Agenda item
Questions by Members
The following questions have been submitted by Members of Council, in accordance with the Council Procedure Rules (Constitution Part 5, rule 10). Oral responses will be provided at the meeting. Following receipt of the answer to their question, Members are entitled to ask one supplementary question at the meeting.
Q1. Councillor Dr. Alaa Al-Yousuf to Councillor Lidia Arciszewska, Executive Member for the Environment:
Will the Executive Member commit to "putting residents first" when it comes to the future of the waste and recycling service?
Q2. Councillor Dr. Alaa Al-Yousuf to Councillor Duncan Enright, Deputy Leader and Executive Member for Economic Development:
Can the Deputy Leader confirm that Marriott’s Walk will be managed as per the approved business plan, to prioritise increasing rental income to support services for the District as a whole through the regeneration of the site in order to increase footfall?
Q3. Councillor Ted Fenton to Councillor Lidia Arciszewska, Executive Member for the Environment:
How often since May 2022 have replacement (as a result of breakdown or other reason) recycling collection vehicles had to be used which are unable to keep glass and other recycling materials separate? How many vehicles (e.g. those used on narrow streets) in regular use are unable to keep glass and other recycling materials separate?
Q4. Councillor Norman MacRae MBE to Councillor Joy Aitman, Executive Member for Stronger, Healthy Communities:
The District Council continues to hold money from developers to be used for the provision of a 3G pitch in Witney.
Please update the Council as to when this money will be spent and when will the very much needed facility be built?
Q5. Councillor Michele Mead to Councillor Joy Aitman, Executive Member for Stronger, Healthy Communities:
The Woodstock open air pool is reopening in July 2023 for the school holidays. Please can you tell me what arrangements have been made for school swimming lessons, which would normally take place in the June (schools summer term) and was there a consultation with adult and family users?
Q6. Councillor Ted Fenton to Councillor Lidia Arciszewska, Executive Member for the Environment:
How many Food Waste caddies in particular and other household waste/recycling containers in general, have been replaced in the last year by WODC because householders’ original ones have been damaged?
Minutes:
Questions by Members, as listed on the agenda, and the responses to those questions, which had been circulated in advance, were taken as read. The Chair invited the questioners to ask a supplementary question and then invited the relevant Executive Members to respond. The questions and responses were as follows:
Q1 – Councillor Dr. Alaa Al-Yousuf, to Councillor Lidia Arciszewska, Executive Member for the Environment:
Will the Executive Member commit to "putting residents first" when it comes to the future of the waste and recycling service?
A1 – Absolutely! Cllr Dr. Al-Yousuf can be assured that residents will always come first in any considerations regarding waste and recycling service in West Oxfordshire.
Q1a – I take it that if the Executive Member, whoever that might be going forward, were to be presented with options to cut the waste and recycling service in order to save money, that at the expense of increasing the burden on residents, in terms of more recycling bins and procedures, that option would not automatically be taken on, if it does mean that residents won’t be put first?
A1a – We are currently in the process of a major review of the waste and recycling service, and in that review, we consider first the convenience of service to the residents, and the value for money to the taxpayer. There will be no major changes to the services that are currently offered, without a proper, public consultation. The review is ongoing and will take a while.
Q2 – Councillor Dr. Alaa Al-Yousuf, to Councillor Duncan Enright, Deputy Leader of the Council and Executive Member for Economic Development:
Can the Deputy Leader confirm that Marriott’s Walk will be managed as per the approved business plan to prioritise increasing rental income to support services for the District as a whole through the regeneration of the site in order to increase footfall?
A2 – The business case associated with the acquisition of Marriott’s Walk will be used to guide us through the process of re-energising the development to deliver more to the residents of Witney, West Oxfordshire and beyond. This will mean additional investment in empty units to bring them into occupation which will drive footfall and yes rental growth. I have no doubt that there will be variations in timing and values within the process of implementing the regeneration but we will be steered by the direction of travel as set out in the business case.
Q2a – My supplementary question was, more or less, addressed in the announcement that the Deputy Leader made earlier in the meeting, but for further clarity if I may, please would you explain what and when the next steps will be in the regeneration of the site. I would be grateful if you could expand on these, and when this will be brought back to my scrutiny committee.
A2a – On your second point, that one is easy as it is, of course, a matter for the scrutiny committee. It is up to them to request when they want to hear more information and what they would like to explore. I welcome the assistance of the scrutiny committee in planning the future of this exciting development.
