Agenda and minutes

The Panel noted there were no substitute members.

(Assistant to the Chief Executive). To declare interests in any items on the agenda.

In considering whether to declare a personal or a prejudicial interest under the Code of Conduct, Overview & Scrutiny members are asked pay particular attention to paragraph 11 of the Code in addition to the more familiar requirements.

This requires the declaration of a personal and prejudicial interest in any matter before an OS Committee which relates to a decision of or action by another Committee or Sub Committee of the Council, a Joint Committee or Joint Sub Committee in which the Council is involved and of which the Councillor is also a member.

Paragraph 11 does not refer to Cabinet decisions or attendance at an OS meeting purely for the purpose of answering questions or providing information on such a matter.

No declarations of interest were made.

To agree the notes of the last meeting held on 2^nd April 2013.

The notes of the 2 April 2013 meeting were agreed as a correct record.

Chairman / Lead Officer) The Overview and Scrutiny Committee has agreed the Terms of Reference of this Panel and associated Work Programme. This is attached. The Panel are asked at each meeting to review both documents.

Terms of Reference

1.            Councillor Chambers would like to add to the terms of reference for this Panel to reflect their monitoring the SLM contract minutes. It was noted that the main O&S Committee would have to agree to enable this to be added their Terms of Reference.

Work Programme

1.            Under item 14, recycling in flats, Mr Nolan noted that out of 380 blocks of multi-occupied dwellings in the district 320 were getting recycling collections, leaving about 16% still to be brought into the full recycling regime.

2.            They noted that under item 18, Highway Accident Statistics, officers had requested more detailed statistics from County but had not received any as yet.

3.            Under item 19, minutes of the Police and Crime Panel, officers were still unsure as to how this was reported back to EFDC. Councillor Waller noted that they would be on the Panel’s website.

(Director Environment and Street Scene) To consider the attached report.

RECOMMENDATION:

To consider, comment on and note the proposed CCTV three year Action Plan.

The Panel noted that a new national surveillance code of practice which asked for justification for the use of CCTV. However, officers wondered that if they had to take away the cameras would they also lose the deterrent effect that CCTV brought. They noted that the government did not accept that there was a deterrent effect. Officers were now working with the Police asking how they used the images and to provide evidence on this. If they had to, officers could just turn of the cameras and keep the deterrent effect.

Councillor Girling asked if CCTV could help with parking enforcement but noted that  there was a lot of legal problems attached to doing this. He was also told that  Mr Pickles, the Communities and Local Government Minister, was not keen to use it this way. The feeling was that government wanted local authorities to make more use of mobile CCTV units.

Councillor Smith asked when did the code of practice have to be adopted. She was told that it was being phased in from October; the timing also depended on the size of the CCTV setup; the bigger systems would have to comply first. Eventually, this may also apply to private household CCTV setups.

Councillor Jon Whitehouse asked about the affect it would have on partnership working. He was told that the council had trained up police officers to use our facilities and operate the CCTV facilities independently of our officers if they needed to.

Councillor Girling asked about the power sources for mobile CCTV and the use of the street lighting systems. Were officers any further long with this? Officers had not been able to progress this with Highways and the use of the lighting columns to mount cameras on. It was also noted that when the lights were turned off the cameras would go off as well. They were presently negotiating with County about this and were also looking to the use of mobile CCTV vans and battery powered mobile cameras. They had achieved some good results and some prosecutions on fly-tipping by using mobile CCTV systems.

Officers will now task an apprentice with the development and updating of the council’s webpages on CCTV.

            RESOLVED:

            That the proposed CCTV three year action plan be noted.

To consider the attached SCG enforcement activities for winter 2012/13 and summer 2013.

The Panel noted the latest enforcement activity schedule. They noted that officers had carried out evening checks on taxis and visited a number of licenced premises  to check on licence conditions. In general licenced establishments were complying with their conditions.

Officers and Police had also undertaken stop/checks on suspect waste carrier vehicles. A series of stop/checks were planned for October 2013 as part of a burglary week of action.

The Panel also noted the work being carried out on fly-tipping, the issuing of fixed penalty notices and ASB work on noise etc.

Councillor Sartin asked if any scrap metal dealers were caught in these checks. She was told that one legitimate dealer had been found, through an oversight on his part,   not to have a site licence. Officers had given him a warning and asked him to produce his licence at a later date.

Councillor Smith said that she appreciated the general notices put in the Council Bulletin about taking people to court on enforcement matters. There was a good team there. She asked about the stop/checks carried out, were a lot of offenders from outside our district and if so how many. She was told that officers did not have the statistics for this but the stop/checks were generally located at what the police call the ‘Gateway areas’ to the district as most potential offended tended to come up from the south (London) into our district.

Councillor Girling noted that the party season was coming up and the possibility of illegal taxis; would there be more taxi licensing checks. He was told that there would be  more checks on the lead up to Christmas, starting from now. This was a busy time for the licensing section.

