Agenda and minutes

To approve as a correct record and sign the Minutes of the meeting held on 5 December 2013.

The Minutes (copies of which had been circulated) of the meeting held on 5 December 2013 were approved as a correct record and signed by the Chair.

Councillors and officers to declare any interests which they have in any of the items on the agenda for the meeting.

Councillors and Officers were invited to declare any interests which they had in

any of the agenda items for the meeting.

The following interest was declared:-

Disclosable Pecuniary Interest

To consider call-in items (if any)

There were no call-in items to consider.

To consider a joint report of the Chief Executive, Corporate Director for People and the Corporate Director for Place Management & Regeneration

The report advises Members of the background to the development of the site at Junction 25 and of other sites in the Bredbury area; addresses concerns raised within the community about the current and future development of waste sites in the Bredbury area; advises Members of the work that will be undertaken in order to minimise the risk of similar occurrences in the future and briefs Members on the outcome of the multi-agency debrief of the fire at Junction 25 Recycling Centre.

The report recommends that the work of the multi-agency group to monitor and regulate the activities of waste sites in the Borough should continue and that the Council should continue to provide updates to businesses in the area about the current status of Junction 25 and the actions being undertaken in respect of other similar sites in the area.

Officer Contacts: Ian O’Donnell/Janine Watson/Donna Sager on 0161 474 4175/7511/3928 or e mail: ian.odonnell@stockport.gov.uk;donna.sager@stockport.gov.uk;janine.watson@stockport.gov.uk

Consideration was given to a joint report of the Chief Executive, Corporate Director for People and the Corporate Director for Place Management and Regeneration (copies of which had been circulated) which advised Members of the background to the development of the Junction 25 Recycling Centre and of other sites in the Bredbury area; addressed concerns raised within the community about the current and future development of waste sites in the Bredbury area; advised Members of the work that would be undertaken to minimise the risk of similar occurrences in the future; and briefed Members on the outcome of the multi-agency debrief of the fire at the Junction 25 Recycling Centre.

The following comments were made/issues raised:-

·         The Committee welcomed the Fire Service’s Technical Guidance Note (TGN7.01) ‘Reducing fire risk at sites storing combustible materials’  and the measures taken since the multi-agency site specific meeting on 19 November 2013 to increase collaborative working between the Fire Service, the Environment Agency and the Council.

·         The site was governed by a permit from the Environment Agency which was currently suspended. If the requirements of the Fire Service and the Council were met, only the Environment Agency could prevent the site being reopened.

·         The issue of how the waste left on the site would be transferred was discussed.

·         The Fire Service would encourage the company operating the Junction 25 Recycling Centre to have a sprinkler system installed as was the case at the nearby Greater Manchester Waste Disposal Authority site.

·         The overall health impact of the effect of the smoke was discussed.  It had not proved necessary to evacuate any people from their homes. However, a limited number of people had presented themselves at GPs with respiratory problems immediately following the fire.

RESOLVED – (1) That the work of the multi-agency group continue to be monitored and the activities of the waste sites in the Borough continue to be monitored.

(2) That the multi-agency group report back to this Scrutiny Committee on an annual basis and sooner if there were any other similar incidents.

(3) That the Council continue to provide updates to businesses in the area about the current status of the Junction 25 Recycling Centre and the actions being undertaken in respect of other similar sites in the area.

To note the resume of the meeting held on 11 December 2013.

Officer contact Aarty Seera on 0161 474 3300 or e mail: aarty.seera@stockport.gov.uk

The Scrutiny Committee considered a resume (copies of which had been circulated) of the meeting of the Stockport Economic Alliance held on 11 December 2013.

RESOLVED – (1) That the resume of the meeting held on 11 December 2013 be noted.

(2) That a report on the Greater Manchester Digital Growth Service be submitted to a future meeting of the Scrutiny Committee.

To note the resume of the meeting held on 12 December 2013.

Officer Contact: Aarty Seera on 0161 474 3300 or e mail: aarty.seera@stockport.gov.uk

The Scrutiny Committee considered a resume (copies of which had been circulated) of the meeting of the Adult Education, Skills and Employability Partnership held on 12 December 2013.

RESOLVED – (1) That the resume of the meeting held on 12 December 2013 be noted.

(2) That Sue Baker, Advice Services Manager, be offered the Scrutiny Committee’s best wishes on her retirement from the Council.

To consider a report of the Democratic Services Manager

The report sets out planned agenda items for the Scrutiny Committee’s next meeting and Forward Plan items that fall within the remit of the Scrutiny Committee.

The Scrutiny Committee is invited to consider the information in the report and put forward any agenda items for future meetings of the Committee.

Officer Contact: David Clee on 0161 474 3137 or e mail: david.clee@stockport.gov.uk

A representative of the Democratic Services Manager submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) setting out the planned agenda items for the Committee’s next meeting and Forward Plan items which fell within the remit of the Scrutiny Committee.

RESOLVED – That the report be noted.