In accordance with the Joint Working Agreement a new Chair will be elected from Torbay Council’s Committee members.

The new Chair will invite nominations for a new Committee Vice-Chair in accordance with the Joint Working Agreement and a new Vice-Chair will be elected from Plymouth City Council’s Committee members.

In the absence of Councillors from Torbay Council, Councillor Bill Wakeham was elected Chair from Plymouth City Council.

There were no declarations of interest.

To sign and confirm as a correct record the minutes of the meeting held on 18 November 2021.

The Committee confirmed the minutres of the meeting held on 18 November 2021 as an accurate record.

There were no items of Chair’s Urgent Business.

To receive a presentation summarising the performance of the contract and facility for 2021/22 and its current status.

To receive a presentation from Mike Turner; MVV Managing Director summarising MVV’s business performance.

Ashleigh Sherrell (Contract Manager SWDWP) and Mike Turner (Managing Director MVV) introduced the presentation on the 2021/22 summary highlighting –

a)    The EfW facility had been fully operational for 7 years;

b)    MVV’s overall 2021/22 service and performance had been good but had seen an increase in the amount and range of performance deductions applied for failing to meet requirements;

c)    Unplanned outages contributed to reduced availability of 90.2% (0.9% below target of 91%);

d)    MVV had complied with planning and environmental permit conditions with one exception relating to an exceedance of a half hourly average in emissions;

e)    There had been 2 justified complaints with 1 relating to odour and 1 to noise;

f)     MVV exceeded the 97% target for diversion from landfill, achieving 99.9%;

g)    The carbon savings had been expected to be 73,594 tCO₂ but this exceeded at 81,946 tCO₂;

h)    The plant availability had operated at 90.2%, slightly below the 91% target with 5 unplanned shutdowns some down to the failure of the grate;

i)     There had been 26 performance failures relating to issues such as waste acceptance, vehicle turn-around times, provision of information in the monthly report and complaint response times;

j)     The Annual Waste throughput was 248,178 with a permit for 265,000 which could be exceeded in future years as it had come close to the limit in 2019 and 2020;

k)    New access and security system had been installed;

l)     Agreed contract change to reduce printing weighbridge tickets;

m)  There had been a lighting review for LED exchange;

They added information on the 2022/23 Current Status and highlighted –

n)    Due to plant efficiency across the years, MVV had requested SWDWP’s approval to increase capacity by 10ktp/a through Consent variation applications;

o)    MVV did not conduct a major outage this year but has reported 600 hours in lost availability to date due to a series of unplanned outages (6 in total) relating to tube leaks, de-slagger blockages and a malfunction of the bucket elevator in the APCR system;

p)    2 justified odour complaints due to opening of safety valves during works in the bunker;

q)    20 Performance Failures for minor operational matters surrounding vehicle deliveries and the community liaison.

In response to questions it was explained –

r)    Enquiries had begun into increasing the planning and environmental permit of 265,000 waste throughput as it had come close to the limit in 2019 and 2020;

s)     Gas canisters had been exploding and causing damage to the grate, but that this was a common issue across the UK and the key to limiting this was education, which MVV worked with partners on;

t)     With regards to capacity, there was storage on site in a bunker larger than most, but also the possibility to bail and export to other sites if capacity was exceeded;

u)    Most ash was being transported to Exeter, but some exported to The Netherlands via Victoria Wharf.

To receive an update on community interface, communications and educational activities from Jane Ford and Jade Beaven; MVV Community Liaison Manager.

Jane Ford (Community Liaison Manager, MVV) gave a presentation and highlighted –

a)    The continuation of virtual sessions had continued when easing out of lockdown, but had gone back to face to face education meetings and physical tours;

b)    Youth groups had been engaged in a variety of projects including painting of plain concrete walls outside the facility with patterns, pebble painting trails and the decorating of the bee hive;

c)    Another project was the Moth Box project which had been done for COP 26 in Glasgow and had been featured there and then at Royal William Yard, with moths made by the young people out of plastic;

d)    There had been work done with Pollenize with the introduction of a Bee Hive (who had made 59 full jars of honey), with studies into the sounds bees make and plans were in the works for a moth camera that would take images of moths as they landed on a light and advice could then be given on which plants could be planted to increase biodiversity;

e)    A new Community Liason Manager had been recruited, who had organised a very successful open day and had more events planned including a Halloween themed litter picking event.

The next meeting is scheduled for 19 October 2023 at Warspite Room, Council House.

The Committee agreed the date and location of the next meeting to be 19 October 2023 in the Warspite Room at Council House, Plymouth.

The Committee agreed to pass a resolution under Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972 to exclude the press and public from the meeting for the following item(s) of business on the grounds that it (they) involved the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in paragraph 3 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Act, as amended by the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

Members will receive a presentation from Ashleigh Sherrell summarising the contract’s commercial performance and any issues faced for contract year 2021/22 and the partnership’s budget forecast and allocations for 2022/23.

Members received a presentation from Ashleigh Sherrell summarising the contract’s commercial performance and any issues faced for contract year 2021/22 and the partnership’s budget forecast and allocations for 2022/23.