Agenda and minutes

To receive apologies for absence and notification of any substitutes present

Apologies for absence had been received from Mr A Booth and Mr R Love.

Mr Lake was present as a substitute for Mr R Love.

In accordance with section 18.25 of the Constitution Mr Holden has been nominated as Chairman of the Committee by the Leader.

1.    The Committee elected Mr Holden as Chairman of the Committee.

Agreed without a formal vote

2.    Mrs Holden thanked Mr Balfour for his hard work, commitment and valuable contribution to the Committee in his time as Chairman.

3.    Mr Holden expressed his ambitions as the new Chairman which reflected the positive and anticipated changes which were to be adopted by the New Leader of the Council, primarily around the functionalities of the Cabinet Committees and greater Member involvement. Mr Holden proposed that the Committee should develop its own themes to complement and advance the work of the administration, but not to contradict it, nor to repeat the work of Select Committees.  In order to pursue such a proposition, Mr Holden suggested that Cross-Party Member Groups be established and put forward the suggested themes:

(a)       Trees

(b)       Plastics; and

(c)       Heavy Good’s Vehicles (HGV’s) - diverting them off of rural roads and onto more strategic routes

Mr Holden invited Members to contact him directly with themes that could potentially be developed by the Cross-Party Members group.

4.    RESOLVED that Mr Holden be elected as Chairman of the Committee.

Mr S Holden proposed, and Mr M Balfour seconded that Mr R Love be elected as Vice-Chairman of the Cabinet Committee. There being no other nominations, this was agreed without a vote.

To receive any declarations of interest made by Members in relation to any matter on the agenda.  Members are reminded to specify the agenda item number to which it refers and the nature of the interest being declared.

Mr R Bird declared an interest in item 16 and 17 of the agenda due to a personal interest in flooding matters and would therefore not participate in the discussion of those items.

Mr A Hills declared an interest in item 16 and 17 of the agenda as Chairman of the Kent Flood Risk Management Committee, however, confirmed that he would participate in the discussion of those items.

It was RESOLVED that the minutes of the meeting on 10 October 2019 are a correct record and that they be signed by the Chairman.

1.    Miss S Carey expressed her enthusiasm in her new role as the Cabinet Member for Environment and provided Members with a brief insight into the anticipated work that would be undertaken within the coming months, including increased Cross-Party Member Working Groups.

2.    Mr Payne (Cabinet Member for Highways and Transport) provided a verbal update on the following issues:

International Transtech Awards

The KCC Public Transport Team won the Gamechanger Award for Rural Innovation at the inaugural International Transtech Awards. This was for the rural electric mobility minibus scheme which has been operating in the Paddock Wood area.

In July Kent County Council teamed up with Renault to introduce their first electric Renault Master minibus in England. This scheme had been operated by Compaid, the charity helped local disabled and vulnerable people to go about their daily lives and the minibus had been specially designed to cater for their needs. Owing to the success of the scheme the Electric Renault Master was due to go on general sale in 2020.

The bus was also able to monitor driver behaviour.  Compaid drivers had achieved a gold standard with no instances of harsh braking, speeding, or sudden uncontrolled or excessive manoeuvres.  This was a great testament to the quality of operators that Kent Public Transport had available.

Following the success of the trial, and the earlier successful trial of electric buses throughout Kent, which included Fastrack and Canterbury Park & Ride, Kent Public Transport were working on a policy to only procure electric buses as assets from 2021. This would make Kent Public Transport early adopters and pioneers of KCC’s electric strategy.

Transport for Southeast (TFSE)

The shadow Sub-National Transport Body, Transport for the South East, was currently out to consultation on its draft transport strategy. The region included sixteen highway authorities from Kent and Medway to Hampshire and the Isle of Wight; an area that had an economic output greater than Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales combined, and second only to that of London, yet investment in transportation in the region was woefully low. The TfSE draft transport strategy had a thirty-year vision and would assist the vision for clean growth. The proposed Kent County Council response would be brought to the Environment & Transport Cabinet Committee in January 2020.

