Agenda and minutes

The Council welcomes engagement from members of the public. To speak at this meeting please register no later than 24 hours prior to the date of the meeting via democracy@southkesteven.gov.uk

Anne Gayfer – question to the Environment Overview and Scrutiny Committee:

“Will South Kesteven District Council please declare a biodiversity emergency and put policies in place to improve biodiversity?”

The Chairman confirmed that the Committee had an item on biodiversity on the agenda for the meeting in December 2023.

An apology for absence was received from Councillor Mark Whittington.

Councillor Graham Jeal substituted for Councillor Mark Whittington.

Members are asked to disclose any interests in matters for consideration at the meeting.

No interests were disclosed.

The minutes of the meeting held on 11 July 2023 were proposed, seconded and AGREED as a correct record.

The minutes of the joint meeting of the Finance and Economic and Environment Overview and Scrutiny Committee held on 25 July 2023 were proposed, seconded and AGREED as a correct record.

There were none.

This report proposes the introduction of a new Animal Welfare Licensing Policy and a 4-week consultation period with the public, existing animal welfare licence holders and  partner agencies. 

The Licensing Team Leader presented the report.

This policy covered the licensable activity of Animal Welfare.  It set out the principles the Council will use when dealing with animal related licensing matters.  The purpose of animal licensing was to protect animals and ensure their health and wellbeing, those using the licensed facility as well as providing protection for the public within the terms of the relevant Acts and legislative Guidance.

There was no statutory requirement for a local authority to adopt an Animal Welfare Policy.  However, the adoption of an Animal Welfare Policy would give clarity to the public, partner agencies and applicants.  It also provided a framework for Officers and Members to enable consistent decision making and transparency.  The Policy covers the areas of animal boarding establishment licences, horse-riding established licenses, pet shop licences, dangerous wild animal licences, dog breeding establishments and keeping or training for exhibition licences and zoo-keeping licences.

There is a government proposal to require that primates are kept at zoo-level standards. Whilst within the current Animal Welfare legislation it is an offence to keep primates and not provide for their welfare needs or to cause them unnecessary suffering, if the legislation is enacted the keeping primates as pets would be banned as supported within the Policy.

Members raised the following points during discussion:

·       The report was welcomed as an addition to the Council’s regulatory process.

·       How was the consultation to be undertaken?

·       Would all parish and Town Councils be contacted for their feedback as part of the consultation?

·       How would the policy be enforced, was it the role of the Council to enforce the legislation?  What resources had the Council established to support this?

·       Were Market and Fair Traders to be included within the consultation, with reference to the selling of animals as prizes?

·       Was there a specific, different licence for travelling circus animals?

·       Did the Deepings Pet Refuge require a licence under this policy?

·       Could first tier tribunal system be explained in further detail?

The Licensing Team Leader informed Members of the Committee that the Team would primarily use social media and emails.  Survey Monkey would also be available and in paper form for those who did not have access to the internet.  Parish and Town Councils would be contacted for their feedback alongside anticipated consultees, including Lincolnshire Police, Fire and Rescue, Highways, Town Councils, the public, current licence holders and departments within South Kesteven District Council.  The Officer confirmed that Market and Fair-Traders could be considered too. 

It was confirmed that the Council did not issue licences for travelling circuses.  However, it was confirmed that the Deepings Pet Refuge was subject to a licence under the policy.

A Member asked for written clarification on which authority issued travelling circus licences.

ACTION:

The Licensing Team Leader was to circulate an email to Members of the Committee confirming what authority issued licences for travelling circuses.

The Officer continued that the Licensing Team had already issued the licences.  There were two Licensing Officers that went out  ...  view the full minutes text for item 20.

Following a public consultation conducted, a revised Climate Action Strategy has been developed setting out South Kesteven District Council’s aspirations to reduce carbon emissions and adapt to the impacts of climate change within the district.

The Cabinet Member for Environment and Waste introduced the report.

South Kesteven District Council made a formal declaration of climate emergency on 26 September 2019 with cross party support.  Alongside this, the Council confirmed the political ambition to reduce the organisation’s carbon footprint by at least 30% by 2030, and to endeavour to become net-zero as soon as viable before 2050.

On 14th March 2023, the first Climate Action Strategy document was presented to Environment Overview and Scrutiny Committee.  The Committee recommended that the Strategy be put out for consultation to gauge public opinion, and for a revised Strategy to be brought back to the relevant Overview and Scrutiny Committee.

