Housing, Dundee Contract Services And Environment Services Committee - 17/04/2000

At a MEETING of the ENVIRONMENTAL AND CONSUMER PROTECTION COMMITTEE held at Dundee on 17th April 2000.

Present:-

COUNCILLORS

Councillor Glen, Convener, in the Chair.

The minute of meeting of this Committee of 20th March, 2000 was held as read.

Unless marked thus * all items stand delegated.

I BROUGHTY FERRY BEACH - PROPOSED ANIMAL EXCLUSION ZONE

There was submitted Joint Report No. 249-2000 by the Director of Leisure & Parks and Director of Environmental & Consumer Protection relative to the development of an Animal Exclusion Zone on Broughty Ferry Beach.

The Committee agreed that:-

(i)an Animal Exclusion Zone be created on the area of Broughty Ferry beach as outlined in the report, to take effect from 1st April 2001 and for the signage, etc, to be fully installed and completed in around August 2001;

(ii)the appropriate officers be remitted to investigate sources of external funding to provide signage which will be required; and

(iii)the appropriate officers be remitted to brief groups and local residents on the implications of the Animal Exclusion Zone and seek consultation on the possibility of excluding dogs and other animals from the entire beach and report back to Committee on the outcome.

II RESULT OF STAGE 2 OF BALDOVIE STUDY

There was submitted Report No. 270-2000 by Director of Environmental & Consumer Protection advising the Committee of the results of stage 2 of the study carried out by Dr F Williams and Dr M Roworth, to determine the probable effects on the health of local residents, of the operation of the former incineration plant at Baldovie.

Dr Williams and Dr Roworth were in attendance and after questions had been asked and answered the Convener, seconded by Councillor Rolfe, moved that the Committee agree to accept the findings of Dr Williams and Dr Roworth, and that no further work be undertaken, in respect of this study.

As an amendment, Councillor Corrigan, seconded by Councillor FitzPatrick moved that the report be not accepted.

On a division, there voted for the motion the Convener, Lord Provost Wright, Councillors de Gernier, Letford, Ward, Shimi, Presswood, Regan, Farquhar, Luke, Kemp, Sturrock, Grant, Rolfe, Powrie, Mackie, Wallace and Scott (18) and for the amendment Councillors Richard Beattie, Dawson, Sawers, FitzPatrick, Petrie, Guild, Corrigan, Fordyce, Bowes and Borthwick (10) whereupon the motion was declared carried and the Committee resolved accordingly.

III CONCLUSIONS OF BULKY UPLIFTS WORKING GROUP

Reference was made to Article VI of the minute of meeting of this Committee of 16th August, 1999, when the Committee agreed to establish a short life Working Group to examine the Councils policy for dealing with bulky uplifts with the remit to consult widely and make recommendations to this Committee as soon as practicable.

It was reported that the Working Group had met on eleven occasions between September, 1999 and March, 2000, and had made the following recommendations:-

7                                             that the charge be reduced to 5 inclusive of VAT per uplift for a trial of six months;

7                                             to agree to the implementation of a Risk Assessment System for dealing with special collections where there was a health or fire risk, for a trial period of six months;

7                                             to note that new methods of paying for special collections (by telephone and debit/credit card) are being introduced;

7                                             to agree that Dundee City Councils comments on the Housing and Local Government Bill take account of the suggestion to support a Factoring Scheme;

7                                             to agree that an amendment to Section 93 of the Civic Government (Scotland) Act be forwarded to the Scottish Executive to ensure that the owner and the occupier were responsible for keeping the common property free from obstructions and combustible materials and where they failed to do so, the Fire Authority enter and remove the obstruction and recover costs as appropriate;

7                                             that information on civic amenity sites and hours of operation be circulated widely and regularly; and

7                                             that the working group continue to review the situation at three month intervals. The review would be based on statistics, other financial information, and the progress of the trial scheme referred to in 2 above, in respect of the quarters ended 30th June, 2000, 30th September, 2000, 31st December, 2000 and 31st March, 2001.

Councillor Fordyce, seconded by Councillor FiztPatrick moved that the Committee defer consideration of the recommendations of the Working Group to the next meeting of the Policy and Resources Committee to enable the Scottish National Party Group to identify the resources to be utilised to abolish the iniquitous bulky uplifts charge, and thereafter report back to this Committee.

As an amendment, the Convener, seconded by Councillor Regan moved that the Committee approve the recommendations of the Working Group.

On a division, there voted for the motion, Councillors Richard Beattie, Dawson, Sawers, FitzPatrick, Petrie, Guild, Corrigan, Fordyce and Bowes (9) and for the amendment the Convener, Lord Provost Wright, Councillors de Gernier, Letford, Ward, Shimi, Presswood, Regan Farquhar, Luke, Kemp, Sturrock, Grant, Rolfe, Powrie, Mackie, Wallace, Scott and Borthwick (19) whereupon the amendment was declared carried and the Committee resolved accordingly.

NEIL GLEN, Convener.