Gatwick Airport

Kent Highways & Transport had received significant correspondence regarding the plan by Gatwick Airport Limited to upgrade its emergency runway for routine use to assist with their future growth aspirations. KCC’s position was that it was firmly opposed to the proposed upgrade or any potential second runway at Gatwick Airport. The routine use of Gatwick’s emergency runway would result in a significant increase in aircraft movements, and a potential increase of noise, air quality and other issues affecting the local communities, which would be intolerable.  KCC continued to raise its concerns and would be responding formally to the Development Control Order process.

Parish Seminars

Kent Highways Parish Seminars had been well attended throughout the autumn period. The primary focus was around  ...  view the full minutes text for item 223.

Carolyn McKenzie (Head of Sustainable Business & Communities) was in attendance for this item.

1.    Miss Carey (Cabinet Member for Environment) and Ms McKenzie introduced the report that outlined the results of the Energy and Low Emission Strategy public consultation which was carried out from 1 July 20 23 September 2019. The report set out the proposed responses and suggested alterations to be made to the Strategy for the consideration by the Environment and Transport Cabinet Committee and also set out the next steps for the approval of the Strategy by early 2020.

2.    The officer responded to comments and questions as follows:

(a)  Mrs B Cooper (Corporate Director for Growth, Environment and Transport) responded to comments regarding bus services within Thanet and clarified that there was a proposal put forward which was reversed and as a result KCC carried out the Big Conversation which looked at specific routes (Dover, Sevenoaks, Tenterden, Maidstone and West Malling). An update report on the outcome of those bus pilots would be presented to the Committee at a future date which would identify the impacts of those pilots and help to shape bus provision in the future. Within Thanet, Mrs Cooper confirmed that changes had been made to the bus route, however, there were no cuts to the service.

(b)  In response to comments concerning appropriate resources and the promotion of work carried out by Ms McKenzie’s team, Miss Carey informed Members that discussions had taken place around appropriate resourcing to support the extensive amount of work carried out by the Environment, Planning and Enforcement directorate and this would be incorporated into the budget setting process. Miss Carey tackled the misconception that Kent County Council had failed to make positive environmental changes and noted its successes stories since 2016, including the £40m LED conversion project and reduction in waste to landfill from 40% to 2%. KCC had made tremendous improvements and would continue it its efforts to deliver clean growth.

(c)   In relation to applying further pressure to those areas and elements that sat outside of KCC control, such a maritime and aviation, Mr Payne informed Members that he attended the Maritime Straits Conference, in conjunction with partners throughout 10 other European countries and signed a joint declaration for the low carbon transition within the maritime industry. Mr Payne informed Members that the Energy and Low Emission Strategy had been produced as a result of the passage project and thanked Ms McKenzie along with her team for their excellent work.

3.    It was RESOLVED that the proposed response to the feedback from the public consultation (and alterations if appropriate) and next steps for formal agreement of the strategy in early 20202, be noted.

Rachel Kennard (Chief Analyst) and David Beaver (Head of Waste Management) were in attendance for this item.

1.    Ms Kennard introduced the report that showed progress made against targets set for Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) up to September 2019. Eleven of the eighteen KPIs achieved target and were RAG rated green, seven KPIs were below target but had achieved floor standard and had therefore been RAG rated amber.

2.    Officers responded to comments and questions as follows:

(a)  With regard to improvements to be made from the service, Mrs Cooper (Corporate Director for Growth, Environment and Transport) informed the Committee that the indicators were presented to Members on an annual basis for review.

(b)  In response KPI WM03: Waste recycled and composted at HWRC’s and reduced recycle rates, Mr Beaver informed Members that there had been a reduction in the floor target from 67.3% to 64% following the recent change of policy to start charging for soil, rubble, hardcore and plasterboard. Mr Beaver confirmed that the recycled rate was measured against the non-recycled rates (residual tonnes) and as a result of the loss of soil, rubble, hardcore and plasterboard as a recyclable material, recycling rates at the HWRC’s had also reduced. The intake of soil, rubble, hardcore and plasterboard had reduced from 38,000 tonnes to around 9,000 tonnes in 2019. Mr Beaver informed Members that the intention was to review the KPIs with Members to ensure they reflected realistic targets.

