Agenda and minutes

South West Devon Waste Partnership - Thursday 25 April 2013 10.00 am

Venue: Board Room, Town Hall, Torbay

Contact: Ross Johnston, Democratic Support Officer  Email: ross.johnston@plymouth.gov.uk

Items
No. Item

33.

DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST

Members will be asked to make any declarations of interest in respect of items on this agenda.

Minutes:

There were no declarations of interest.

34.

MINUTES pdf icon PDF 66 KB

To sign and confirm as a correct record the minutes of the meeting held on 24 January 2013.

Minutes:

Agreed that the minutes of the meeting of the South West Devon Waste Partnership Joint Committee held on Thursday 24 January 2013 are confirmed as a correct record.

35.

CHAIR'S URGENT BUSINESS

To receive reports on business which, in the opinion of the Chair, should be brought forward for urgent consideration.

Minutes:

There were no items of chair’s urgent business.

36.

PROJECT UPDATE

Members will receive an update on the project from Mark Turner, Project Director.

Minutes:

The Partnership received a verbal project update from Mark Turner, Project Director. Members were informed that since the last Committee –

 

(a)

MVV and the SWDWP had continued to progress work on an operational interface, with the main focus directed at developing the IT systems and reporting arrangements;

 

(b)

a  financial allocation mechanism was being  finalised by SWDWP which followed the original principles of the Joint Working Agreement and this would be included as an addendum to it. The scheme would identify the appropriate allocation of Defra Waste Infrastructure Grant (formerly PFI credits) and detail the apportionment of monthly bills from MVV between the three authorities;

 

(c)

the SWDWP were in the process of developing the role of a future SWDWP Contract Manager;

 

(d)

MVV had one breach of Planning conditions of exceeding the operating hours condition on 5 February 2013;

 

(e)

only two public complaints had been received, one in relation to dust and one noise.

 

Following a request made at the last Committee Meeting, Members were provided an overview of noise management and monitoring obligations and were informed that –

 

(f)

MVV had published a ‘Noise Management Plan’, which was a public document and formed part of the planning permission conditions and was available on MVVs website; this was in accordance with the noise level requirements and bespoke methodology that Plymouth City Council had imposed on MVV as part of the planning approval;

 

(g)

 a member of Plymouth’s Public Protection Service and MVV’s monitoring team would be asked to attend the partnership’s site visit in July 2013 to provide an update on noise issues and answer members questions directly.

 

In response to members’ questions it was reported that MVV carry out noise monitoring on a defined basis for a minimum of 30 minutes with the aim of ensuring that noise levels were kept within prescribed limits – the exact process and frequency can be explored further during the site visit in July. MVV control noise through the effective use of acoustic barriers and screening to deflect noise and monitored using hand-held noise monitoring devices in areas that were likely  to receive the greatest levels of noise.

 

Agreed that Mark Turner, Project Director would establish the  method of noise monitoring in practice at the MVV site and report back to Councillor Mark Coker in advance of July’s site meeting.

37.

OVERVIEW OF PROJECT COMMUNICATIONS

Members to receive a verbal update from Liz Waugh on communication activity from January 2013 to April 2013.

Minutes:

Liz Waugh, the Partnership’s Communication Consultant gave a verbal update on recent and upcoming communication activity. Members were informed that –

 

(a)

 

media enquiries had been quiet since January, whilst recent communication activities had mainly focused on community liaison;

 

(b)

the third north yard construction newsletter had been issued and  distributed by MVV to approximately 1500 local households;

 

(c)

MVV had been working closely with local schools and colleges promoting recycling practices and raising awareness of how EfW sits within the waste hierarchy;

 

 

(d)

MVV had signed up to the 1000 club, a campaign in Plymouth where companies had committed to support young people into employment, whether that be through work experience, apprenticeship, graduate internships or employment;

 

(e)

in February a question and answer session was held by MVV with the Herald;

 

(f)

the North Yard Community Trust had now been officially registered and would be holding its first Annual General Meeting at 7pm on 13 May 2013 at the Weston Mill Oak Villa Social Club, Plymouth;

 

 

(g)

MVV had hosted site visits for the Incinerator Liaison Committee (ILC) and the Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB), subsequently further professional organisations had requested to visit the site.

 

In response to members’ questions it was reported that the Planning Department had agreed with MVV which households would receive the construction newsletter but that on the Members’ request that this would be reviewed by SWDWP with MVV.

 

Agreed that Liz Waugh, Communication Consultant, contact Councillors Mark Coker and Brian Vincent to discuss communications for Devonport ward residents, and to help inform future communication activities.

38.

UPDATE OF MVV CONSTRUCTION PROGRAMME AND SITE ACTIVITIES

Members will receive a presentation summarising MVV’s construction progress and site activities from Mark Turner, Project Director.

Minutes:

Martin Pollard, Project Manager, gave a presentation providing an update on MVV’s construction programme and site activities since January. Members were informed that –

 

(a)

piling on site had been completed;

 

(b)

the building of the turbine hall had commenced, the base of the air-cool condensers were constructed, the bunkers were being worked on and the stair tower, which was pre-fabricated off-site, had been erected;

 

(c)

current site activities included –

 

 

·         continuation of concrete pouring and excavation of the bunker;

 

·         construction of the flue gas treatment package including the chimney;

 

·         landscaping works within the local area;

 

·         preparation for piling on the access road bridge, a key construction activity which would enable the heavier parts of the build to begin.

 

39.

UPDATE OF SWDWP PROJECT PROGRAMME pdf icon PDF 309 KB

Members will receive a Project Programme from Mark Turner, Project Director.

Minutes:

Mark Turner, Project Director, presented the latest Project Programme and informed members that MVV had anticipated a six week delay in operational commencement; this was due mainly to the later than anticipated start on site last July and recent severe inclement weather that had been experienced.

 

Members noted the project programme.

40.

FREQUENCY AND FORMAT OF FUTURE MEETINGS

Members to discuss the proposal to change the frequency and format of meeting.

Minutes:

Agreed that the frequency of the SWDWP formal committee meetings are altered from quarterly to six monthly, with each quarterly date reserved between meetings formal meetings for informal site visits to the MVV site as follows:

 

·         25 July 2013 - Site visit to MVV site, Plymouth (optional);

·         24 October 2013 -  formal Joint Working Committee meeting;

·         23 January 2014 - Site visit to MVV site, Plymouth (optional);

·         24 April 2014 – formal Joint Working Committee meeting.

41.

DATE AND LOCATION OF NEXT MEETING

The next meeting is scheduled for 25 July 2013 at 10am at Plymouth City Council.

Minutes:

Agreed that the partnership will undertake a site-visit on Thursday 25 July 2013 and the next meeting will be held on Thursday 24 October 2013 at 10am at the Council House, Plymouth.

42.

EXEMPT BUSINESS

To consider passing 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) involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in paragraph(S) of Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Act, as amended by the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

Minutes:

There were no items of exempt business.