2008 at 10.30 am.
You are invited to attend the meeting and a note of the business to be considered is attached.
Yours faithfully
Michelle Morris
Assistant 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
1. Apologies for Absence
2. Good News
3. Revenue Budget Monitoring – 1 April 2008 to 31 July 2008
There is circulated Report No TEC-67-08 by the Director of Transport, Environmental and Community Services setting out the revenue monitoring position for the period 1 April 2008 to 31 July 2008 and the projected year end position.
The Committee is invited to note the report and the attached monitoring statements which show the revenue position for the period 1 April 2008 to 31 July 2008.
4. Capital Expenditure Monitoring – 1 April 2008 to 31 July 2008
There is circulated Report No TEC-68-08 by the Director of Transport, Environmental and Community Services summarising the capital expenditure monitoring position for the period 1 April 2008 to 31 July 2008 and the projected year end position.
The Committee is invited to note the report and the attached monitoring statements which show the capital expenditure position for the period 1 April to 31 July 2008; and agree that:-
i. the works to resurface Bonar Bridge and replace the deck waterproofing and
expansion joints be brought forward, with works programmed to start in
January 2009 to take account of slippage on the Inverlair Bridge project; and
ii. the works to restore the Longman Landfill Site be brought forward to take
account of slippage on the Raasay Ferry Terminal project.
5. Waste Management Strategy for Skye and Lochalsh
There is circulated joint Report No TEC-69-08 by the Director of Transport, Environmental and Community Services and the Director of Housing and Property setting out progress in developing a sustainable Waste Treatment Strategy for the Skye and Lochalsh area, and seeking approval to develop detailed proposals for an Energy from Waste facility to support the Administration’s commitment to develop sustainable options for waste treatment within the Highlands and put measures in place to reduce the amount of residual waste disposed of in landfill outside the Highlands by 26,500 tonnes by 2013.
The Committee is invited to note that the proposed strategy for the treatment of residual waste for the Skye and Lochalsh area, and the revised Best Practicable Environmental Option (BPEO), was approved by the Highland Area Waste Group on 28 February 2008; and agree:-
i. to the principle of providing a small Energy from Waste treatment facility for
the Skye and Lochalsh area with heat recovery identified as the preferred
treatment method for residual wastes;
ii. to the appointment of a Specialist Consultant to advise the Council on all
technical and other relevant matters associated with the construction and
operation of an Energy from Waste treatment facility and district heating
system;
iii. that further ground investigation be carried out as required to confirm that
the proposed facility can be constructed within the former landfill site at
Portree;
iv. that a detailed consultation be carried out with the local community on the
proposals;
v. that a planning application be submitted for an Energy from Waste facility
located within the former landfill site at Portree, and an associated district
heating system.
The Committee is further invited to note that:-
i. SEPA, the regulatory body who are responsible for licensing waste
management facilities, will be kept appraised of the proposals; and
ii. a further report will be submitted to a future meeting of the Committee to
update Members on progress and seek approval to start a formal
procurement process.
6. Three Bin Waste Collection Trial
There is circulated Report No TEC-70-08 by the Director of Transport, Environmental and Community Services updating Members on the three bin waste collection trial held in Culbokie, and inviting Members to approve the continuation of the trial.
The Committee is invited to:-
i. note the success of the trial to date and the percentage of material diverted
from landfill; and
ii. approve the continuation of the trial and, where resources permit, the
expansion of the trial to enable a more diverse population sample to be
examined.
7. Consultation on Potential Legislative Measures to Implement Zero
Waste
There is circulated Report No TEC-71-08 by the Director of Transport, Environmental and Community Services advising that the Scottish Government has issued a Consultation on the potential legislative measures to implement Zero Waste, and inviting Members to consider the Council’s proposed response to the Consultation which closes on 3 October 2008.
The Committee is invited to approve the Council’s response to the Scottish Government’s Consultation on the potential legislative measures to implement Zero Waste, as contained in Appendix 1 to the report.
8. Consultation on SEPA’s Compliance Assessment Scheme
There is circulated Report No TEC-72-08 by the Director of Transport, Environmental and Community Services inviting Members to approve the Council’s response to the Consultation issued by SEPA in July 2008 on the proposed new Compliance Assessment Scheme.
The Committee is invited to approve the proposed response to the Consultation on the proposed new Compliance Assessment Scheme as contained as Appendix 1 to the report.
9. Employee Survey – Action Plan
There is circulated Report No TEC-73-08 by the Director of Transport, Environmental and Community Services detailing the significant issues identified for TEC Services as a result of the Employee Survey undertaken in 2007, and setting out the proposed Improvement Plan for dealing with them.
The Committee is invited to approve the proposed Improvement Plan.
