Agenda and minutes

An apology for absence was received from Councillor M J Holloway.

It was noted that in accordance with Council Procedure Rule 4, Councillor M J Ovenden had been appointed as substitute member for Councillor M J Holloway.

To receive any declarations of interest from Members in respect of business to be transacted on the agenda.

Councillor T A Bond declared an Other Significant Interest in Minute No. 113 (Draft Waterloo Crescent Conservation Area Character Appraisal) and withdrew from the meeting for the consideration of that item of business.

To confirm the Minutes of the meetings of the Committee held on 15 November 2016 and 22 November 2016 (to follow).

The Team Leader – Democratic Support advised that consideration of the minutes would be deferred until the next meeting.

Please note that in accordance with the agreed Protocol for Public Speaking at Overview and Scrutiny, the right to speak only applies to agenda items 11 and 12.

The right of the public to speak does not apply to the following agenda items: Apologies, Appointment of Substitute Members, Declarations of Interest, Minutes, the Forward Plan, the Scrutiny Work Programme, any agenda item that is not accompanied by a written report and items that are exempt business.

Members of the public wishing to speak must register to do so by no later than 2.00 pm on the second working day before the meeting.

There following decisions taken by the Cabinet at its meeting held on 5 December 2016 in respect of recommendations from the Scrutiny (Policy and Performance) Committee:

·         Lorry Parking Survey Update

·         Environmental Enforcement Service Delivery Options

·         Introduction of Fixed Penalty Notices for Fly-Tipping

·         Performance Report - Second Quarter 2016/17

·         Award of Contract for Gas Servicing and Heating Installations

Members received the decisions of the Cabinet relating to recommendations made by the Committee.

RESOLVED: That the decisions be noted.

There were no items of business for consideration.

(a)    Items placed on the agenda by a Member of the Committee or any individual Non-Executive Member

       Any individual Councillor may request that a matter is placed on the agenda of one of the Council's Overview and Scrutiny Committees by providing Democratic Support with notice of the matter prior to the agenda being published.

       There are no items for consideration.

(b)    Items the subject of Call-In

       Executive Decisions may be called-in by the Chairman or Spokesperson of the Scrutiny (Policy and Performance) Committee or any three non-executive members.

       There are no items for consideration.

(c)    Public Petition

       There are no items for consideration.

There were no items of business for consideration.

The Team Leader – Democratic Support presented the Notice of Forthcoming Key Decisions to the Committee for its consideration.

RESOLVED: That the Notice of Forthcoming Key Decisions be noted.

The Team Leader – Democratic Support presented the Scrutiny Work Programme to the Committee for its consideration.

Members were advised that the St James (DTIZ) site visit would be held on Monday 16 January 2017. For health and safety reasons a list of the names of those councillors attending was required in advance of the site visit. This would be followed by an update on the progress of the St James (DTIZ) development from the Head of Inward Investment at the meeting to be held on 17 January 2017.

Councillor J M Heron requested that the Dover Soup Kitchen be added to the Work Programme with officers providing an update on how the decision was reached on moving the Soup Kitchen and how this was communicated. In addition to representatives from the Dover Soup Kitchen it was requested that Kent Police be invited to outline their stance in respect of it.

The Team Leader – Democratic Support advised that work was on-going to arrange attendance by Veolia (in respect of waste issues) and Kent County Council (issues arising in Tower Hamlets from scaffolding) at future meetings of the Committee.

In respect of the item on Deal Pier, it was advised that it had been agreed by the Chairman that this would now be received at the meeting to be held on 17 January 2017. This was in order to allow for a more detailed update to be provided to the Committee by officers.

RESOLVED: That the Work Programme be noted subject to the inclusion of the matter relating to Dover Soup Kitchen.

To consider the attached report of the Director of Environment and Corporate Assets.

The Director of Environment and Corporate Assets presented the report on the Recycling Reward Scheme.

Members were advised that, in conjunction with Shepway District Council, the Council had successfully bid to the Department for Communities and Local Government for funding to support recycling reward schemes. The intention was to reward and promote positive behaviour so that it would increase the overall recycling rates in Dover and Shepway. The Council currently recycled 44% of its waste against a target of 50% for England by 2020.

