The Cabinet Member (Environment and Strategic Housing) will comment on achievements or areas for improvement in the past year in his programme area as it related to this Committee, what will need to be addressed in the coming year and indicate issues he may wish to involve Scrutiny in in the future.

The Committee received an oral presentation by the Cabinet Member (Environment and Strategic Housing) who commented on: the achievement or areas for improvement in the past year in his programme area, as it related to this Committee, what needed to be addressed in the coming year and indicated issues he may wish to involve Scrutiny in.

The Cabinet Member (Environment and Strategic Housing) briefly described: the highlights from 2007-08; performance, and the challenges to be faced.

He also commented on future work for scrutiny, not necessarily this committee, and highlighted the review of planning services, being a later agenda item.  He also referred to the wider issues and purpose of regeneration and how this related to the sub national review of economic development and the evolving role of Advantage West Midlands.  He further referred to the need to ensure that the growth point status delivered sustainable communities and provided an appropriate mix of housing and employment in high quality environments and were well served by a choice of transportation.

During the presentation and subsequent debate the following principal points or comments were noted:

• The Committee congratulated the Service on the successful outcome from the Cadburys court case.
• In conjunction with the police spot checks and follow-up action was undertaken in relation to enforcing alcohol licensing, which included sales through supermarkets.
• The Cabinet Member acknowledged that the provision of recent information on the proposed Butter Market Refurbishment scheme may have been fragmented.   A meeting would be held later in the week to agree the Lead Cabinet Member and a team to progress the scheme.  Further information would be provided to Members and to a future meeting of the Committee.
• The Cabinet Member commented that the emerging Regional Spatial Strategy indicated that 16,600 new homes should be built in Herefordshire in the period 2006-2026.  If the County were unable to meet any extended target then evidence would need to be provided through the Local Development Framework.
• Herefordshire was recycling 30% of its waste against the Government target of 40% by 2010.  Public consultation – including web-blogs - was underway about continuing the weekly residual waste (back bags) collection and proposal to change recycling collections to fortnightly, where possible by wheeled bin.   The Government target related to weight and therefore wheeled bin would enable mixed recyclables, including glass, to be collected.  While a wider range of materials could be sorted via a comingled process, issues still remained in finding an end market for the sorted material.  Discussions had been on going with Envirobility on how to diversify or integrate the successful scheme covering the Ross-on-Wye area. A Members seminar on waste had been held earlier in the year and the Cabinet Member invited Members to consult with their Parish Councils to ensure that as much input could be given to future debate.
• Questioned on the ‘waste to power’ option the Committee noted that discussions were ongoing concerning letting and delivering the new waste collection contract.
• The Committee noted that the Council had no responsibility towards commercial waste. The Council had undertaken a trial recycling scheme of glass from public houses, however, this had been stopped due to continual problems with sorting the various glass types.  The Cabinet Member agreed that the recycling of commercial waste needed to be addressed by central government. 
• Responding to comments regarding the restricted opening of household waste bring sites the Cabinet Member responded that many of the sites had limited opening due to planning restrictions.
• The Committee noted that after a number of years in trying to establish a baseline energy usage by Council premises a firmer position had been established.  It was also noted that the contract for ‘green electric’ had been cancelled.

The Chairman thanked the Cabinet Member (Environment and Strategic Housing for his presentation and comments on his programme area.