The consultation was open for just over 4 weeks from 10th July.  As well as residents of South Kesteven, specific stakeholder groups identified included district Councillors for South Kesteven, Town and Parish councils, voluntary and community groups with an environmental focus.

The feedback from the consultation exercise had been very constructive. While there was a broad support for the eight Themes within the Climate Action Strategy, and for areas of focus and priorities, there were clear themes where respondents believed the Council could go further or improve the Strategy.  In response to feedback on the length and format of the Strategy, a separate Climate Action Strategy Executive Summary document had also been prepared.

In depth detail of projects to be delivered across each of the eight Themes identified, including cost and payback, associated benefits and service area within the Council were to be presented as the Climate Action Plan once the full Climate Action Strategy was published.

Members raised the following points during discussion:

·       The consultation indicated feedback that as a Local Authority, the Council needed to be considering our natural environment moving forward.  These results should be integrated within our planning policies and Corporate Plan too.

·       A Member noted that the Climate Change Strategy was introduced by the previous administration.  The issue of climate change was too important not to be endorsed cross-party and promoted to the whole community.  He considered that 176 responses was disappointing.

·       The Chairman welcomed the report as exceptionally well-worded and thanked Officers for their hard work.

·       Had enough consideration been given to local businesses?

·       For the sake of the future, the Council needed to show how seriously it considered climate change to be.  Responses were too low and further engagement with the public was essential such as talking in schools, for example.

·       It was acknowledged that the climate may not be every resident’s top priority in the current challenging financial times but more support was required.

·       How was the strategy going to be achieved? What detailed actions were planned?

·       Could the Council promote the Climate Action Strategy in the local press to gain extra response from the public?

·       Had there previously been a successful Climate Action Working Group?

The Sustainability and Climate Change Officer confirmed that 176 responses were received during the consultation.  There were also detailed and helpful responses received from the Greater  ...  view the full minutes text for item 21.

The climate and carbon dashboard provides an overview of South Kesteven District Council’s operational carbon emissions for the 2022/23 period, including progress against the Council’s carbon reduction targets of at least 30% by 2030.

The Cabinet Member for Environment and Waste introduced the report.

In order to monitor and manage the Council’s carbon footprint, it was recommended to publish an (at least annual) update on reported carbon emissions.  This carbon dashboard included the full scope of South Kesteven District Council’s carbon emissions for the 2022/23 financial year, against the Council’s baseline year of 2018/19.  The reported carbon emissions for 2022/23 show an overall reduction against the baseline of 1817 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e), or a 23.90% reduction from the baseline year. 

The continued inclusion of the Deepings Leisure Centre facility in the baseline year had resulted in a significant reported reduction in carbon emissions for the 2022/23 year.  The facility attributed in the baseline for 994 tonnes of carbon emissions, or 13% of the whole carbon footprint of South Kesteven District Council.  A significant reduction in electricity use had contributed as well as the ongoing national decarbonisation of the electricity supply through renewable sources.  Carbon emissions from the Council’s vehicle fleet remain high.

The Sustainability and Climate Change Officer informed Members that this report referred solely to the Council’s buildings and vehicles.

Members raised the following points:

·       Was there an update on the position with solar panels on our public buildings?

·       Why was there a low level of confidence in reference to water?

·       How was the information obtained on carbon emissions of Members?

·       Were the electric vehicles being used to their full potential?

·       Train travel by staff had significantly reduced, what were the reasons for this?

The Sustainability and Climate Change Officer confirmed that the Council had solar panels on the three Leisure Centres at Bourne, Stamford and the Meres at Grantham as well as Bourne Corn Exchange.  A number of buildings had been surveyed for the potential for solar panel usage and this was under review.  The Council was to look for any grant opportunities to support with installation of solar panels but there were not currently any specific grant funds available.

The Officer continued that the water information was based on estimates rather than actual volume.  This had been reviewed but there had currently been no means of improving the data.  It was acknowledged that using data from expenses claims for the information on carbon emissions for elected Members was not entirely accurate as not all Members claimed travel expenses, however this had been the only data available.  Electric vehicles were not included in any of the emission categories other than electricity within the report, although mileage comparisons could be included in future reports.  Only staff business travel during the working day was considered within the report.  The rise in online events had reduced the need for staff to travel.  There were policies to encouraging car-sharing too.

It was AGREED that the Committee noted the reported carbon emissions for the 2022/23 period which cover operations from South Kesteven District Council buildings and vehicles.

