Meeting documents

            Meeting: Environment Scrutiny Sub-Committee (County Hall, Durham - Committee Room 2 - 05/01/2006 10:00:00 AM)

                  Item: A0 Minutes

         

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Item No 1

At a Meeting of the Scrutiny Sub-Committee for Looking After the Environment held at the County Hall, Durham on Thursday 5 January 2006 at 10.00 a.m.

COUNCILLOR CARROLL in the Chair

Members
Councillors Armstrong, Barker, Carr, Chapman, Douthwaite, Forster, Gray, Henderson, Holroyd, Knox, Ord, Pye, Stelling, Stradling, Tennant, Wade, Wright and Young

Co-opted:
D Easton and D M Jones

Other Members:
Councillors Chaplow, Coates, Fenwick, Iveson, Martin, Meir, Myers, Pendlebury and Porter.


A1 Declarations of Interest

There were no declarations of interest.


A2 Review of Joint Municipal Waste Management Strategy for County Durham

The Sub Committee considered a report of the Acting Head of Environment and Planning together with a presentation from John Wade Business Manager for Waste explaining the progress of the development of the new joint municipal waste management strategy for County Durham (for copy see file of Minutes).

The Waste Business Manager advised the Sub Committee that he was unable to discuss the detailed procurement process for the renewal of the waste contract which was to commence in May 2008.

The Waste Business Manager explained the background and the need to review the strategy. Following the consultation process a number of preferred options were identified and these included:
The Strategy and the preferred options need to be agreed by each of the participating authorities in February 2006. Defra require the Strategy to be adopted by all authorities by no later than March 2006.

In response to questions about the different options available for the treatment of waste, The Waste Business Manager explained that the County Council was not looking towards any one type of facility. He further advised that the procurement process will decide how municipal waste is dealt with and potential contractors will need to convince the County Council that they are able to manage the waste.

Members of the Sub Committee indicated their support for the options outlined above. Whilst the Sub Committee was not supportive of mass burn incineration, they were of the view that there should be a re-examination of the business case for the option of incineration with energy recovery. It was noted that this was probably already included within the option for the investigation of thermal treatment with energy recovery.

Within the discussion of the Strategy, Members felt it would be helpful if further information could be provided about the operation of existing arrangements for waste disposal in County Durham.

Resolved:
1. That the indication of the Sub Committees support for the four broad options outlined above, together with other comments from the meeting be submitted to Cabinet.

2. That the business case for incineration with energy recovery be re-examined.


Attachments

 Mins 5 Jan.pdf