Issue - meetings
Participation of the Public
Meeting: 21/09/2022 - Cabinet (for meetings after 18 January 2023 see "Executive") (Item 58)
Participation of the Public
Members of the public may ask a question at a meeting of Cabinet for up to three minutes on any item of business for decision at the meeting or on any issue that affects the district or its people. Members of the public wishing to speak at a Cabinet meeting must notify [email protected], including their name and the agenda item or topic they wish to speak on, by 2.00pm two clear working days before the meeting (e.g. for a Wednesday meeting, the deadline would be 2.00pm on the Friday before). If the topic of the question is not within the remit of the Council, advice will be provided on where best to direct the question. The relevant Cabinet Member will either respond verbally at the meeting or provide a written response which will be included in the minutes of the meeting.
Minutes:
The Deputy Leader reported that Michael Anderson (Chair of Chilson Parish Meeting) had submitted three written questions. Councillor Arciszewska (Cabinet Member for Environment) had provided the following answers:
Q1. The removal of recycling facilities in local car parks has proved a real inconvenience (given the distance to our nearest recycling centres) and appears to have increased fly tipping. Given the increasing importance of the need to meet recycling targets, will the Council reconsider its position on this issue?
A1. The council provides an extensive doorstep recycling service to residents of West Oxfordshire, it is in the top 10% of local authorities in the country for recycling. Levels of fly tipping in West Oxfordshire have reduced during the last year. The council has commissioned a review of its waste and recycling services that is scheduled to report to the Cabinet later this year and I have asked Officers to review recycling provision in West Oxfordshire following the removal of community recycling sites by the previous Administration.
Q2. In order to support the area’s town centres, can the Council confirm that it has no plans to stop free on street parking, and in Council car parks?
A2. We have no current plans to introduce Parking Charges in Council (off street) Car Parks. The management of On Street Parking transfers back to the County Council in April next year.
Q3. What actual action can the Council take to prevent the regular discharge of sewage into the Evenlode?
A3. The Council is working closely with Thames Water on the issue of raw sewage discharges into the Evenlode. Thames Water will be attending a Council meeting in September where they will be providing an update on their current performance as well as what their detailed plans are for the Evenlode catchment, which is included in their smarter water catchment initiative / scheme.
The Council is also demanding that this government reverse its recent legislation that allows water companies to continue to pollute our rivers without any legal sanctions and that the regulators insist on proper investment to upgrade the current infrastructure which is clearly not ‘fit for purpose’.