(c)   Mr Beaver informed the Committee that there had been an increase in the application of licenses for skips by 45% and said that trade waste had increased by 1.7%. 

(d)  In response to fly tipping, Mr Beaver said that the policy had been in situ for 6 months and confirmed that there had not been an increase in the number of fly tipping incidents reported from District Councils. As a result of the policy, members of the public had started to re-use the materials or sell it, all of which supported KCC’s objective to reduce the amount of material deposited at Household Waste Recycling Centres and promoting alternative means of disposing materials in a sustainable but appropriate way.

(e)  With regard to concerns around the negative financial impact on KCC, Mr Beaver assured Members that any form of waste reduction represented a cost saving for the authority. There were very few materials that generated income for KCC as a vast majority of recyclable materials, including glass, cans and plastic had a significant cost attached to them as they needed to be processed in a particular way in order for them to be re-used/ sold. The price for many of the materials was volatile and subject to global commodity prices, with materials such as paper and card costing around £75 per tonne, however, most authorities were paying £6 per tonne as the global market had ceased to take the material.

(f)    In response to the cost of soil, rubble and hardcore, Mr Beaver confirmed that it cost £20 plus per  ...  view the full minutes text for item 225.

David Firth (Policy Adviser) and Shannon Ryan (Business Planning Officer) were in attendance for this item.

1.    Mr Firth introduced the report which provided an overview of the Council’s Strategic Delivery Plan Monitoring arrangements and the analysis and emerging themes from Quarter 2 2019/20 Strategic Outcome 2 activity submissions. Mr Firth noted the importance of ensuring that the Strategic Delivery Plan was structured correctly, both as a management tool and also for Member oversight. The Quarter 2 analysis identified that of the 30 Strategic Outcome 2 activities, only 2 of those were not on track and had been considered by Growth, Economic Development and Communities Cabinet Committee. Mr Firth advised Members that the report would be presented to the Committee in six months’ time and welcomed comments from Members.

2.    It was RESOLVED that the Strategic Delivery Plan Monitoring arrangements and the analysis and emerging themes from Quarter 2 2019/20 Strategic Outcome 2 activity submissions, be noted.

Joseph Ratcliffe (Transport Strategy Manager), Tom Marchant (Head of Strategic Planning and Policy) and Stewart Fowler (Principal Transport Planner) were in attendance for this item.

1.    Mr Payne (Cabinet Member for Highways and Transport) introduced the report that set out the progress to date on the proposed Thanet Parkway Railway Station and explained that Kent County Council (KCC) would commit up to £17.81m to complete the funding package for the scheme (£34.51m) which would secure a significant contribution (£14m) of Local Growth Fund (LGF) money from the South East Local Enterprise Partnership (SELEP) and it would enable the scheme to be delivered. Following completion of the outline design and submission of a revised planning application, the next stage of the project was to undertake detailed design, and subject to planning determination, to progress onto the delivery stage of the scheme. A decision to progress with the delivery of the scheme was required to ensure no further delay to the project programme and to allow for the spend of LGF money by the end of the Growth Deal Period (March 2021). The final decision to progress with the project would be taken to Cabinet on 2 December 2019.

2.    Mrs Stewart (Director of Environment, Planning and Enforcement) informed the Committee that   an Executive decision was required in order to deliver the project in the anticipated timescale. and avoid the risk of losing the £14m SELEP funding. Mrs Stewart advised Members that if this deadline was missed it was it was unlikely that   the £14m investment would be available at a future date.

