Present at the meeting:
- Councillor D T Molyneux (Cabinet champion) (In the Chair)
- Councillor N D Ash
- Councillor Mrs J S Birch
- Councillor R Clayton
- Councillor G Davies
- Councillor J Haley
- Councillor W Rotherham
- Councillor G Wilkes
- Councillor W J Wilkes
- Mr J Healen (Co-opted Member)
- Mr D McQueen (Co-opted Member)
In attendance:
23 Apologies for absence: Councillors E N Houlton, Mrs J Prescott and P Prescott.
24 Minutes: The minutes of the meeting of this Panel held on 1 August 2007 were approved as a correct record.
25 European sustainability lessons: The Panel received a presentation from the Director of Environmental Services on sustainable development. Examples of Scandinavian best practice were explained following a study tour carried out by English Partnerships. The schemes shown included modular units of affordable housing with many innovative features including the use of renewable energy. Members were informed that Gateshead Council were working with developers on this type of affordable housing.
The Panel asked questions to which the Director of Environmental Services responded.
Agreed: The Panel thanks the Director of Environmental Services for the presentation.
26 Wigan local development framework: development and air quality supplementary planning document: recommendations for amendments prior to adoption: The Panel considered a report, which had been submitted to Cabinet (minute 158 refers) on the outcome of the public consultation exercise for the ‘development and air quality’ supplementary planning document and amendments considered necessary as a consequence.
The Panel asked questions to which the Director of Environmental Services responded.
Agreed: The Panel concurs with the decisions of the Cabinet.
27 Environmental Services quarter 1 service plan monitoring report 2007/08: The Panel considered a report which had been submitted to Community Protection Panel (minute 41 refers) and Regeneration Panel (minute 26 refers) dealing with the Environmental Services Department’s interim service plan quarterly monitoring data.
The Panel asked questions to which the Director of Environmental Services responded.
Agreed: The Panel notes the report now submitted.
28 Adoption of streets and highway drains: The Panel considered a report advising Members of the Director of Environmental Services’ approval to the adoption of streets.
A Member asked a question to which the Director of Environmental Services would respond following the meeting.
Agreed: The Panel notes the report now submitted and approves the action taken.
29 Non active open space review and priorities 2007/08: The Panel considered a report advising Members on the review of the non active open space budget for 2006/07 and indicating priorities for 2007/08.
The Panel asked questions to which the Director of Environmental Services responded.
Agreed: The Panel notes the report now submitted.
30 Proposed highways framework contract: The Panel considered a report informing Members on a proposal to improve the procurement process for highway and bridgeworks with the implementation of a framework contract.
The Panel asked questions to which the Director of Environmental Services responded.
Agreed: The Panel notes the report now submitted.
31 Questions by Members at Panel meetings:
Councillor N D Ash raised the following written question (circulated at the meeting) to which the Director of Environmental Services responded.
‘A constituent has made the following points to me and I would like them discussed at the end of the next meeting:
1 Cigarette butts - now that everybody is smoking outside there are butts all over the street and pavements - do we have a policy to make people aware of this problem and clean the area outside their businesses?
2 Cardboard - there seems to be a certain amount of confusion with the general public about what sort of cardboard can be recycled. What is clean cardboard?
I would also request a visit by the Members to see exactly what happens to the waste products that are re-cycled and where they end up. Is this possible?’
Councillor N D Ash also raised a question at the meeting regarding the delivery of mail to Members homes, to which the Director of Environmental Services responded.
Councillor N D Ash submitted a petition to the Director of Environmental Services expressing residents’ concern about a zebra crossing at Bolton Road, Ashton which was not well lit.
Councillor G Wilkes raised the following written question (circulated at the meeting) to which the Director of Environmental Services responded:
‘I would like to bring an issue to your attention regarding the de-criminalisation of parking in Wigan and Leigh.
Whilst I appreciate that Wigan and Leigh Town centres have the majority of patrols, towns like Ashton and other smaller areas like Bryn are being very much neglected.
This is more apparent in the late hours after 6.00 pm.
I have asked Vicci to attend certain areas, they have tried to accommodate but still we have ongoing problems. This has become a free for all after 6.00 pm.
Will it not be worth while to pay staff extra money to patrol after 6.00 pm or will we have to wait until a fatality contributes to action being taken.
Or should we not hand all powers with parking back to the Police?’
Mr J Healen raised a question regarding cars parked on yellow lines in Ashton, to which the Director of Environmental Services responded.
Agreed: The Panel:-
(1) notes the questions raised and the responses submitted; and
(2) requests the Director of Environmental Services to make arrangements for the Panel to visit the recycling plant at Kirkless, followed by a visit to the Shotton recycling plant in Wales to view arrangements for the treatment of recycled materials.
