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 Mrs J Prescott
- Councillor P Prescott
- Councillor W J Wilkes
- Mr J Healen (Co-opted Member)
- Mr D McQueen (Co-opted Member)
52 Apologies for absence: Councillors J Haley, E N Houlton, W Rotherham and G Wilkes.
53 Minutes: The minutes of the meeting of this Committee held on 30 January 2008 were approved as a correct record.
54 Wigan Borough in Bloom: The Panel were presented with pin badges and calendars, and publicity photographs were taken to promote awareness raising in support of Wigan Borough in Bloom. The Council was working in partnership with the townships and five working groups had been established. Members were requested to support Wigan Borough in Bloom.
The Panel asked questions to which the Director of Environmental Services responded.
Agreed: The Panel endorses the promotion of Wigan Borough in Bloom.
55 Visit to recycling plants at Shotton and Kirkless on 8 February 2008: The Panel considered a report on the visit made to Shotton Paper Mill and Kirkless Household Waste Recycling Centre on 8 February 2008. Members had requested further information about recycling initiatives and packs were distributed at the meeting. Councillor Davies gave a presentation on the visits to the recycling plants.
The Panel asked questions to which the Director of Environmental Services responded.
Agreed: The Panel:-
- notes the report now submitted and thanks the Director of Environmental Services for arranging the visits;
- thanks Councillor Davies for the presentation; and
- requests the Director of Environmental Services to arrange a visit to Rigby Houghton landfill site.
56 Road safety casualty update: The Panel considered a report which had been considered by Overview and Scrutiny Committee (minute 109 refers) on traffic calming and road safety casualties for the Borough both regionally and nationally. Wigan’s overall accident and casualty statistics had been following a downward trend from 1999 to 2006. Since the report had been written statistics for 2007 had been received and the Members were updated.
The Panel asked questions and made a comment to which the Director of Environmental Services responded.
Agreed: The Panel notes the report now submitted.
57 Road safety around schools: The Panel considered a report and received a presentation on road safety around schools and road safety engineering, education, training and publicity that informed Members of the work which was going on across the Borough to improve road safety around schools.
Two 20 mph Around School road signs which had been designed by school children were on display and these would be presented to the schools.
The Cabinet Champion requested that those Members who were also School Governors suggest to the Board of Governors that a road safety champion be nominated for each school.
The Panel asked questions to which the Director of Environmental Services responded.
Agreed: The Panel:-
- notes the report now submitted and thanks the Director of Environmental Services for the presentation; and
- requests the Director of Environmental Services to bring a report to this Panel on the use of yellow buses.
58 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.
Agreed: The Panel accepts the report now submitted.
59 Environmental services quarter three service plan monitoring report 2007/08: The Panel considered a report which had been considered by Community Protection Panel (minute 74 refers) and Regeneration Panel (minute 66 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.
60 Questions by Members at panel meetings:
Councillor Ash raised the following written question to which the Director of Environmental Services responded:-
‘At last night's Ashton Bryn Township Forum Damian Jenkinson gave us an excellent presentation on Wigan in Bloom. However, what concerned me was the staffing of his department. He is on a one year contract and two other staff have been deployed elsewhere. Given that residents of any area put a high priority on getting rid of litter and also the coming Partnership and Communities Together (PACT) scheme can we be reassured that enough resources will be put into the ‘Beat It’ and similar schemes in the future to come up to local people’s expectations of cleanliness throughout the Borough?’
Councillor Davies raised a question regarding recycling bins to which the Director of Environmental Services responded.
Councillor Mrs Prescott raised a question regarding the Beat It Teams and the 30 Day Teams to which the Director of Environmental Services responded.
Councillor Clayton raised a question regarding the £500 charge for high hedges to which the Director of Environmental Services responded.
Agreed: The Panel:
- notes the questions raised and the responses submitted; and
- requests the Director of Environmental Services to arrange for the Head of Neighbourhood Services to report to the Environment Panel on issues relating to the PACT scheme, the 30 day teams and the Beat It Teams at a future meeting.
61 Future agenda items: Agreed: At the request of the Cabinet Champion, Members are invited to write to the Director of Environmental Services with suggestions for agenda items for the Panel to consider in the next Municipal Year.
62 Vote of Thanks: Agreed: The best thanks of this Panel are extended to the Cabinet Champion and the officers for the excellent services rendered by them during the past Municipal Year.