3.    Mr Ratcliffe advised Members that the Thanet Parkway Railway Station had undergone a number of design iterations and two planning applications had been submitted. The first planning application submitted in 2018 had been withdrawn due to significant design changes to the scheme and a new Planning Application was submitted in the week commencing 11 November 2019. The newest application was in the process of validation as part of the Planning Applications Group remit; any emerging planning issues would then fall to the Planning Applications Group and Planning Applications Committee to determine.

4.    Mr Ratcliffe informed The Committee that the Business Case had been through a vigorous assessment process by SELEP’s Independent Technical Evaluator. As a result of that process, officers had produced a revised Business Case which contained the new cost estimate; the details of which were reflected within the Committee report. Mr Ratcliffe confirmed that the revised Business Case and associated costs of the project were due to go through a final validation process, however, the feedback received from KCC’s Consultancy Team was that Thanet Parkway Railway Station represented very high value for money.

5.    The Chairman welcomed Mrs Binks and Mr Messenger to address the Committee in their capacity as the local Members for Thanet.

6.    Mrs Binks (Member for Broadstairs) raised the following points: -

(a)  Schools were the primary cause of traffic concerns in Thanet

(b)  Thanet had seven stations already in existence that  ...  view the full minutes text for item 227.

David Beaver (Head of Waste Management) and Hannah Allard (Waste Business Development) were in attendance for this item.

1.    Miss Carey (Cabinet Member for Environment) introduced the report which provided an update on the actions that had been undertaken since July 2019 and the planned actions over the coming months. Miss Carey informed the Committee that Kent County Council (KCC) had committed £250,000 to reduce the level of fly tipping in Kent and would continue to build on its close working relationship with the district and borough councils and other partners through the Kent Resource Partnership (KRP) in order to tackle the criminal activity. Miss Carey advised Members that the collection and enforcement of fly tipping was the primary responsibility of the district and borough councils, of which KCC played a key supportive role via the KRP.

2.    Supplementary to the above Mrs Allard provided an update to Members on the key actions to date and referred in particular to the “Op Assist” action days, the duty of care communications campaign, the duty of care small business course, enforcement signage, magistrates training and the consistency of reporting.

3.    Officers responded to comments and questions as follows:

(a)  Mrs Allard informed Members that Kent County Council were part of the National Fly Tipping Prevention Group which reviewed the work undertaken across the county. Mrs Allard agreed to review Members requests to circulate feedback from the Magistrates Association.

(b)  In response to assisting landowners, Mrs Allard confirmed that it was primarily the responsibility of the landowner to appropriately dispose of any fly tipped waste, however, if there was sufficient evidence and an investigation to be undertaken in relation to the incident, then subject to available resources from the District or Borough Council, KCC would help to support the District and Borough  councils in the prosecution process.

(c)   With regard to the dissemination of information to Town and Parish Councils, Mrs Allard assured Members that KCC officers had attended the Parish seminars in order to raise awareness of the campaign. In January 2020, the Waste Management Team also intended to promote the duty of care campaign via short information videos and animations online, via social media, posters, leaflets, newspaper adverts and bus advertisements. The main message of the campaign for residents was to alert them to rogue traders operating in Kent. 

(d)  Mrs Allard confirmed that the days of action had proved to be a successful joint operation and resulted in the following:

·         Swale: 3 vehicles seized, 5 stopped and 2 fixed penalty notices

·         Maidstone: 1 vehicle seized, 1 stopped and 1 fixed penalty notice

·         Thanet: 2 vehicles seized, 21 stopped and 8 notices and 1 fixed penalty notice

Mrs Allard agreed to circulate prosecution results to Members.

(e)  In response to queries concerning the drop in residual waste and cross-border usage of Household Waste Recycling Centres, Mrs Allard confirmed that the Waste Management Team was due to undertake a postcode data collection survey at the sites and said that the data would  ...  view the full minutes text for item 228.

David Beaver (Head of Waste Management) and Hannah Allard (Waste Business Development) were in attendance for this item.

