Agenda, decisions and minutes

No declarations of interest were made.

A decision of the Cabinet meeting on 23 June 2015 relating to Hope Household Recycling Centre has been called in.  Attached is a copy of the procedure for dealing with a called in item.

The Member Engagement Manager explained the procedure for the Call-in of a Cabinet decision.  

That having considered the decision, the Overview & Scrutiny Committee was satisfied with the explanation that it had received and therefore the decision could be implemented.

The Member Engagement Manager referred to the Call-in to the decision of the Cabinet from its meeting held on 23 June 2015 relating to Hope Household Recycling Centre.  The Call-In notice had been signed by five Members of the Council.  To assist Members, the following documents had been circulated with the agenda:-

                        (a)       A copy of the procedure for dealing with a called-in item.

(b)       A copy of the report considered by Cabinet on 23 June 2015

(c)        A copy of the Cabinet Record of Decision No. 3204

(d)       A copy of the Call-in notice signed by Councillors Hilary Isherwood, Tim Newhouse, Cindy Hinds, David Williams and Dave Healey.

The Member Engagement Manager explained the procedure for a Call-in meeting and detailed the four options available to the Committee.

The Chair invited the Call-in signatories to address the Committee.  Councillor Hilary Isherwood, as the first of the signatories, queried whether the Committee Members had received the correspondence submitted by protesters Jacqueline Hurst and Dr. Rachel Parsonage.  Copies were obtained and circulated to the Committee Members and the decision makers, who were represented by the Deputy Leader & Cabinet Member for Environment and the Cabinet Member for Waste Strategy, Public Protection & Leisure. 

Councillor Isherwood detailed the reasons for the Call-in which were that the signatories felt that the data was flawed, that an unrealistic timeline had been set and that answers on certain issues such as rubble, had not been provided.  It was suggested that information on data analysis had been requested but had not been forthcoming despite a Freedom of Information Act request.  Councillor Isherwood also indicated that the correspondence from the protesters reported that they had been advised by the Chief Officer (Streetscene and Transportation) and Cabinet Member for Waste Strategy, Public Protection & Leisure that the only option to retain the site was for the community to take it over.  However, a cost benefit analysis had not been received but details of footfall and running costs of the site had been provided by the Waste & Ancillary Services Manager.  Councillor Isherwood felt that the footfall figures were incorrect and that the number of visitors was nearer to 24,000 rather than the figure provided. 

Councillor David Williams, who was one of the signatories but had been unable to attend this meeting, had requested a breakdown of the reported £200,000 savings per annum; it was suggested that this information had also been requested by the Clerk of Penyffordd Community Council but this had not been provided.  Councillor Isherwood also referred to £3m funding from Welsh Government for recycling for the whole of Wales and said that details had not been provided on why rubble could not be collected at Hope Recycling Centre. 

It was reported that meetings had been held with the Cabinet Member, Chief Officer and local County Council members but Councillor Isherwood disagreed that all those present had been in agreement about the suggested proposals for the sustainability of the site.  She felt that the Community had been left with  ...  view the full minutes text for item 17.

                        There were three members of the public and two members of the press in attendance.