Councillor Jon Whitehouse congratulated the team on their recent enforcement actions, especially on public houses.

Councillor Smith noted that the County Highways section used to have an officer who had been very proactive on illegal adverts appearing on the verges in the district. How was this handled now? She was told that, as with any other Highways problem they had to report it by phone to the Highways Call Centre.

RESOLVED:

That the SCG Strategy enforcement activity from October 2012 to March 2013 be noted.

To note the attached set of minutes for 27 March 2013.

The minutes of the Bobbingworth, former landfill site, Local Liaison Group meeting held on 27 March 2013 were noted.

Councillor Smith asked how local farmers could be considered for carrying out work for the council such as grass cutting on this site. Officer’s would find out and get back to her.

Councillors yet again asked that the minutes be presented in a more timely fashion as these were for their meeting held at the beginning of the year in March.

To note the attached set of minutes for 2 September 2013.

The minutes of the EFDC Green Corporate Working Party meeting held on 2 September 2013 were noted.

Please find attached the NEPP minutes for:

·         18 October 2012;

·         13 December 2012;

·         14 March 2013; and

·         20 June 2013.

The meeting noted the minutes of the four meetings of the NEPP Joint Working Committee.

Some concern was raised about the tone of some of the minute items as they seemed to criticise EFDC for some of the sort fall in the funding. Councillor Waller, our representative on this committee, noted the points made but thought they were not intended to slight us, as they were rather ambiguous wording. He also noted that ECC had set up a Task and Finish Panel to look into the Parking Partnership.

Councillor Girling asked if there was a rota issued by NEPP on the days/time our district was to get parking enforcement officers. He noted that a number of Head Teachers from local schools had spoken to NEPP about parking outside their school; they had promised to turn up; but could not tell if they had turned up or how effective they were. Councillor Waller replied that he did not have the timetable, but would ask for one; and he noted that that the partnership was getting mobile CCTV vans to help in enforcement.

Councillor Sartin was interested to note that councillors could address the meeting on any related topic. Councillor Waller said they addressed the meeting under the ‘Have your say’ item that was at the beginning of the agenda. However, this was not an effective way to promote local causes as they were generally not picked up.

Councillor Whitehouse commented that the enforcement officers were not working as they should; they were not clear on what they were trying to achieve.

Councillor Waller noted that they had received a lot of criticism for proposing new pay and display schemes in Epping Forest District, evidently in order to generate income rather than for the purpose of providing local benefits.

Councillor Girling and Smith wondered if the NEPP could be called to address and be questioned by this Panel. They believed that EFDC has an officer monitoring the NEPP contract, and it would be helpful if this officer supply a report with some background information so that it could help if/when, a NEPP representatives came.

            RESOLVED:

That a NEPP representative be asked to attend a meeting of the Safer Cleaner Greener Panel.

To consider the attached draft set of minutes for the Waste Management Partnership Board meeting dated 15 July 2013.

The minutes of the Waste Management Partnership Board meeting for 15 July 2013 were noted.

To consider the attached draft minutes for the Leisure Management Contract Monitoring Board meeting for 29 August 2013.

The minutes of the Leisure Management Contract Monitoring Board meeting for 29 August 2013 were noted.

To note the minutes of the IAA Member Working Group dated 30 January 2013.

Councillor Sartin asked what stage was the Harlow Transfer Station at. Councillor Breare-Hall replied that it was still on target to be opened next year.

The minutes of the IAA Member Working Group meeting for 30 January 2013 were noted.

To note the minutes from the Local Highways Panel for their meetings held on 28 February, 11 April, 6 June and 5 September 2013.

The Panel noted the minutes of the Local Highways Panel for 28 February, 11 April, 6 June and 5 September 213.

Councillor Sartin commented that it was unclear what had happened on their work programme and asked if there was any updates on this. Councillor Waller replied that he attended these meetings as an observer; Councillor Knapman was the Chairman who tended to be critical of the officers and any work not done.  Councillor Lea said that she was also on the Panel and noted that it was a very slow process, but some of the items were being done over time.

Councillor Smith asked if anything was being done to identify opportunities for schemes such as pedestrian crossings with planning permissions such as the one in Nazeing. New dwellings with a new crossing, an opportunity to get a modest sum from the applicant. Councillor Lea replied that some S106 money had been used for this type of scheme and they could look at it again. Councillor Knight noted that this was not a private application but from the Parish Council, who would not have any money for the S106 element.

Councillor Girling noted that they had a weak summary  on how the money was being spent. They needed better details on how it was used. Councillor Lea said she would mention this at their next meeting. Councillor Whitehouse added that the agendas for the meetings contained a lot of this detailed information. He agreed the delays were frustrating and that because of this delay it had lost a chunk of its budget for white lining as it was not used in time.

To consider which reports (if any) are ready to be submitted to the Overview and Scrutiny Committee at its next meeting.

To be reported to the next Overview and Scrutiny Committee that the Panel would like to add to their Terms of Reference their wish to monitor the SLM contract.