1.    Miss Carey (Cabinet Member for Environment) introduced the report that set out the Household Waste Recycling Centre (HWRC) Enforcement Policy which aimed to clarify the procedures that may be taken by Kent County Council (KCC) to ensure compliance with existing KCC HWRC operating policies.

2.    Mrs Allard informed the Committee that the Enforcement Policy was a aggregation of existing policies and allowed KCC and its partners to carry out enforcement in a fair, practical and consistent manner. The Policy addressed several key issues and the actions to be taken to prevent of rectify infringements of legislation or policy, including: the abuse of staff and other customers, trade waste, theft of materials, fly tipping and non-adherence to HWRC policies.

3.    It was RESOLVED that the proposed decision (19/00091) to be taken by the Cabinet Member for Environment, to introduce the Enforcement Policy which will support KCC and their contracted HWRC Providers in the effective, transparent and permitted delivery of HWRC waste enforcement practices, be endorsed.

David Beaver (Head of Waste Management) and Hannah Allard (Waste Business Development) were in attendance for this item.

1.    Miss Carey (Cabinet Member for Environment) introduced the report that set out the details of the commissioning plan for the recommissioning of contracts for the Management and Operation of Household Waste Recycling Centres (HWRCs) and Waste Transfer Stations (WTSs) in Kent, including haulage services.

2.    Mr Beaver informed the Committee that Waste Management operated 18 HWRCs across Kent and within those were 6 Transfer Stations. The contracts for those sites were due to expire in October 2020. The market engagement exercise revealed that the current suppliers had limited appetite to take title and commercial risk for the final disposal of recyclable materials. Therefore the recommissioning of the services would enable Kent County Council to update and standardise the contract terms and Conditions and service specification for all HWRC and WTS across Kent and to award sustainable contracts to suppliers that were incentivised the delivery of a high quality service such as improved customer care, higher recycling levels, reduced contamination and the development of re-use initiatives. Mr Beaver concluded that the commissioning approach would help to maximise recycling in Kent and reduce the cost of waste disposal services.

3.    Officers responded to comments and questions as follows:

(a)  With regard to whether a proposal had been submitted for a HWRC in Cranbrook, it was confirmed that no progress had been made.

4.    It was RESOLVED that the proposed decision (19/0009) to be taken by the Cabinet Member for Environment, to award new service contracts for the Management and Operation of Household Waste Recycling Centres (HWRCs) and Waste Transfer Stations (WTSs) in Kent, including haulage services, be endorsed.

David Beaver (Head of Waste Management) was in attendance for this item.

1.    Miss Carey (Cabinet Member for Environment) introduced the report that sought Members approval to enter into a contract for Collection, Reception and Disposal of Clinical Waste materials collected at the kerbside by all Waste Collection Authorities in Kent.

2.    Mr Beaver informed the Committee that Kent County Council, as the Waste Disposal Authority under the Environmental Protection Act 1990, had a statutory duty to provide clinical disposal services. Waste Management had worked closely with Strategic Commissioning to test the market and work was underway to evaluate the tenders. Subject to Committee approval, the contract would be effective from 1 January 2020 for a four-year period.

3.    It was RESOLVED that the proposed decision (19/00090) to be taken by the Cabinet Member for Environment, to award a new contractual arrangement for the Collection, Reception and Disposal of Clinical Waste collected by the Waste Collection Authorities; and to enter into an up to 4 year arrangement based upon the indicative gate fees, be endorsed.

Max Tant (Flood and Water Manager) and Bronwyn Buntine (Sustainable Drainage Team Leader) were in attendance for this item.

1.    Mr Tant introduced the report that outlined the three separate policy items, which subject to approval from the Committee, were to be adopted as part of the Flood Risk Management Policy. This included an update to the Drainage and Planning Policy, the introduction of a Land Drainage Policy; and an updated Section 19 Reporting Policy, all of which had been updated to reflect KCCs functions, current guidance, best practice and clarified KCCs role in flood risk management. Mr Tant referred in particular to the updated Section 19 Reporting Policy and informed Members that based on lessons learned, a public report would only be produced where internal flooding had affected five or more properties or critical infrastructure assets in a localised area. 