I am afraid I have no firm dates, but I can reassure the Member that it will be a small number of weeks, rather than months away, that you will be able to see a clear difference in the operation of Marriott’s Walk, and the management team there are actively engaged with council officers in planning a series of events. We discussed recently an event in Witney, which would be a festival of food & drink – a large market, if you like, taking place over three days at the end of September into early October, which we hope will include Marriott’s Walk. When I say we, I mean, as you might expect from the Council, local traders, including market traders on the charter market, representatives from the emergency services, the chamber of commerce, and local transport provision representation so that we can engage with them as to how to make the best use out of not only Marriott’s Walk, but also the whole High Street, for expanding the number of events and markets that we hold across Witney town. This is also something we will be looking to achieve in our other market towns. We believe that this is the key, not only to addressing the cost of living crisis, but having affordable and open events for people right across the district. It is also a great way for people to supplement their income by managing a market stall too, so we are looking also to young, enterprising people to take part in those events.
They will also have music and dancing!
Q3 – Councillor Ted Fenton, to Councillor Lidia Arciszewska, Executive Member for the Environment:
How often since May 2022 have replacement (as a result of breakdown or other reason) recycling collection vehicles had to be used which are unable to keep glass and other recycling materials separate? How many vehicles (e.g. those used on narrow streets) in regular use are unable to keep glass and other recycling materials separate?
A3 – Ubico does not record this specific information, because commonly when a vehicle experiences a breakdown it can be fixed the same day and so the crew would return to the depot and pick up a spare, then go back out to continue making collections. In some instances, they then return to the depot when the split back vehicle is fixed and then go back and make the remaining collections.
The contamination levels are within the tolerances set out in the contract between the Council and Suez, which receives the recycling material and then sorts it into its component commodities. There are two vehicles used on the narrow access collection rounds which aren't able to accept separate glass and this is sorted by Suez at the recycling plant.
Q3a – I have to say that I was rather surprised to hear that records are not kept about the reliability of the vehicles used for the collection of waste – I would have thought they were a major part of the operation, and I wonder if the Executive Member agrees with me that it would be a good idea going forward to monitor vehicle breakdowns and keep a record of how often they happen?
A3a – I believe that records are being kept, but it is impossible to say at what point a vehicle broke down and was subsequently repaired & returned into operation, and that is difficult at this moment. However, the contracted waste and recycling facility is perfectly suited to sorting out glass away from other dry materials, and there is no credible damage to the operation if some glass does slip through into dry material.
Q4 – Councillor Norman MacRae MBE, to Councillor Joy Aitman, Executive Member for Stronger, Healthy Communities:
The District Council continues to hold money from developers to be used for the provision of a 3G pitch in Witney. Please update the Council as to when this money will be spent and when will the very much needed facility be built?
A4 – As members are aware the sum of £941,335.54 (includes indexation) was secured in 2016 from the Downs Road development towards the provision of grassroots football development in Witney. In addition to this a further £22,801.30 (includes indexation) was secured from the same development towards either the provision of a spectator stand for a football pitch(es) in Witney or the surrounding area or the improvement of football facilities in Witney or the surrounding area. Giving a collective sum of £964,136.84, which has an expiry clause of 08/07/29, the final instalment for this was received in December 2021.
Officers have met on several occasions to determine the optimum site for a 3G facility – including West Witney Sports Ground (owned by Witney Town Council). Although follow consultation with WODC Planning Development Management, there would be planning constraints on the site in terms of sports lighting and the existing ancillary facilities are not fit for purpose. Following this Officers met with Woodgreen School who expressed an interest in locating the 3G pitch on their site. Officers intend to consult with Henry Box School as well, with the recommendation for the two schools to submit Business Cases for locating the facility at their sites if they are interested, discussions need to be held with both schools regarding this.
In order to support this piece of work and the wider Playing Pitch Strategy, Officers are in the process of appointing a designated districtwide post to support the delivery of the Playing Pitch Strategy, which will incorporate the new 3G provision in Witney.
Q4a – Witney and West Oxfordshire sports clubs are desperately crying out for more football pitches. Whilst it is great that the Council has adopted a playing pitch strategy, the Executive Member promised, at a meeting held at West Witney Sport club in October 2022, that there would be a working group in Witney formed to take this forward. Why has this group not yet been formed, when will it be set up, and who will be members of the group?
