This report provides the Committee with an update on how Restoration of the River Wye is being progressed and the opportunity to consider how the matter should be kept under review by the Scrutiny Committee. 

The Committee gave consideration to the report as set out on pages 3-12 of the agenda supplement, which provided an update on the establishment of a Cabinet Phosphates Commission to address systemic and strategic issues regarding phosphate pollution in the River Wye, and invited the Scrutiny Committee to examine how it wished to keep the matter under review.

The Committee noted the proposed Terms of Reference for the Joint Cabinet Commission on Restoration of the River Wye and a number of initial observations were raised upon which additional assurances from the Executive were sought.

It was noted that the draft terms of reference did not contain a commitment to report back to the Environment and Sustainability Scrutiny Committee on the work of the Commission and progress achieved. It was therefore requested that regular update reports should be provided to the Committee, with a final report provided to the meeting scheduled for 10 March 2023.

It was also noted that although the Technical Advisory Group (TAG) was referred to in the report at Paragraph 12 in relation to a review of its governance arrangements, there was no mention of this in the draft terms of reference. The Delivery Director stated that the review of the Nutrient Management Board (NMB) governance arrangements set out at part 1 of the terms of reference would include the TAG and that there was ongoing engagement through officer attendance at TAG meetings which would continue, although the focus of the Commission was to look at the strategic picture rather than what practitioners could achieve through existing regulatory frameworks.

It was further noted that there was no reference to riparian buffer zones in the terms of reference as an area to be explored as part of the Commission’s work. The Delivery Director acknowledged the important role that these were likely to play in the restoration effort for the River Wye and catchment network, and confirmed it was the intention that by working with the farming sector, as set out in part 2 of the terms of reference, appropriate solutions such as this could be progressed.

The Executive Response to the scrutiny recommendation made at the July meeting of the Committee was noted. It was suggested however that the Executive’s stated undertaking to find ways to include expertise from across the membership of the Council in the work of the Commission was less than satisfactory and concerns were expressed that the Commission might become a remote, high level exercise led by the three Commissioners with limited opportunities for elected Members to participate in or contribute to its work. The Leader of the Council noted the concern but stressed that care also had to be taken to ensure that the Commission could conduct its work efficiently. The Committee noted the response but requested further clarification from the Executive in relation to what actions it will now take to progress its commitment to find ways to involve members from across the Council in the Commission’s work.

The Cabinet Member for  ...  view the full minutes text for item 17