To review the Council’s environmental management / ISO 14001 system over 2005/06 to the half year to ensure that it continues to be suitable, adequate and effective and deliver improvement in environmental performance.

The Committee reviewed the Council’s environmental management/ISO 14001 system over 2005/06 to the half year to ensure that it continued to be suitable, adequate and effective and delivered improvement in environmental performance.

The Director of Environment and the Sustainability Officer reported upon the Council’s Good Environmental Management (GEM) System, details of which were contained in the agenda report.  The annexes to the report gave more detailed information on GEM audits; improvements in environmental performance and against GEM objectives – including progressing actions in the Carbon Management Plan (Annexe 2); the continuing suitability of GEM; concerns of relevant interested parties and/or new environmental issues, and a range of other GEM issues.

While scrutinising the GEM report the following principal points were noted:

• The Committee was pleased to note the number of schools registered on the EcoSchool scheme.  On questioning the time taken in setting up the collection of recycled materials from schools, particularly paper, the Head of Environmental Health and Trading Standards reported that they were working with partners on this issue.  However, this was dependent upon the collection contractors.
• Questioned on the extent to which recycled paper was used in the Council and in schools the Sustainability Officer reported that while the exact extent was unknown this could be ascertained.  She further reported that the Council were working with West Mercia Supplies, the main supplier to the Council and Schools, on obtaining and supplying recycled products of a suitable quality and at a competitive price.  She was however, aware that cheaper non-recycled paper was available from the supplier.
• The Council is committed to extending its certification to ISO 14001.  An additional number of Council Services were nearly ready to join up to the certification and the Council was on course to meet its July 2006 target.
• Discussions were ongoing with power supply companies concerning the installation of ‘smart’ meters to monitor in near real time the use of energy.
• Following changes to the GEM system, further training for existing GEM auditors to equip them to undertake service and system audits will take place in February 2006.
• The Committee was pleased to note the significant decrease in staff car mileage, possibly due to the ‘Twoshare’ scheme and office relocations.  There had also been a significant increase in staff cycle mileage – up 118% which may be due to an increase in cycle mileage payments.
• While there were still Health and Safety and financial issues to overcome, plans were progressing in relation to the landfill gas generator scheme (electricity from gas) at the Stretton Sugwas landfill site.
• In view of the changes to the Commons Act, currently going through Parliament, the Committee requested that a report be presented on the implications of the changes, which were believed to be considerable for local authorities.
• A degree of concern was raised in the report by the implications of the potential lack of maintenance to roadside trees in the ownership of private landowners.  The Committee noted that while Highway Inspectors inspected and maintained roadside trees, private landowners, concerned about the safety implications of their trees overhanging highways and footways may be inclined to fell the trees.  The Committee agreed that while an increase in public awareness was needed in relation to their landowner responsibilities, there was also a risk that healthy trees could be needlessly felled.
• While the findings of the Staff Opinion Survey 2004 showed the number of respondents aware of GEM was up to 79%, only 16% of respondents felt the authority was taking sufficient steps to reduce the environmental impact of their area of work.  The Sustainability Officer responded that this may be due to the staff underestimating the range of initiatives the Council was involved in.
• Work was underway to set up a pilot Invest-to-Save fund within WMS which could develop into an Energy Services Company (ESCO). Once established this would then permit partner Councils to use the service to realise carbon savings and both energy and financial efficiencies for reinvestment in future schemes, thereby benefiting the Council and schools.
• The term ‘Trapeze’, mentioned in Annexe 2, was defined as being a computer package which, essentially, allowed the Education and Social Care Services transport to be co-ordinated along with public transport wherever appropriate. This was one element of a Local Transport Plan initiative.
• In relation to the Fuel Poverty Strategy, the Committee noted that the process of implementing the Strategy, formerly dealt with in Housing, had been halted until the current staff vacancy could be filled. The Committee also noted that Adult Community Services now administered the strategy.
• The Committee noted work was underway to develop the Low and Medium Cost Measures set out in Annexe 2, but requested that further information be included in a future report on the various measures involved.

RESOLVED:

That

a)      the position set out in the GEM half year report be noted;

b)     a report on the implications of the changes to the Commons Act be reported to a future meeting; and

c)      further information on the various measures indicated at Low Cost Measures and Medium Cost Measures in Annex 2 to the report be detailed in a future report.