Carbon Reduction Panel

Minutes of the Meeting held on 19 November 2009

Time Commenced: 11.00am Time Terminated: 12.10pm

Present:

Councillor B. Holland (In the Chair)
Councillors Kelly, S.R. Oldham and Piddington.

Also In Attendance:

Kerry Lea, Nilam Patel and Kathryn Randles – Student Representatives.

Apologies for Absence:

Councillor M. Smith, Taylor and Whitehead

21. Declarations Of Interest

There were no declarations of interest to report at this meeting.

22. Minutes

The Minutes of the proceedings of this Panel held on 3 September 2009, having been circulated, were taken as read and signed by the Chair as a correct record.

23. Appointment Of Student Representatives

The Chair welcomed the following student representatives to their first meeting of this Panel and stated that they would be appointed to the Energy Panel at Council on 24 November 2009:-

Kerry Lea - Fairfield High School
Kathryn Randles - Hyde Technology School
Nilam Patel - All Saints Catholic College

24. Recycling Performance Update 2009/10

Consideration was given to a report of the Assistant Executive Director – Technical and Property Services, detailing the Council’s recycling performance for 2009/10 and outlined the progress made in the introduction of managed collections across the borough.

He reported that for the period 1 April 2009 to 30 September 2009 recycling performance was 36.2% and the Council had exceeded the recycling rate of 30% during the first quarter.

An analysis of domestic residual waste sent to landfill over the last four years showed how recycling had improved and black bin waste had reduced during the period April and June 2009.

Reference was made to the progress made in the introduction of managed collections in the borough up to and including 31 July 2009 which was as follows:-

• Number of Properties on Managed Collections 92500
• Number of Properties still to be introduced
  • Rural Round 1133
• % of borough operating managed collections 94%

He stated that rural properties would commence on the managed collection scheme in mid January 2010.

During the period 6 August 2008 to 30 September 2009 a total of 298 enquiries had been registered on the Council’s Customer Relations Management system of which only 55 had been actual complaints, representing 0.06% of all households.

The Chair requested further information with regard to the number of complaints received prior to the introduction of managed collections. The Assistant Executive - Director of Technical Services stated that he would ensure that all Members of the Panel received copies of this information.

He reported that every household had the potential to reduce carbon emissions by 1.1 tonne per annum if all waste was recycled. If all Tameside households recycled then there was a potential to reduce carbon emissions by 105,600 tonnes from the position of zero recycling.

Taking a baseline recycling level of 8.5% in 2003/04, the following chart demonstrated the CO2 saving per annum linked to recycling performance:- 

*Current level to 30 September 2009.

With recycling levels currently at 36.2% then 63,712 tonnes of carbon emissions were being saved annually.

He also referred to battery recycling, which was part of the mechanical waste sorting process undertaken by the Waste Disposal Authority, where a small amount of batteries were extracted.

He stated that battery recycling facilities were available at Ash Road, Droylsden and Bayley Street, Stalybridge Household Waste Recycling Centres, however the EU battery directive guidance stated that it was the producer’s responsibility to dispose of unwanted batteries and currently in Tameside there were take back schemes in place at IKEA, Curry’s and Morrison’s stores.

Resolved

That the report be noted and the progress made in the introduction of managed collections be noted.

25. 10:10 Campaign

The Assistant Executive Director, Environmental Services reported on the Council’s pledge to reduce its energy consumption by 10% during 2010 as part of the national 10:10 campaign which had been launched in March 2009.

Reference was made to how this would help Tameside and what the 10:10 Campaign meant for the Council, employees, businesses and residents. A copy of the 10:10 Family Checklist was detailed at Appendix A, which would be used by the Council to contribute to energy and financial savings.

Resolved

1. That the report be noted;
2. That the Panel support the Council’s 10:10 Campaign; and
3. That the Council monitor the progress against its pledge over the financial year 2010/11.

26. Waste And Resources Action Programme - Presentation

Emma Marsh from the Waste and Resources Action Programme, funded by Department of the Environment and Rural Affairs, gave a presentation on excessive packaging and the help and advice being offered to businesses on making the most of what we have got in terms of collection and sorting and recycling and processing.

Details were given of the following:-

• 10:10 campaign;
• Methods to reduce weight and volume of packaging;
• Improvements on pack information; and
• Information on waste prevention and communication to residents.

Resolved

That the presentation be noted.

27. Excessive Packaging Project

Consideration was given to a report of the Assistant Executive Director, Environmental Services detailing the project plan for a co-ordinated approach to the assessment and reduction of excessive packaging produced in the Tameside area.

He stated that the project was being undertaken by Tameside Trading Standards in partnership with a number of other North West authorities to assess the level of compliance with the Packaging (Essential Requirement) Regulations and to identify where improvements in the design, manufacture and use of packaging could be made.

Reference was made to the legislation and the project outcomes and a copy of the project was detailed at Appendix 1.

Resolved

That the report be noted and that the Panel support the aim to reduce the overall level of packaging waste produced in the borough.

28. Energy Panel Consultation On A Revised Action Plan For The Tameside Borough Council Staff Travel Plan

The Assistant Executive Director, Technical Services, reported on the revised Action Plan to be taken forward as part of the updated Council Staff Travel Plan.

He referred to the progress which had been made since the Staff Travel Plan’s publication in 2003 and stated that Engineering Operations had constantly updated their fleet to ensure where practicable, they met latest Euro Emission Standards on an ongoing basis.

He further reported that the Council currently employed a full-time Travel Co-ordinator, which was funded through the Department for Transport and the Department for Children, Schools and Families in order to promote safer and more sustainable school travel.

Resolved

That the revised Action Plan be noted and be taken forward as part of the updated Council Staff Travel Plan.

29. Automated Meter Reading – Business Case

Consideration was given to a report of the Assistant Executive Director, Environmental Services detailing the case for introducing Automated Meter Reading across the borough.

Further to the last meeting (Minute 17 refers), Members were notified of the potential benefits of Automated Meter Reading and further information had been requested.

Reference was made to the following:-

• The Council had spent £2.123m on electricity and £1.5m on gas across all of its estate, including schools;
• 214 gas meters were read manually and billed every month or every quarter, depending on usage and these meters were subject to estimated readings;
• Standing charges for gas meters currently cost £264,963 per year in total;
• One of the Council’s electricity suppliers was responsible for 33 high capacity meters, where over 100kW was required at peak times and could be read remotely by the supplier every half hour;
• The Council’s remaining 254 lower capacity electricity meters were read manually by a third supplier and were billed either monthly or quarterly depending on consumption rates at the site. Difficulties had been experienced in terms of billing, accuracy of meter readings and estimated consumption and bills to the value of £300,000 were currently in dispute; and
• The Government had made it a condition of licence that Automated Meter Readers had to be installed at all non-domestic sites with electricity consumption above a certain point from April 2014 and would apply to all of our electricity meters which were not subject to half hourly meter reading.

Details were also given of the operation of Automated Meter Readings and its associated costs, which were detailed at Appendix 1.

Resolved

That the report be noted and further reports be submitted to ascertain the Business Case for the installation of Automated Meter Readers across the Council.

30. Dates Of Future Meetings

It was noted that the Energy Panel would meet on the following dates, all meetings commencing at 11.00am:-

21 January 2010 and 25 March 2010.

31. Urgent Items

The Chair reported that there were no urgent items for consideration at this meeting.

Chair