To receive a verbal update on the Environment Act from the Interim Assistant Director of Public Protection and Operations.

The Interim Assistant Director of Operations and Public Protection gave a verbal update on the implementation of the Environment Act 2021.

The Government published its Waste Strategy in England in 2018 which contained 3 interrelated projects:

·       Extending producer responsibility

·       Deposit return scheme

·       Consistency in household recycling

The Act allowed the UK to enshrine these environmental protection objectives into law.

Following the publication of the Strategy, DEFRA undertook consultation on the policies during 2019 and 2021.  Reasonably high levels of responses were received for extending producer responsibility and the deposit return scheme

but limited responses for waste consistency in collections, leaving Councils awaiting clarity on the new service requirements.

On 28 July 2023, DEFRA wrote to all Councils advising that the extended producer responsibility for packaging payments would be deferred to October 2025 and would include a further consultation on the regulations to underpin extended producer responsibility.  The 12-month deferral was hoped to provide industry with additional time to prepare for the new requirements along with the chance to review and improve their supply of recyclable packaging material.

The Prime Minister was due to make a speech on 25 September, expected to clarify plans around green initiatives.  To date DEFRA had confirmed that the reforms would now be called simply recycling and were to focus on a list of material to be collected for recycling.  Updates to food waste collections were still expected to be undertaken.

The following points were made in discussion:

·       What impact was the lack of clarity on food waste collection likely to have on the new depot costs?

The Interim Assistant Director of Operations and Public Protection confirmed that no significant impact in terms of cost at the new depot was expected at this time.

This report provides information regarding options for the introduction of a domestic battery recycling service.

The report was introduced by the Interim Assistant Director of Operations and Public Protection.

Currently Local Authorities were not required to collect used batteries from households and the Department for Environment & Rural Affairs (DEFRA) consultation (Environment Act 2021) on the separate collection of recyclables did not propose to introduce this.  South Kesteven Council’s waste operations as with many local authorities did not directly collect batteries as part of their recycling initiatives, although, they were accepted at the local household waste recycling centres within the district.

Officers were tasked to look at a number of options in respect of safe battery recycling which also included reviewing the scheme of another local authority who are collecting directly from the householder.

The Chairman read out a statement from Councillor Ben Green who was unable to attend the meeting:

‘. . Had I been able to attend in person, I would strongly argue for option D on the recommendations – curbside collection with a one-off cost of retrofitting the fleet with the appropriate containers and residents supplying their own bags.  This is very much less than the cost of a new refuse vehicle, potentially damaged by fire.  Rushcliffe Borough Council lights the way in collecting one tonne of batteries annually as the report says.  That is an amazing number – indeed, it is a tonne of batteries not going in the bin with potential to cause fire.  So let’s come together and make a low cost progressive stride forward.  Doing nothing is not an option’.

During discussion the following points were raised by Members:

·       For option ‘D’, was it practically viable to have residents supply their own bags?

·       Was a promotional campaign included in the costings for option ‘D’?

·       Rushcliffe Borough Council’s scheme was very positively received.

·       Local radio may be able to assist in promotion.

·       Would vapes be included in the recycling?

·       Was there a value in collecting old mobile phones too?

The Assistant Director of Operations and Public Protection confirmed that freezer like bags would be supported for use so the operatives could see what was inside.  Funding was included within option ‘D’ for promotion of the scheme.  Promotion and community engagement was to be widespread and was to include the engagement of young people.

The Waste and Recycling Manager confirmed that one-use vapes could be dismantled and the batteries taken out but vapes were to be considered within the scheme.  The best methods of collecting mobile phones was to be consulted on with partners and considered.

It was proposed, seconded and AGREED that the Committee:

a)    Noted the contents of the report.

b)    Recommended that option D - Kerbside Collection -The implementation of a kerbside scheme with residents providing their own bags as the most cost efficient and sustainable method.

To consider the Committee’s Work Programme for 2023-2024.

The Committee noted the Work Programme 2023-24.

A Member asked that consideration be given to the recycling of mobile phones.

The Chairman confirmed that it would be considered as a future agenda item.

The Head of Corporate Projects, Policy and Performance confirmed that the LED streetlights were to be considered in December 2023 following budget approval.  Each Overview and Scrutiny Committee will receive a report on their Key Performance Indicators in the February 2024 meeting, to commence on 1 April 2024.

The Committee were reminded of the site visit taking place at Mid UK in Barkston on Monday 23^rd October 2023.

The Chairman closed the meeting at 11:55.