Climate, Environment & Biodiversity Committee - 10/06/2024
At a MEETING of the CLIMATE, ENVIRONMENT AND BIODIVERSITY COMMITTEE held remotely on 10th June, 2024.
Present:-
|
Lord Provost Bill CAMPBELL |
BAILIES
|
Will DAWSON |
Willie SAWERS |
Fraser MACPHERSON |
|
Christina ROBERTS |
Kevin KEENAN |
Derek SCOTT |
|
|
Helen WRIGHT |
|
COUNCILLORS
|
John ALEXANDER |
Lynne SHORT |
George McIRVINE |
|
Heather ANDERSON |
Roisin SMITH |
Charlie MALONE |
|
Nadia EL-NAKLA |
Siobhan TOLLAND |
Wendy SCULLIN |
|
Mark FLYNN |
Georgia CRUICKSHANK |
Pete SHEARS |
|
Stewart HUNTER |
Jax FINNEGAN |
Daniel COLEMAN |
|
Ken LYNN |
Dorothy McHUGH |
Michael CRICHTON |
|
Steven ROME |
|
Craig DUNCAN |
Councillor Heather ANDERSON, Convener, in the Chair.
The minute of meeting of this Committee of 22nd April, 2024 was held as read.
Unless marked thus * all items stand delegated.
I DECLARATION OF INTEREST
There were no declarations of interest.
II BUDGET INVESTMENT - ENVIRONMENTAL ACTIONS/ACTIVITIES
There was submitted Agenda Note AN13-2024 which provided the Committee with an update on the previously agreed investment of 200,000, Article II of the minute of meeting of the City Governance Committee held on 29th February 2024 refers (Report No 55-2024).
This included a range of activities that would positively contribute to the Citys environment, including the recruitment of additional seasonal environment staff and supporting ongoing community clear up works.
The actions and activities that would be taken forward in 2024/2025 were as follows:-
- 65,000 - Recruit four temporary street cleaning staff for six months (city centre).
- 30,000 - External hire of Sweeping contractor (citywide).
- 30,000 - External hire of Deck Scrubber (to be deployed in the city centre and district shopping centres).
- 30,000 - Support for Community Clean-ups (citywide skip provision and waste disposal).
- 45,000 - Purchase of litter bins (citywide).
The additional investment would complement a wide range of ongoing initiatives across the Environment Service.
The Convener, seconded by Bailie Dawson, moved that the terms of the Agenda Note be noted.
As an amendment, Bailie Macpherson, seconded by Councillor Duncan, moved that:-
(i) the Committee notes the Agenda Note and 2024/2025 expenditure taking place, but notes that much of this consists of temporary jobs, short-term hire of equipment and one-off community clean-ups;
(ii) Committee accepts that a longer-term strategy is required, including looking at the viability of additional permanent jobs in environment teams;
(iii) to this end and to ensure meaningful and detailed discussion on options, Committee agrees to a short-term officer/member working group being established, chaired by the Executive Director of Neighbourhood Services, and with Elected Member representation from all Council groups and the Conservative member; and
(iv) the working group should undertake its work over the next six months and thereafter the outcome and recommendations should be reported back to the relevant Committee(s).
On a division, there voted for the motion - the Convener, Lord Provost Campbell, Bailies Dawson, Roberts and Sawers, Councillors Alexander, El-Nakla, Flynn, Hunter, Lynn, Rome, Short, Smith and Tolland (14); and for the amendment - Bailies Keenan, Wright, Macpherson and Scott, Councillors Cruickshank, Finnegan, McHugh, McIrvine, Malone, Scullin, Shears Coleman, Crichton and Duncan (14) - whereupon, there being a parity of votes, the Convener used her casting vote in favour of the motion, whereupon the motion was declared carried.
III COMPOST CERTIFICATION 2024/2025
There was submitted Report No 149-2024 by the Executive Director of Neighbourhood Services providing an update on the Publicly Available Specification for composted materials (PAS 100) certification for the composting process carried out by Dundee City Council at Riverside.
The Committee agreed:-
(i) to note that Dundee City Council had recently achieved accreditation to the PAS 100 quality standard for 2024/2025. Accreditation had been held since 2008.
IV DUNDEE BIODIVERSITY ACTION PLAN - ANNUAL PROGRESS REPORT
There was submitted Report No 146-2024 by the Executive Director of Neighbourhood Services presenting an update on the progress made on the implementation of Dundees Biodiversity Action Plan, reporting on actions progressed during 2023/2024, and seeking to remit the Executive Director of Neighbourhood Services to bring forward an updated Biodiversity Action Plan in Spring, 2025.
The Committee agreed:-
(i) to note the achievements and progress of the Biodiversity Action Plan; and
(ii) to remit the Executive Director of Neighbourhood Services to bring forward an updated Biodiversity Action Plan.
V AIR QUALITY UPDATE
There was submitted Report No 151-2024 by the Executive Director of Neighbourhood Services summarising the 2023 air quality monitoring data and updating on progress made with the Air Quality Action Plan (AQAP) measures during 2023, providing an update on the provision of air quality monitoring data for the early months of 2024 and informing the Committee of the draft 2024 AQAP update and seeking approval to carry out statutory and public consultation on a draft version of this Plan.
The Committee agreed:-
(i) to remit the Executive Director of Neighbourhood Services to submit the 2024 Air Quality Annual Progress Report (APR) to the statutory bodies;
(ii) to remit the Executive Director of Neighbourhood Services to engage with the Statutory Authorities on the revocation process for the 1-hour mean nitrogen dioxide (NO2) air quality objective component of the Dundee Air Quality Management Area (AQMA) (as outlined in section 4.6 of the report);
(iii) to note the information provided in Appendix 2 on provisional air quality monitoring data for the months of January to April, 2024; and
(iv) to remit the Executive Director of Neighbourhood Services to progress with the update of the AQAP and carry out statutory consultation, in line with the requirements of the Local Air Quality Management (LAQM) Policy Guidance (Scotland) 2023, on the draft 2024 AQAP. A further report to update on the outcome of the consultation and any subsequent amendments to the draft AQAP and seeking approval to submit the final AQAP to the Scottish Government would be brought to Committee in the Spring of 2025.
VI OPEN SPACE ASSET MANAGEMENT PLAN
There was submitted Report No 145-2024 by the Executive Director of Neighbourhood Services seeking approval of the Open Space Asset Management Plan for 2024/2029.
The Committee agreed:-
(i) to note the varied scope of the management of Dundees open space asset and the progress made to ensure its resilience and adaptation to climate change; and
(ii) to approve the Open Space Asset Management Plan.
Heather ANDERSON, Convener.