Agenda item

Report ES12084

In considering the Committee’s 2012/13 Work Programme it was agreed to continue the Working Groups outlined below for one or two meetings each to conclude their existing terms of reference and then consider new working groups or updated terms of reference.

Waste Minimisation – one or two meetings to be convened to review the success of textile collections, green garden waste collections and food waste collections from flats.

Transport Priorities – one or two meetings to be convened in the late summer, to consider the Bromley transport priorities particularly relating to tram and DLR.

Parking – a further meeting to be convened in the autumn to consider the impact of the revised parking charges agreed last municipal year.

Street Cleaning Working Group – a further meeting to be convened shortly after the summer break to review the implementation of the new contract. Although the Group’s membership was extant the Chairman invited any Committee Member to contact him should they wish to join the Group.

The Chairman also invited Members to inform him of any external scrutiny that might be considered beneficial to take forward. He also confirmed that the current membership of Environment PDS Working Groups would be circulated following the meeting.

Councillor Grainger felt there was a case for a number of working groups to consider specific issues e.g. crossover policy. He also felt that the transport statement/policy work should be a higher priority although the Chairman indicated that it would not be a high priority until the next LIP statement. 

Referring to the former Public Transport Liaison meetings, Councillor Bennett had found the meetings useful but indicated that they could have been publicised more effectively and the public invited to attend. Concerning external scrutiny, Councillor Bennett suggested looking at the proposal that network rail lines in London be re-branded as part of the overground network.

The Chairman agreed that the format of the Public Transport Liaison meetings should be reviewed. At the last such meeting, some of the public transport operators highlighted the success in other boroughs of annual public meetings, in addition to the non-public liaison meetings. However, with the change of officer roles, the ability to support these meetings and their value needed to be reviewed.

The Chairman also sought views on the participation at future Committee meetings of a Bromley Youth Council (BYC) representative. Councillor Grainger was not supportive of a BYC representative being formally co-opted but instead suggested that a representative be invited to attend meetings. Councillor Samaris Huntington-Thresher had no objection to a BYC representative being part of the Committee but felt that any representative should not have voting rights. The Portfolio Holder indicated that representatives of Friends organisations would have a greater case for representation on the Committee. Councillor Adams supported the views of Councillor Grainger. Councillor Bennett highlighted that there was a non-voting BYC Co-opted Representative on the Education PDS Committee which he saw as an advantage. Councillor Jefferys felt that it was necessary to consider the matter and have a period of reflection. The Chairman suggested that officers establish the level of involvement wanted by the BYC and the Committee could then consider further.

The Chairman also sought to confirm the preferred start time for future meetings of the Committee and upon a vote it was agreed that meetings should continue to start at 7.30 p.m. in 2012/13.

RESOLVED that:

(1) the current 2012/13 Work Programme be agreed;

(2) the Waste Minimisation, Transport Priorities, Parking, and Street Cleaning Working Groups continue into 2012/13;

(3) progress related to previous Committee requests be noted;

(4) a summary of contracts related to the Environment Portfolio be noted; and

(5)  future meetings of the PDS in 2012/13 start at 7:30 p.m.