2.    Officers responded to comments and questions as follows:

(a)  With regard to the installation of ponds on new developments and the issues around long-term maintenance of the SuDS assets, Ms Buntine informed the Committee that recent incident within the Tovil area was the rationale behind the introduction of the verification report condition which ensured that information was gathered on drainage systems and that they were implemented as approved.  Ms Buntine advised Members that Borough Councils would need to include conditions for developers to provide the details of such assets within the planning approval and would expect Borough Councils to consult with KCC on any major sites.

3.    It was RESOLVED that the proposed decisions (19/00087, 19/00088 and 19/00089) to be taken by the Cabinet Member for Environment to

(a)   adopt the following policies:

·         Drainage and Planning Policy (19/00088)

·         Land Drainage Policy (19/00087)

·         Section 19 Reporting Policy (19/00089); and

(b)  delegate to the Director of Environment, Planning and Enforcement the authority to make any further modifications which may be necessary such as formatting changes and typographical errors in order to publish these policies,

be endorsed.

Tony Harwood (Resilience and Emergency Planning Manager) and Louise Butfoy (Resilience and Emergency Planning Project Officer) were in attendance for this item.

1.    Mrs Hohler (Deputy Cabinet Member for Community and Regulatory Services) introduced the report that set out Kent County Council’s Flood Response Emergency Plan. The report outlined the scope and ambition of the latest updates and sought input from Members of the Environment and Transport Cabinet Committee prior to Cabinet Member sign-off of the Flood Response Emergency Plan.

2.    Supplementary to the above, Mr Harwood informed the Committee that revisions to the Flood Response Emergency Plan addressed both current and projected climate change impacts for Kent as identified within the UK Climate Change Risk Assessment 2017, the impact of flooding on vulnerable people and communities and reaffirmed Kent County Councils leadership role as a ‘Category 1 Responder’ (as defined within the Civil Contingencies Act 2004) in the event of coastal, fluvial and surface water flooding. Mr Harwood noted that the sign-off of the Emergency Plan was key as it affected all divisions in the County and, subject to endorsement by the Committee, would act as the overarching policy guidance for KCC flood response interventions. Mr Harwood thanked all officers and Members who had contributed to the development of the revised plan and welcomed comments from the Committee.

3.    Officers responded to comments and questions as follows:

(a)  Mr Jones (Director of Highways and Transportation and Waste) responded to Members comments and recognised that drainage problems needed to be addressed with immediate effect. A number of pilots had been initiated, including the instalment of smart gullies, which monitored drainage and alerted services to any blockages, KCC also led a trial activity on how it allocated funding to improve pre-inspection work to better understand where officers needed to be deployed as a priority and to ensure that the money spent on preventative maintenance work was appropriate and justified.  Mr Jones assured Members that Kent County Council was working with all District Councils to implement a new regime which would result in a significant dividend to KCC. Mr Jones recognised the wider challenge around drainage and water management infrastructure and assured Members that work would continue to be done to understand and improve the critical drainage assets.

(b)  Mr Harwood noted the omission of the non-tidal boat stationed at Tonbridge and agreed to update the appended table accordingly.   

(c)  Mr Jones assured the Committee that a significant amount of work continued to be undertaken to identify critical drainage areas and to understand the process for managing those with a view to finding alternative solutions.  KCC had also held a number of seminars with District and Parish Councils to better understand planned activities and to ensure that KCC’s plans corresponded to the District and Parish Council planned activities i.e. the harvest period. Mr Jones informed the Committee that a significant amount of work had been done to map the drainage network and that KCC continued to uncover drains that had failed to  ...  view the full minutes text for item 233.

Tony Harwood (Resilience and Emergency Planning Manager) and Louise Butfoy (Resilience and Emergency Planning Project Officer) were in attendance for this item.

