Agenda and minutes

The agenda and reports associated with this minute can be located at the following link:

http://committees.aberdeencity.gov.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=439&MId=3838&Ver=4

Please note that if any changes are made to this minute at the point of approval, these will be outlined in the subsequent minute and this document will not be retrospectively altered.

The Sub Committee had before it the minute of the previous meeting of 23 February 2016.

The Sub Committee resolved:

(i)         to note the proposed video was in progress and the recycling team would incorporate it into school visits and a further update would be provided at the next meeting;

(ii)        to request that officers contact the Work Experience Placement Officer to offer a placement with the Waste Team; and

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

The Sub Committee had before it a report by the Director of Communities, Housing and Infrastructure which provided an update on the progress of the Communal Mixed Recycling project.

Ms Ros Baxter, Waste Collection Services Manager, spoke to the report and advised that property management agencies had been consulted for private and public developments with regard to bin provision and locations.  The city had been surveyed with regards to suitable locations for communal recycling and that installation of the new bins had started in February with Phase 2 to be implemented shortly.  The project was running to plan and feedback received from residents had been positive to date.  The aim was to have full implementation by the end of March 2017 with final rollout to be Phase 5; incorporating the city centre and rural properties on a date to be advised.

In regards to the Tenement Infrastructure Fund, the Sub Committee was advised that the funding received had been used to convert individual bin provision to communal recycling and waste provision.

The Sub Committee discussed proposals in regards to Recycling Points and the proposed removal of some public recycling facilities.  Pete Lawrence, Waste and Recycling Manager, advised that all recycling facilities were monitored for use on a fill level and frequency of emptying basis.  There was currently no facility to individually weigh recycling containers.  The Sub Committee felt it was important to monitor the existing recycling points for up to a year following the rollout of the new communal recycling and waste facilities to ensure full provision was still provided and to monitor uptake of the new scheme and continue the usage of existing recycling points before facilities were removed.  It was highlighted that at certain sites commercial waste recycling may not change following the full implementation of the doorstep scheme.  Mr Lawrence confirmed that the only recycling which wouldn’t be included in the new doorstep facilities would be clothing and fabric recycling as these were operated by independent companies.

Councillor Corall enquired whether pavements and road surfaces could be reinstated to their original state when bins are removed.  Councillor Corall highlighted concerns in regards to Richmond Street.  Mr Lawrence intimated that this would be investigated.

The report recommended:

that the Sub Committee note the contents of the report.

The Sub Committee resolved:

(i)         to request that following the rollout of doorstop recycling and monitoring of current public recycling facilities that current community facilities are retained for six months;

(ii)        to request that following the completion of Phase 5 a report regarding the potential reduction of Recycling Points be brought back to the Sub Committee;

(iii)       to request that where possible, one community recycling facility per area be retained and these facilities to be maintained to a high standard of presentation;

(iv)       to request that officers investigate whether pavements and road surfaces could be reinstated to their original state; and

(v)        to otherwise note the content of the report.

The Sub Committee had before it a report by the Director of Communities, Housing and Infrastructure which provided an update on the Communal Food Waste Project.

The report recommended:

that the Sub Committee note the report.

Ros Baxter, Waste Collection Services Manager, spoke to the report during which she gave a background to the food recycling scheme and advised that outstanding properties would be included in the final stages of the Communal Mixed Recycling Scheme by the end of 2016.

Ms Baxter highlighted several key highlights of the scheme including the ‘Love Your Caddy’ campaign which had been run in during February 2016 to raise awareness of the food caddy scheme and target certain areas where uptake was low, such as student accommodation.  The use of social media was highlighted as a particularly successful means to improving uptake of the scheme with residents being invited to enter a competition and posting ‘selfies’ using their caddies and dressing their caddies up.  A screening of the film ‘Just East It – A Food Waste Story’ had been held at the Belmont Filmhouse with a presentation of awards to prize winners which had been well attended.

Ms Baxter advised that during February 2016 Nicki Souter Associates had been contracted to carry out a door to door campaign and survey to cover the most recent areas to be included in the food waste recycling scheme and provided a breakdown of the survey results which would be used to form an action plan to increase awareness and participation in the scheme were uptake was low.

