Agenda and draft minutes

Venue: Hendon Town Hall, The Burroughs, London NW4 4BQ

Contact: Paul Frost 020 8359 2205 Email: paul.frost@barnet.gov.uk 

Note: Two paper copies of the agenda only will be available at the meeting for members of the public. Attendees are requested to view the agenda online and if needed, to print any specific agenda report(s). 

Items
No. Item

1.

Minutes of the previous meeting pdf icon PDF 256 KB

Minutes:

 

Resolved:

That the minutes of the that took place on 27 November 2019, be approved.

2.

Absence of Members

Minutes:

None.

3.

Declarations of Members' Disclosable Pecuniary Interests and Non-Pecuniary Interests

Minutes:

The Chairman, Councillor Dean Cohen declared a Non-Pecuniary Interest in respect to Item 9, Highways Planned Maintenance Programme.   He stated that the road that he lives in was on the reserve scheme list for footway relay.

4.

Report of the Monitoring Officer (if any)

Minutes:

None.

5.

Public Questions pdf icon PDF 244 KB

Minutes:

The Environment Committee noted the details of public questions that had been submitted and circulated. Members of the public that had made a submission had the opportunity to ask a supplementary question.

6.

Members' Items pdf icon PDF 397 KB

Minutes:

Councillor Alan Schneiderman – The Poor State of Phone Boxes

 

Councillor Alan Schneiderman was invited by the Chairman to introduce the item.   Councillor Schneiderman gave a summary of the issue and requested that the Committee support his item.   

 

Resolved:

 

Having considered the item the Committee unanimously agreed that:

-       The Interim Executive Director, Environment be requested to write to BT to ask them to bring all of their phone boxes up to an acceptable standard within a reasonable timeframe and if this is not acted upon to investigate powers that the council may be able to use to seek to enforce this.

 

Councillor Geoff Cooke – Review of FPNs for littering / flytipping

 

Councillor Geoff Cooke was invited by the Chairman to introduce the item.   Councillor Cooke gave a summary of the issue and requested that the Committee support his item.  

 

Resolved:

o   Having considered the item the Committee unanimously agreed that the interim Executive Director for Environment be requested to: To undertake a review of the current policy and operation of the enforcement contract and report back to the Committee so any necessary changes can be made.

o   that the case noted by Councillor Geof Cooke be reviewed by the Interim Executive Director, Environment

 

 

7.

Draft Barnet Long Term Transport Strategy pdf icon PDF 452 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The report was introduced by the Interim Executive Director for Environment, Mr Geoff Mee.  He provided a summary of the report and requested that Members consider the report.

 

Members of the Committee had the opportunity to make comments on the report.   members gave thanks to Officers on its production.  

 

The Council’s Commissioning Lead for Environment, Ms Cara Elkins was in attendance to make comments and answer questions.

 

Having considered the report the Committee: 

 

Resolved

 

1. That the Environment Committee approved the proposed Draft Long Term Transport Strategy for public consultation.

2. That the Environment Committee noted that the results of the consultation will be reported back to this Committee together with any revisions to the Strategy where appropriate.

 

The vote recorded was:

For – 6

Against – 0

Abstained – 4

 

8.

Fees & Charges pdf icon PDF 499 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The report was introduced by the Interim Executive Director for Environment, Mr Geoff Mee.  He therefore provided a summary of the report.

 

Before the voting process Councillor Alan Schneiderman proposed that fees for charities and non for profit organisations events be dropped and instead the costs be subsidised by commercial events.

 

This was by seconded by the Chairman, Councillor Dean Cohen.    The Chairman then moved to vote on the reports recommendations as amended and therefore:

 

Resolved:

 

1.          That the Environment Committee considered and approved the proposed fees and charges for 2020/21 as set out in Appendix A;

2.          That the Environment Committee agreed that proposed fees for charities and non for profit organisation events be dropped and instead the costs be subsidised by commercial events.

 

The vote recorded was:

 

For – 6

Against 0

Abstained – 4

 

9.

Highways Planned Maintenance Programme 202021 pdf icon PDF 998 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The report was introduced by the Interim Executive Director for Environment, Mr Geoff Mee.  He provided a summary of the report. In addition to this the Chairman gave an overview of the report and noted that appendix a to the report had been amended, he stated that this had been circulated and publishd.

 

Members of the Committee had the opportunity make comments on the report.  

 

Having considered the report the Committee Unanimously: 

 

Resolved:

 

1.          That the Committee approved the capital expenditure of £6 million for the delivery of the 2020/21 Highway Network Recovery Plan (NRP) Work Programme consisting of carriageway and footway renewal works as listed in Appendix A of this report, carriageway patching and associated works.

2.          That the Committee agreed the proposed investment proportions detailed in paragraph 5.2.3 of this report.

3.          That the Interim Executive Director, Environment be authorised to alter the programme of carriageway and footway renewal works.

4.          That subject to the overall costs being contained within agreed budgets, the Interim Executive Director, Environment be authorised to instruct Re to implement the schemes proposed in Appendix A by placing orders with the Council’s term maintenance contractors or specialist contractors appointed in accordance with the public procurement rules and or the Council’s Contract Procedure Rules as appropriate.

