Agenda and minutes
Venue: Committee Rooms A/B - Neath Civic Centre. View directions
Contact: Jason Davies
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Minutes of Previous Meeting PDF 158 KB Additional documents: Minutes: Officers
referred to paragraph 2.1 Corporate Plan Key Performance Indicators 2018/2019 –
Quarter 1 Performance (1st April 2018 - 30th June 2018), and informed the
committee that a request had been received by a Member of the committee
following the previous meeting for a further breakdown for waste and recycling
indicators. Officers tabled the information which was not captured on the new
Corporate Performance and Risk Management System. The committee asked for the
information to be circulated via e-mail to all Members of the committee
following the meeting. Members
commented that some local authorities in England were no longer recycling
yoghurt pots and certain types of plastic, as it was considered not worthwhile.
Members queried whether officers were planning to do something similar in the
future. Officers stated that some plastics had a better market value than
others. Officers reported that a lot of research was being undertaken by the
industry into recycling plastics, and that officers were keeping the issue
under review. The
committee noted the minutes. |
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To select appropriate items from the Cabinet Board Agenda for pre-scrutiny (Cabinet Board reports enclosed for Scrutiny Members). Minutes: The
Committee scrutinised the following matters. Cabinet
Board Proposals 2.1 Arboricultural
Management Plan Members questioned whether the Council would be
liable if a tree situated on Council owned land fell onto a citizen’s property
and caused damage. Officers stated that the council was responsible for trees
on council land, however each incidence would be subject to individual
circumstances. Following scrutiny, the Committee were supportive
of the proposal to be considered by Cabinet Board. 2.2 Management of potholes Members queried that with less money
coming down from Welsh Government to local authorities, how were
officers expected to deal with continuous pressures particularly with severe
weather predicted for the coming winter. Officers informed the committee that
despite pressures the service was still generally performing satisfactorily as
evidenced by the low number of successful third party claims. Members queried if the department waited for
potholes to be reported by the public or whether potholes were proactively
identified. Officers stated that officers regularly inspected the roads and
further information was detailed in the maintenance plan which was published
online. Officers informed the committee that the Council had a legal
requirement to publish a maintenance plan which it should adhere to. Officers
stated that ultimately, the aim would be to always identify emerging potholes
before calls were received by members of the public, for example, by equipment
mounted on the Council’s waste vehicles which regularly traversed the Council’s
roads. Officers stated that a review had been carried out by the Council’s
insurers of the management processes and they were generally satisfied with the
Council’s arrangements for dealing with potholes. Officers acknowledged that it
was not possible to ensure that all roads in the county borough were defect
free at all times and hence the need for a maintenance plan setting out
inspection frequencies and response standards. Officers informed the committee
that a new code of practice was due to be introduced that month and that
officers would be bringing back a further report on the code in the near
future. Members referred to the new alternative systems
detailed on page 78 and 79, and asked officers to provide an update on the
progress made in relation to the Archway and Bobcat vehicles. Officers reported
that they had already used and trialled the technology. Officers stated that it
was important to use the correct tool in the right situation. Officers stated
that they were planning to replace one of the current Hotboxes. Officers
informed Members that they were in the process of determining if the technology
was value for money or whether it would be more cost effective to hire the
equipment when it was required instead. Members queried whether the materials currently being used to fill potholes were durable, and questioned whether there were alternative products that could be used that were longer lasting such as plastic. Members stated that MR6 plastic filler was considered to be 60% stronger and more durable than most conventional materials and queried whether Officers were considering using it. Officers ... view the full minutes text for item 2. |
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Forward Work Programme 18/19 PDF 111 KB Minutes: The
committee confirmed that it would prefer a training session instead of a report
for the Customer Contact Centre Information item. Officers agreed to arrange a
training session on the subject. The
committee noted the work programme. |