Issue - meetings

To receive and consider report 284/05 of the Strategic Director. 

Introduction and Report Summary

The Oxfordshire Waste Partnership (OWP) has commissioned work to develop a future waste collection and disposal strategy. The Partnership recently met with the Leaders and Chief Executives to agree the next steps in establishing a Waste Strategy.

This report summarises the way forward for Oxfordshire and highlights the implications for this District Council.

Recommendations

Members are requested to note the position and endorse the agreement made at the OWP meeting on 7^th April 2006.

that authority be delegated to the Chief Executive, in consultation with the Executive Portfolio holder for Waste Management, to agree and implement the public engagement consultation exercise. 

(Time: 3.00pm to 3.05pm)

To receive and consider report 284/05 of the Strategic Director.  The Oxfordshire Waste Partnership had commissioned work to develop a future waste collection and disposal strategy.  The Partnership had recently met with the Leaders and Chief Executives to agree the next steps in establishing a Waste Strategy.  The report summarised the way forward for Oxfordshire and highlighted the implications for this District Council. 

In summer 2005, ERM and Enviros Consultants were appointed to consider the future waste collection and disposal strategy for Oxfordshire. This work had now been completed and briefings had been given to Members on the future options for Waste collection and disposal.  In April 2006, the Partnership met with the Leaders and Chief Executives of Oxfordshire and agreed a way forward as follows:

(a)       to re-affirm a collective commitment to launching a waste strategy for Oxfordshire based on greater joint working and overall benefit to the Oxfordshire residents and Council Tax payers;

(b)       to launch as a preliminary step, subject to agreement of format by Council Leaders by 21 April 2006, a public engagement exercise in May distinguishing clearly between those aspects where a clear lead would be given, with the aim of creating better understanding and buy-in and those aspects on which views were required before final decisions were taken;

(c)               subject to consideration of the outcome of the public consultation exercise by Council Leaders and Members of the Oxfordshire Waste Partnership, that Oxfordshire County Council, in consultation with the Oxfordshire Waste Partnership, starts the waste treatment procurement process in August as set out in the current project plan;

(d)               that District Councils give an indication to the County Council (by the end of May 2006) of tonnages in order to provide certainty for procurement to include procurement for food waste;

(e)               to ask Chief Executives to report to the June meeting of the Oxfordshire Leaders' Group on governance and financial arrangements in order to make the Oxfordshire Waste Partnership effective in delivering the forward agenda, whilst ensuring equity between councils. 

It was noted that in the short term, this Council should also consult locally on the waste strategy in parallel with the county-wide public engagement launched in May.  In the meantime, the officers would be considering the full implications of the emerging strategy together with a provisional programme for implementation.  It was noted that a final strategy document would be submitted to the Executive, hopefully in August, for adoption. 

RESOLVED

(a)        that the latest position be noted and the agreement made at the Oxfordshire Waste Partnership meeting on 7 April 2006 be endorsed; 

(b)        that authority be delegated to the Chief Executive, in consultation with the Executive Portfolio holder for Waste Management, to agree and implement the public engagement consultation exercise.