A4a* – Can I start by saying that at the meeting that was set up, I wasn’t actually invited to, and neither were any other people involved in the playing pitches. At the meeting, which was supposedly chaired, the two speakers, Councillor Smith and I were abused by attendees and the meeting was not chaired properly to prevent such abuse.
I would have thought that as a Chair, we would have been allowed to have a voice and people prevented from continually shouting out at that meeting, therefore it was actually felt that we would not meet with that group again because we felt totally abused and nothing was accomplished. Therefore I have individually spoken to the football teams that were there and have discussed plans going forward. We have also employed staff to follow through on the whole playing pitch strategy, so that this is addressed very quickly. We are also working with the town councils to make sure that this goes ahead, particularly in Witney. Witney Town Council do a lot of work and spend a lot of money on football, and are happy to carry on with that, and have laid on extra training pitches, and are looking at bringing other fields up to standard that have recently fallen by the wayside in terms of upkeep.
As you know, we are looking for the provision of an all-weather playing surface in Carterton, so hopefully that will move along very quickly, so that West Oxfordshire can have adequate football pitches, as well as pitches for other sports. We have spoken to rugby and cricket clubs also. We are looking at the whole policy, right across the district or all sports.
At that meeting, there was also no female representation for women’s and girls’ football, so we will look at ways in which we can also champion that.
*During the response to supplementary question 4, a minor disturbance occurred in the public gallery of the Council Chamber. The Chair reminded public attendees that they would be removed from the Council Chamber if order was not kept.
Councillor Norman MacRae MBE, rose to put on record his regret at the abuse that Councillors Aitman and Smith had endured at the public meeting.
Q5a – Has this Council applied for a Government grant that was made available for indoor and outdoor pools?
A5a – We are going to apply for the grant, but at this stage it is unclear how much the grant will be and how we do apply for it. But of course we will be looking for more money so that our pools do not have to close or reduce the amount of service. With the recent costs of energy, pools are a major drain on resources, in fact 80% of the energy costs incurred are for heating pools, and this may not be seen as a good use of monies. It’s essentially the same as putting your home heating on full blast then opening all the windows.
There will be a fantastic range of events at GLL and at the pool when it opens, and if anybody has a dog, the last day of opening will even be a doggy paddle!
Q6 – Councillor Ted Fenton, to Councillor Lidia Arciszewska, Executive Member for the Environment:
How many Food Waste caddies in particular and other household waste/recycling containers in general, have been replaced in the last year by WODC because householders’ original ones have been damaged?
A6 – The Council doesn’t record the number of containers which need to be replaced as a result of solely being damaged. Instead all requests for new containers are recorded on the customer records management system (CRM) and individual requests are raised for Ubico to action. The number of containers requested since 1st April 2022 are shown below:
? 1737 x Combination of 180 litre (ltr) and 240 ltr Refuse bins;
? 3297 x 240 ltr Recycling bins;
? 15 x 360 ltr Recycling bins;
? 538 x 240 ltr Garden Waste bins;
? 896 X 23 ltr External Food Caddy;
? 193 x 44 ltr Black Boxes.
Q6a – I am sorry that there aren’t records kept of how many containers have been replaced because they are damaged, but the reason for my question is because I have received quite a number of complaints from residents, indeed I have been a victim of it myself, that sometimes collection crews seem to be under so much time pressure to complete their rounds that, particularly food waste caddies that can be slung, are slung, and that they don’t always land in one piece.
You sometimes can put the lid back on, but sometimes bits break off, and they then can’t be repaired & have to be replaced.
I wonder if the Executive Member would commit to looking in to the pressure that crews are put under to ensure timely completion of their rounds and daily business, and see if there is any way that they can be guided to put the containers down, rather than be thrown down.
A6a – I agree with the Member, that sometimes food bins do become damaged, and I have seen it for myself. Sometimes they are not damaged by the crews, but sometimes caddies can be destroyed by events such as high winds blowing the caddies in to the road and then they are subsequently ran over by vehicles.
We are seeing a lot of requests for waste bin replacements and this in turn, does cost the Council £100,000 per year. This is a very high number, and this needs to be looked into in order to save money, and this expenditure on bins is unnecessary. As part of the current review, we are going to look into this process and attempt to make it better.
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