10. Northern Safety Camera Partnership
There is circulated Report No TEC-74-08 by the Director of Transport, Environmental and Community Services updating Members on the work of the Northern Safety Camera Partnership, and supporting the Programme of the Highland Council to improve road safety and reduce accidents, by highlighting the reduction in accidents which has been achieved at the camera sites during the past four years.
The Committee is invited to note the significant reduction in accidents at the camera sites and agree to support the continued work of the Northern Safety Camera Partnership to improve road safety on Highland Roads.
11. Procedure for Fixed Penalty Notices and Appeals
There is circulated Report No TEC-75-08 by the Director of Transport, Environmental and Community Services inviting Members to consider whether the Council should apply new legislation which allows it to issue Fixed Penalty Notices (FPNs) for certain offences covered by the New Roads and Streetworks Act 1991 and the Roads (Scotland) Act 1984, both as modified by the Transport (Scotland) Act 2005.
The Committee is invited to consider the report and:-
i. agree to use the powers introduced by the Transport (Scotland) Act 2005
to issue Fixed Penalty Notices for certain offences;
ii. agree to recommend that the Scheme of Delegation to Officers be
amended to authorise:-
- the issue of Fixed Penalty Notices by Road Inspectors, Performance Inspection Coordinators and Service Support Officers; and
- the Roads and Community Works Managers to cancel Fixed Penalty Notices which, in their judgement, have been incorrectly issued;
iii. agree to recommend that the Scheme of Delegation to Committees be
amended to authorise the Resource Monitoring Working Group to hold
Hearings into appeals against Fixed Penalty Notices issued; and
iv. approve the use of the procedure contained in Appendix 1 to the report
for the conduct of Hearings into appeals against Fixed Penalty Notices.
12. Support for Community Transport Projects and Community Sector
Recycling Groups
There is circulated Report No TEC-76-08 by the Director of Transport, Environmental and Community Services describing the current position in relation to Community Transport Projects and Community Sector Recycling Groups, and inviting Members to agree a process for dealing with future bids for financial support from these groups.
The Committee is invited to agree that applications for support funding from Community Transport Projects and Community Recycling Groups be assessed by the Resource Monitoring Working Group (RMWG) with the RMWG then making a recommendation on the award of funding to the TEC Services Committee.
13. Local Transport Strategy
There is circulated Report No TEC-77-08 by the Director of Transport, Environmental and Community Services inviting Members to approve the proposed arrangements for the consultation on the Local Transport Strategy.
The Committee is invited to approve the proposed arrangements for the consultation on the Local Transport Strategy.
14. Public Petitions Committee: Upgrade of A82 Trunk Road (Tarbet –
Fort William)
There is circulated Report No TEC-78-08 by the Director of Transport, Environmental and Community Services advising that a petition has been submitted to the Petitions Committee of the Scottish Government requesting that the A82 Trunk Road be upgraded. The Petitions Committee has written to the Highland Council and others seeking their views on the petition and the Committee is invited to consider the draft response appended to the report.
The Committee is invited to approve the draft response appended to the report for submission to the Scottish Government.
15. The Disabled Persons Parking Places (Scotland) Bill
There is circulated Report No TEC-79-08 by the Director of Transport, Environmental and Community Services inviting Members to homologate the Council’s response to the second round of consultation in relation to the Disabled Persons Parking Places (Scotland) Bill.
The Committee is invited to homologate the Council’s response to the second round of consultation in relation to the Disabled Persons Parking Places (Scotland) Bill.
16. Food Standards Agency Core Audit
There is circulated Report No TEC-80-08 by the Director of Transport, Environmental and Community Services advising Members that the Food Standards Agency (FSA) has formally concluded the first Core Audit of the Council’s food safety enforcement section and has given written confirmation that it is satisfied that the non-conformities have been satisfactorily addressed.
The Committee is invited to note that the Food Standards Agency has concluded the audit and are to publish the findings.
17. Fuel Supplies for Council Vehicles and Use of Council Vehicles
Following a request by Members at the TEC Services Committee held on 14 August 2008, there is circulated Report No TEC-81-08 by the Director of Transport, Environmental and Community Services providing details of the current arrangements for fuelling Council vehicles and the Council’s policy on the private use of Council vehicles.
The Committee is invited to note the report.
18. Minutes
There are circulated for noting or approval as appropriate, Minutes of the:-
i. HITRANS of 6 June 2008;
ii. Caithness Sutherland and Easter Ross Licensing Committee of 17 June 2008;
iii. Ross Skye and Lochaber Licensing Committee of 17 June 2008;
iv. Inverness Nairn Badenoch and Srathspey Licensing Committee of 29 July
2008;
v. Resource Monitoring Working Group of 14 August 2008;
vi. Ross Skye and Lochaber Licensing Committee of 19 August 2008; and
vii. Fishery Harbours Management Board of 28 August 2008.