The joint award to Dover and Shepway of £720,486 was the third highest out of a total fund of £11 million. It was also a one-off fund with no on-going budget pressures.

The Director of Environment and Corporate Assets advised that there had been discussions with two private providers of recycling reward schemes (Greenredeem and Local Green Points) who would set the scheme up and administer it and they believed it would be possible to finance a scheme using the grant from winter 2016/17 to spring 2021.  

The Director of Environment and Corporate Assets advised that a further report would be submitted to Cabinet setting out more details on the delivery of the recycling reward scheme.

In response to questions from Members over how the success of the scheme would be measured, it was stated that participation would be monitored and there would be a survey as part of the scoping for the new waste contract due in 2021.

Councillor M Rose proposed that some of the funding be kept in reserve for use by Members to support recycling schemes in their wards.

Acknowledging that the funding was not ring-fenced, the consensus of opinion amongst Members was that it should be spent on delivering a recycling reward scheme in keeping with the bid made to the Department for Communities and Local Government. The question of administering the scheme in-house was discussed by Members as a way minimising administrative costs and maximising delivery.

RESOLVED:  (a)   That, subject to (b) – (d), it be recommended to the Cabinet that Decision CAB104 be endorsed as follows:

(i)         That the implementation of a recycling reward scheme, to be funded from funding awarded to the Council by the Department for Communities and Local Government, be approved.

(ii)        That the Director of Environment and Corporate Assets be authorised to procure a provider to administer and host the scheme.

(iii)       That a report be brought back to Cabinet in February/March 2017 with further details of the proposed scheme.

(b) That it be requested that the report with further details of the proposed scheme be the subject of pre-decision scrutiny.

(c)   That serious consideration be given to administering the funding in-house.

(d)   That a sum of money be held in reserve for use by councillors to use in support of recycling schemes in their wards.

It was moved by Councillor T A Bond, duly seconded and

RESOLVED: That, under Section 100(A)(4) of the Local Government Act 1972, the public be excluded from the meeting for the remainder of the business on the grounds that the items to be considered involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in paragraph 3 of Part I of Schedule 12A of the Act.

To consider the attached report of the Director of Property Services, East Kent Housing.

The Director of Property Services (East Kent Housing) presented the report on the provision of access equipment and services for new windows and external decorations at the Canadian Estate, Dover.

Members requested a breakdown of the total cost to leaseholders of the works and it was agreed that as the Director of Property Services (East Kent Housing) could not provide it at the meeting it would be circulated to Members after the meeting.

RESOLVED: That it be recommended to the Cabinet that Decision CAB107 be endorsed and that the contract between Anglian Building Products Ltd and Dover District Council be increased by the sum set out in paragraph 3 of the report to allow for progression of the recommended option, including the cost of access. The contract would be revised to the sum set out in paragraph 6 of the report.

It was moved by Councillor J M Heron, duly seconded and

RESOLVED: That the press and public be readmitted to the meeting for the remaining items of business.

To consider the attached report of the Chief Executive.

The Principal Heritage Officer presented the report on the Draft Waterloo Crescent Conservation Area Character Appraisal.

Members discussed the impact of having a single landowner owning much of the land in the conservation area and were advised that the designation of a conservation area meant that all landowners, irrespective of size, had to comply with its provisions.

In response to a request from Councillor R J Frost, it was acknowledged that the Council’s website pages did not currently display maps of the conservation areas in the district although the information was held in the Council’s Geographic Information System (GIS). It was agreed that a list of the conservation areas in the district would be supplied to Members.

RESOLVED: That it be recommended to the Cabinet that Decision CAB105 be endorsed as follows:

(a)     That the draft Waterloo Crescent Conservation Area Character Appraisal, set out at Appendix 1 of the report, be approved for a period of 6 weeks’ public consultation.

(b)     That the Head of Regeneration and Development be authorised, in consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Environment, Waste and Planning, to make any necessary editorial changes to the appraisal prior to consultation in order to assist with clarity, consistency, explanation and presentation.

(Councillor T A Bond declared an Other Significant Interest in Minute No. 113 (Draft Waterloo Crescent Conservation Area Character Appraisal) and withdrew from the meeting for the consideration of this item of business.)