Agenda and minutes

No declarations of interest were received.

Apologies for absence were received from Councillor Mick Brady.

5.00pm

The Environmental Services Manager presented a verbal report on the current waste recycling services offered by the council. It was explained that the council currently provides a general waste collection only for trade. Veolia collects the waste on the council’s behalf from around 800 diverse businesses.

The committee heard that the council provides a reliable general waste collection service and there was anecdotal evidence that businesses return to the council after moving to other providers for cheaper rates due to the high levels of customer service. It also offers advice to businesses on recycling but it is likely that a significant proportion of recycling from businesses is currently collected as general waste.

It was noted that more businesses were interested in recycling services but the financial considerations were as important to them as the environmental ones. A flyer had been sent to 850 existing trade waste customers to gauge interest but only 40 responses were received. An initial high level review of other local authorities’ trade recycling services had been completed as part of the review.

The research project was expected to continue into the early autumn and would consider the feasibility of town centre trial for existing customers and the possible inclusion of a trade waste recycling service delivered alongside the general waste when the new waste contract is evaluated.

RESOLVED –

1.   That the update be noted.

2.   That a further update be provided to the committee in December 2019.

5.30pm

The Private Sector Housing Manager explained to the committee that The Private Sector Housing Enforcement Policy and the Fees and Charges Policy were launched in March 2019. The policy allows the Council to levy charges where necessary to ensure that no landlord who breaks the law is allowed to benefit financially. Prior to the implementation of the policy, Chesterfield was the only Derbyshire authority not to charge for enforcement action.

A number of questions were supplied to the Private Sector Housing Manager prior to the meeting and responses were given as follows;

How are issues with private sector housing identified and addressed?

·        Tenants contact the Council to complain

·        Agencies such as social care, fire service, police contact the Council to complain

·        A service request pro-forma is completed for each complaint and there is a legal duty, to not only respond, but to assess the property against 29 separate health and safety hazards. 

·        The Private Sector Housing Team is relatively small which means that capacity to manage complaints is challenging.

·        A charge of £418.00 for serving notices was issued to owners/landlords

What is the standard of private sector landlords within the Borough?

·        The Private Sector Housing Team only usually interacts with the landlords that have received complaints due to the nature of their work therefore it is difficult to provide a comprehensive overview.

·        Chesterfield receives similar numbers of complaints to Bolsover and North East Derbyshire District Councils

·        Chesterfield Borough Council is second to Derby City Council for the number of successful prosecutions in Derbyshire. 

What has been the impact of private sector growth on social housing?

·        The Private Sector Housing Team does not have access to this data.

What are the obstacles/barriers that the Private Sector Housing Team face?

·        Capacity is an issue. The officers in the team deal with enforcement, licencing of houses of multiple occupation, licensing of park home sites, illegal encampment enforcement and empty homes.

·        These pressures are illustrated by the waiting list of complaints

What are the future plans for the department?

·        The possible introduction of civil penalties where the money is paid directly to the Borough Council thus covering the costs of the enforcement service and potentially increasing capacity in other areas.

RESOLVED –

1.   That the update be noted.

2.   That a further update be provided to the committee in February 2020

To move “That under Section 100(A)(4) of the Local Government Act 1972 the public be excluded from the meeting for the following items of business on the grounds that they involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Paragraph 1 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Act".

Part 2 (Non Public Information)

RESOLVED –

That under Section 100(A)(4) of the Local Government Act, 1972, the public be excluded from the meeting of the following item of business on the grounds that it involved the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Paragraph 3 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Act.

6.00pm

The Economic Development Manager presented an overview of the Council’s Industrial Unit Portfolio which consisted of 610 properties generating funds to contribute to the delivery of council services. It was explained that the Economic Development team markets all the properties and was finding it increasingly difficult to service enquiries as there were very few units unoccupied.

There was discussion around the standard of the existing industrial unit stock and the Economic Development Manager explained that the leases require tenants to return the units in the state that they were provided. Kier was responsible for carrying out inspections and managing the tenants. It was acknowledged that businesses look for key features in industrial units such as; good access, secure shutter doors, kitchen facilities, sufficient ceiling height and energy efficiency.

It was heard that there had been a lack of speculative building in the last decade but that the demand for industrial units did exist. The Economic Development Team had looked for a suitable building plot in the Council’s ownership as a potential site for new units and land adjacent to existing industrial units had been identified. A proposal for this would be presented to Cabinet in September.

RESOLVED –

1.   That the report be noted.

RESOLVED –

That, after consideration of an item containing exempt information, the public be re-admitted to the meeting.

6.30pm

The Chair reminded all members of the committee that if they wanted to take part in one of the scrutiny project groups this year they would need to express their interest to the Senior Democratic and Scrutiny Officer

6.40pm

The Committee considered the Scrutiny recommendations monitoring schedule.

RESOLVED -

That the Scrutiny monitoring schedule be noted.

6.50pm

https://chesterfield.moderngov.co.uk/mgListPlanItems.aspx?PlanId=104&RP=134

The Forward Plan for the four month period 1 August, 2019 to 30 November, 2019 was presented for information.

RESOLVED –

That the Forward Plan be noted.

7.00pm

The 2019/20 Work Programme for the Enterprise and Wellbeing Scrutiny Committee was reported for information.

RESOLVED –

That the work programme be noted and updated to include the decisions of the current meeting.

7.05pm

RESOLVED –

The Minutes of the meeting of the Enterprise and Wellbeing Scrutiny Committee held on 2 April, 2019 were approved as a correct record and signed by the Chair.