 

10.

Garden Waste Collections - Introduction of Charges pdf icon PDF 693 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The report was introduced by the Interim Executive Director for Environment, Mr Geoff Mee.   He provided a summary of the report funded by the Mayor of London which identified mechanisms by which Barnet can deliver the aims of the Mayor’s London Environment Strategy (LES) via the Council’s Reduction and Recycling Plan (RRP).   Mr Mee gave an overview of the Medium Term Financial Strategy savings targets that the Council had considered for the Environment portfolio which included the possibility of introducing charges for household garden waste collections.   He requested that Members gave consideration to the report and it’s recommendation.

 

Councillor Simberg requested to know if residents were able to make direct debts for the service and if the Council Tax support scheme could be aligned with green waste charges.  He added that this should be considered by the Committee and agreed if acceptable.    Mr Mee said that if requested by the Committee he would look into the matter.  

 

Members had the opportunity to consider the report and make comments. The Council’s Service Change Manager for Street Scene was in attendance to provide a response to comments and questions

 

Councillor Peter Zinkin noted that a number of neighbouring Councils and many other local authorities across the Country had implemented charges for Garden Waste.  

 

Councillor Alan Schneiderman outlined that he didn’t support the report and stated that residents also didn’t support the charges.    

 

Councillor Jo Cooper outlined concerns about residual waste and contamination of recycling.  She stated that the implementation of changes would lead to fly-tipping, bonfires would increase and trips to recycling centres would increase, adding to the carbon footprint. Councillor Cooper requested that a definition be provided to Members on residual waste.  Councillor Peter Zinkin noted that this information was available on the Council’s website

 

Before the voting process Councillor Alan Schneiderman said that he would vote against the report.   He noted the report’s recommendations and therefore he requested that the Committee refuse the report, he further requested that the Committee agree to retain a free garden waste collection service for residents.  This was noted.

 

The Chairman outlined that earlier in the meeting there had been the following suggestions from Councillor Simberg,

-       That the Interim Executive Director, Environment find a way to introduce direct debt payments for the service (10 monthly payments)

-       That the Interim Director for Environment look into the possibility of aligning the council tax support scheme with green waste charges 

 

This was seconded by Councillor Laithe Jajeh.

 

The Chairman requested that the reports recommendations and the above two listed amendments be voted on:

 

Resolved:

 

 

1.         That the Environment Committee considered the report, the consultation report (appendix A and section 6) and equalities impact assessment (appendix B and section 5.6) and agreed the introduction of charges for household garden waste collections.

 

2.   That the Environment Committee agreed the following elements of the service:

- The service will become chargeable from 6 April 2020.

- There will be up to 23 collections a year, the service year will  ...  view the full minutes text for item 10.

11.

Penalty Charge Notice Re-banding pdf icon PDF 600 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The report was introduced by the Interim Executive Director for Environment, Mr Geoff.   He stated that a submission would be made to London Council’s Transport and Environment Committee if members were minded to approve the report and adopt Band A parking Penalty Charge Notice (PCN) charges across the Borough.

 

Members of the Committee had the opportunity make comments on the report.  

 

Before the voting process Councillor Alan Schneiderman requested that an additional charge be implemented in areas that were deemed dangerous and therefore at School locations.   Councillor Zinkin seconded this and suggested that the Interim Executive Director for Environment  be requested by the Committee to look into the matter and report back to the Committee on this point.  Councillor Schneiderman seconded this which the Committee duly agreed.

 

Councillor Geof Cooke moved that parking at such locations puts children at risk.   He further noted that drivers also run the risk of receiving penalty charges.   He therefore requested that signage be erected to warn drivers of penalty charges.   This was seconded by Councillor Alan Schneiderman.   The Chairman requested this be voted on.  

 

Having considered the report the Committee:

 

Resolved:

1. That the Committee notes the need for behaviour change as identified within the draft Long Term Transport Strategy to reduce traffic contraventions and associated congestion in the short to medium term.

 

2. That the Committee note the results of public consultation conducted in respect of this proposal particularly that the majority of those that responded to the consultation were against this proposal.

 

3. That, notwithstanding the outcome of the consultation, the Committee approves a submission being made to the London Councils Transport and Environment Committee for approval to change the banding for parking PCNs to Band A.

 

4. That the Committee notes that this will not change the level of penalty for contraventions in bus lane or of moving traffic contraventions (banned turns, box junctions, no entry signs and similar).

 

5. That the Interim Executive Director, Environment be requested by the Committee to look into the matter and report back to the Committee on this point.  Councillor Schneiderman seconded this which the Committee duly agreed

 

The vote recorded was: 

For – 10

Against –  0

Members were then reqested to vote on Counicllor Cooke’s motion. 

 

The vote recorded was: 

For – 4

Against –  6

 

This was lost

12.

Committee Forward Work Programme pdf icon PDF 98 KB

Minutes:

That the Environment Committee noted the Work Programme.

 

13.

Any Other Items that the Chairman Decides are Urgent

Minutes:

None.