Agenda item

The Committee considered the report of the Director of Transformation and Partnerships, which provided Members with an opportunity to review and refresh the work programme for 2019/20.

Members reviewed their work programme each year to reflect the objectives and associated outcomes and actions identified within the Council Plan for the Council’s Altogether Greener priority theme (for copy see file of minutes).

The Overview and Scrutiny Officer presented the report and advised Members that this report was the first report in a two part process to refresh of the work programme and acknowledged that it had been another very busy year for this committee.

In relation to review activity looking at the Management of Durham County Council Allotments was paused while a consultation had taken place. The consultation had now ended and arrangements were being made to pick this work up with additional meetings. It was suggested that a report to Cabinet could be expected in the Autumn.

Members of this committee had attended several visits that linked into the work programme and had given members the opportunity to see operations in practice such as visits to:

• Thornley Waste Transfer Station
• Tudhoe HWRC
• Flood Schemes

Members were advised that further visits would take place within this year’s work programme to the new facility at Stainton Grove HWRC and to visit Heritage Assets.

The Overview and Scrutiny Officer advised that looking forward to the new work programme many of the items considered this year, members had asked for these items to go forward.  Items included:

• Strategic walking and Cycling Delivery Plan 2018 – 2028
• Air quality – which will also pick up members concerns on idling vehicles
• Winter Maintenance
• Single Use Plastics
• Fuel poverty
• Heritage Coast
• Stockton to Darlington Bicentennial Celebrations
• Gala Theatre
• Flood Risk Management Authorities
• Community Action Team
• Highway Maintenance
• EU Funding and Other Funding for Carbon Project
• Climate Change Strategy and Delivery Plan
• Carbon Management Plan
• Fly Tipping – perhaps combining the information presented to members at this meeting with information provided by the service

The Overview and Scrutiny Officer advised of new areas members had asked to be included in the work programme which was:

• Waste Collection Process
• Heritage Assets
• Evaluation of Operation Spruce up

The Overview and Scrutiny Officer asked members to consider items to go forward into the new work programme and if they had any thoughts on work programme items outside of the meeting to email.

The Chairman commented that it was a substantial work programme which would continue into next year. He suggested if Members had any items they wished to look at then they may need to take something out rather than add to the programme.

Resolved: (i) That the report and work programme in relation to the current Council Plan 2016-19 Altogether Greener theme be noted.

(ii) That the Environment and Sustainable Communities Scrutiny Committee at its meeting in July 2019, receive a further report detailing the committee’s work programme for 2019-2020.