Agenda and minutes

An apology was intimated on behalf of Councillor Cooney

The Sub Committee had before it, the minute of the previous meeting of 27 June, 2012.

In relation to page 3 item 10, Councillor Jackie Dunbar intimated that the clerk was due to liaise with the convener of the Appeals Committee to agree the dates for 2013.

The Sub Committee resolved:-

(i)  to note the omission from the previous minute; and

(ii) to otherwise approve the minute as a correct record.

With reference to article 5 of the minute of meeting of 15 February, 2012, the Sub Committee had before it a report by the Director of Housing and Environment, which provided the findings of the Outline Business Case for Waste Treatment Facilities.

The report advised that the Outline Business Case (OBC) provided the framework for contracting new waste and recycling infrastructure that was required to reduce the increasing costs currently faced and to enable compliance with the Waste (Scotland) Regulations 2012, which included the ban on landfilling biodegradable waste from 2020.

The Sub Committee heard from Peter Lawrence, Waste and Recycling Manager, who provided a detailed synopsis of the report and provided details on the policy drivers for the necessary changes, as well as details on the various types of waste and the targets currently in place for Aberdeen City.

Members then provided feedback on their recent site visit to recycling centres in the South of England, whereby they all felt that the visit had been very worthwhile and informative.

Members then asked a number of questions to officers.

The report recommended:-

that the Sub Committee support the following recommendations which will go forward to the Council meeting on the 10^th of October, 2012 –

(a)          to adopt the following reference case, further defined in the OBC, as the reference for the next phase of Zero Waste Management Project

Reference Case:

·    Construct a new, local windrow composting plant delivered within the Waste Management Services Contract

·    Construct a new, local In-Vessel Composting plant delivered within the Waste Management Services Contract

·    Construct a new, local MRF (Materials Recovery Facility) (inc. glass) delivered within the Waste Management Services Contract

·    Construct facilities for the interim export of waste, delivered within the Waste Management Services Contract

·    Resolve site, planning and financing issues and procure a new Energy from Waste (EfW) facility in Aberdeen for delivery around 2020.

(b)          to instruct officers to make resources available before budgets for 2013/14 are agreed to progress the Zero Waste Project, including the appointment of specialist advisors, dedicated posts (where relevant) and project team support and that the source of this finance (capital or revenue) is agreed;

(c)          to instruct officers, once project management resources are in place, to open negotiations with the Waste Management Services Contractor regarding  changes to the Waste Management Service Contract, with the objective of delivering more cost effective solutions for Green waste, Food Waste and recyclable materials, and interim arrangements for residual waste export as set out in the OBC;

(d)          to instruct officers, once project management resources are in place, to produce a more detailed business case for a local EfW/Combined Heat and Power (CHP) plant and submit this to the appropriate committee(s) for approval; and

(e)          to instruct officers, once the revised EfW business case is approved and project management resources are in place, to undertake a formal procurement for a local EfW/CHP plant for Aberdeen.

The Sub Committee resolved:-

to support the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 3.

The Sub Committee noted that the next meeting was due to be held on Wednesday 5 December at 2pm.

- COUNCILLOR JEAN MORRISON MBE, Convener.