Question No

Question By

Cabinet Member

Subject

4 10/11

Mark West

Councillor Michael Leaves

Waste to energy incinerator in the dockyard, North Yard

1.         What is the full impact assessment to the local community of the siting of a waste to energy incinerator in the dockyard, North Yard, including social and environmental impact of lorries, fumes, noise and traffic danger?

2.         How does this positively impact on the drive for 80% recycling of Plymouth Waste?

Response to item 1:

If the North Yard solution is successful, a full environmental impact assessment will be prepared by the contractor and submitted as part of their planning application. This environmental assessment will include an assessment of all the relevant environmental factors including those mentioned and will be a public document.

This document will be fully considered as part of the planning application process by various statutory consultees and organisations involved including the Environment Agency and highway authorities and their responses will be considered along with community views as part of the planning determination. 

Response to item 2:

The Council’s Municipal Waste Management Strategy 2007 - 2030 was adopted in April 2007 following consultation with the community and other interested parties. The Strategy adopted a combined recycling and composting rate of 39% with intermediate targets of 30% by 2010 (already achieved) and 33% by 2015. However, the Council will seek to improve upon these figures where practicable to do so.

The Municipal Waste Management Strategy evaluated a range of possible options for managing the City’s Municipal waste. The preferred option was chosen following a series of workshops and consultation exercises. The adopted preferred option includes an Energy from Waste solution for the final treatment of non-recycled waste. This option was shown to increase recycling and composting, reduce the impact on the environment from CO² emissions and meet legal requirements to divert biodegradable waste from landfill.

Evidence from other countries in Europe with Energy from Waste facilities indicates that recycling and energy recovery are not mutually exclusive options but are part of a structured approach to managing waste effectively. This is also supported by evidence in this country in areas where modern Energy from Waste facilities exist. The role that energy recovery has to play in the future has already been endorsed by the Coalition Government.

The Council is confident that the Municipal Waste Management Strategy sets out a positive programme which increases recycling, recovers value from non-recycled material and offers a cost effective service to residents of the City.

The Municipal Waste Management Strategy and all the supporting documents are available from the Council’s website. Hard copies are available in the libraries and a copy can be supplied on a CD upon request.

The Council has not made a commitment to recycle and compost 80% of Plymouth’s waste but would be interested to know the source of this information.

Question No

Question By

Cabinet Member

Subject

510/11

Angela Prince

Councillor Monahan

Proposed closure of Welby

How does the Council believe it is supporting and promoting individual choice and control for learning disabled individuals by choosing to ignore the opposition expressed, by a majority of service users and carers, during the public consultation regarding the proposed closure of Welby?

Response:

There are over 1000 people in the city with learning disabilities supported by the council, of those there are 40 families who use Welby.  We acknowledged in the Cabinet report that people wanted Welby to remain open, however people with learning disabilities and some other family carers also wanted more choice and control over the range and availability of short break service provision.  We reflected all of these themes in the Cabinet paper.

The Council through Adult Social Care will work with carers to continue to ensure that their eligible and assessed need for carers support is met.

Question No

Question By

Cabinet Member

Subject

610/11

Mr Sharpe

CouncillorMrs Watkins

Proposed transfer of Downham School Plymstock

Please could it be disclosed if the proposed transfer of Downham School Plymstock to Estover will still go ahead in 2011 and if so when the Downham school site will be declared surplus to requirements.

Response:

The transfer of Downham to the Tor Bridge site (Estover Campus) is subject to a Cabinet report being presented on 14 December 2010. At present the secondary unit of Downham has been completed but the primary element will not be completed until summer 2012 when the Primary School is opened. It is felt that it is in the best interests of the children, families and the staff at the school to move all concerned together, it is therefore now proposed that this be deferred to September 2012 and this will be subject to authorisation by Cabinet for full consultation.

In relation to the site we are awaiting new regulations in the new year from the Department for Education regarding disposal of sites and declaring land surplus to requirements as indicated in the Schools White Paper 2010 – The Importance of Teaching.