The issue of contamination of food waste was raised, with areas within the city centre being highlighted as key areas to target.  Ms Baxter advised that the recycling operatives were asked to check the food bins and pick out general waste where possible.  Residents within the areas prone to contamination, usually caused by passing footfall have been issued with keys to allow the food bins to be locked and this had reduced the issue considerably within areas of high pedestrian traffic.  Pete Lawrence advised that the use of banners or bright signage had been avoided where possible to match the streetscape although some bins had been fitted with clearer signage and that the locked bins had not seen a reduction in use by residents but had seen a reduction in contamination.  He further advised that the city centre areas would be targeted in the next few years to improve awareness of the different types of bin and to target businesses using the food recycling bins illegally.  Mr Lawrence also advised that whilst the general layout of the mixed recycling, food waste and general waste collection points would for a 3 bin ‘pod’ that due to the smaller size of the food bins there would be areas where the food waste bins may be closer to the properties which may help to further reduce the likelihood of contamination by separating them from the other bins.

Councillor Cooney congratulated the team on  ...  view the full minutes text for item 3.

The Sub Committee had before it a report by the Director of Communities, Housing and Infrastructure which provided an update on the Energy from Waste Project.

The report recommended:

(a)       that the Committee notes the report; and

(b)       invites the Project Director to attend the next Zero Waste Sub Committee meeting.

The Convener introduced Councillor Yvonne Allan to the meeting as a local member.

Mr Lawrence spoke in furtherance of the report and advised that a Project Director had now been appointed to take forward the inter authority agreement (IAA) and that the procurement process was still in progress with a preferred provider having been identified and that details would be circulated to members once the legal standstill period had been completed.

The next stage in the process would involve procurement and the three local authorities committing to the IAA.  The IAA would include cost implications should one of the local authorities choose to withdraw from the project at any stage.  Part of the procurement process would be to investigate the most appropriate form of delivery of the service, namely whether to build and operate the facility and retain full control of the operation, or to build the facility and then appoint a contractor to run the facility and the aim would be for a better quality facility which would give best value for money in the longterm rather than the cheapest option.  A report would be submitted to the Joint Member Working Group prior to a decision being taken and a subsequent report would to be submitted to full Council in October 2016.

Mr Lawrence further advised that consultation with stakeholders had been undertaken, including a site visit to a similar facility in Lincoln and a visit to Lerwick to see the district heating system in operation in the town.  One Community Council member had attended the Lerwick visit, and Community Council responses at the stakeholder meeting had been positive.  Responses by statutory consultees to the proposed application had also been favourable although there had also been a number of objections including a leaflet which had been circulated within the local community by an individual resident and responses to all comments contained within the leaflet were appended to the report and the responses would be uploaded to the Council website as well as being circulated to all Councillors.  The Sub Committee were advised that the facility in Lerwick had recently featured on a television series covering the Shetland Isles and it was proposed that a DVD be obtained for viewing.

Councillor Allan spoke to the Sub Committee and indicated that the leaflet being circulated had been produced by one person and it had not been issued with the agreement of the Community Council.  It did not reflect the overall views of the Community Council.  Councillor Allan also advised that residents had not been consulted by the Community Council for their views.

In response to concerns about smells and emissions and complaints from residents concerning the waste water site operated  ...  view the full minutes text for item 4.

The Sub Committee had before it a report by the Director of Communities, Housing and Infrastructure which provided an update on the Altens East facility.

The report recommended:

that the sub Committee notes the report.

Pete Lawrence spoke to the report and advised that the project was progressing well and a good working relationship had been established with the neighbouring Doonies Farm which was instrumental in achieving the progress to date.  Mr Lawrence further advised that despite poor weather conditions causing surface water flooding from a neighbouring site early on in the project, the facility was on target for completion to allow the scheduled changeover to kerbside recycling in March 2017 and that permanent surface water flood mitigation had been developed by Morrison Construction which would not affect the scheduled completion date.

Mark Reilly advised of operational changes for vehicle operator licences and that the process to obtain the necessary permissions was in progress.

Mr Lawrence suggested that a site visit to the facility might be of interest and beneficial to the members of the Sub Committee and that an appropriate date might be the next meeting.

The Sub Committee resolved:

(i)        to thank Doonies Farm for their excellent neighbour relationship with contractors working on the project;

(ii)       to note that Fleet Services were progressing the change of operator licences with VOSA;

(iii)      to agree that a site visit to the facility would be arranged for the meeting in June 2016 with full details to be circulated in due course;

(iv)       and to otherwise note the updates contained in the report.

30 June 2016 at 2.00pm.

In accordance with decision (iii) of item 5 of this minute, the Sub Committee noted that the next meeting of the Sub Committee would be Thursday, 30 June 2016 to incorporate a site visit and that further details would be circulated in due course.

- Councillor Jean Morrison, MBE, Convener.