1.    Mrs Hohler (Deputy Cabinet Member for Community and Regulatory Services) introduced the report that set out the revised Kent County Council Animal and Plant Health Emergency Plan. Mrs Hohler informed Members that the scope and audience of the revised plan had been expanded and changed to reflect the multi-agency nature of the Kent Resilience Forum agenda and included within it new risks such as non-native mosquitos, a more detailed local plan in relation to the Ashford Livestock Market and safeguarding for the welfare of animals in transit.

2.    It was RESOLVED that the that the proposed decision (19/00074) to be taken by the Cabinet Member for Community and Regulatory Services to:

(a)  agree the principle of re-designation of the corporate Animal and Plant Health Emergency Plan as a KCC-led KRF document; and

(b)  approve the scope and content of the Animal and Plant Health Emergency Plan,

be endorsed.

Tony Harwood (Resilience and Emergency Planning Manager), Robin Hadley (Soft Landscape Asset Manager) and Louise Butfoy (Resilience and Emergency Planning Project Officer) were in attendance for this item.

1.    Miss Carey (Cabinet Member for Environment) introduced the report that provided an update on Ash Dieback in Kent and described the evolving local response, as well as the outbreak’s environmental and economic impacts. It further sought to identify future trends and risks, as well as policy, staffing, financial and other resource implications for Kent County Council and its partners. Miss Carey commended Mr Harwood for his report on BBC radio which highlighted the extent of work that continued to be carried out by Kent County Council, Kent Districts and partners to address the spread of the pathogen.

2.    Officers responded to comments and questions as follows:

(a)  Miss Carey agreed to form a cross-party Member Working Group with a specific focus on tree policy. She noted that a significant amount of work had already been undertaken by the Environment, Planning and Enforcement team to ensure that Kent had its own Tree Policy and on the basis that the Environmental Bill be passed, there would be a number of new opportunities and mechanisms for funding.

(b)  Mr Harwood confirmed that a policy had been agreed and adopted by Kent County Council and Kent Districts which rejected a pre-emptive felling approach. Whilst other counties, notably Devon, had adopted a policy that supported significant interventions to clear Ash trees from the roadside, KCC undertook extensive monitoring and only safety specific interventions to reduce impacts on landscape, biodiversity and budgets.. Supplementary to the financial aspect of felling, KCC did not want to remove trees which may be genetically less susceptible to Ash Dieback and were therefore important for ensuring future generations of resistant Ash.

(c)  Mr Hadley verified the distinction between urban, street and woodland trees and said that a significant amount of money had gone into tackling Ash Dieback within the woodland setting. The recent exponential increase in extent and intensity of infection and a worsening prognosis, as evidenced within the latest survey data, suggested that the costs to the County Council and its partners would continue to increase year on year and therefore KCC needed to ensure it was taking an informed and proportional approach to managing the outbreak.

3.    It was RESOLVED that the planning and response contingencies outlined within this report, be noted.

Pal Sandher (Head of Gypsy and Traveller Service) and Jayne Collier-Smith (Project Manager Gypsy and Traveller Service) were in attendance for this item.

1.    Mrs Hohler (Deputy Cabinet Member for Community and Regulatory Services) introduced the report that presented Members with the latest developments in relation to the review of policies which supported the operation of the Council’s Gypsy and Traveller Service.

2.    Mrs Stewart (Director of Environment, Planning and Enforcement) advised the Committee that the report set out the proposed approach to the setting of fees and charges, which along with the Unauthorised Encampment Policy and Pitch Allocation and Site Management Policy, would be subject to consultation and would be brought back to the Committee in the New Year.

3.    It was RESOLVED that the proposed approach to the setting of fees and charges to enable full cost recovery, be noted.

It was RESOLVED that the Work Programme be noted, subject to the inclusion of the following items:

(a)  The Kent & Medway Energy and Low Emissions Strategy, action update - March 2020

(b)  Strategic Delivery Plan Monitoring – May 2020

Rob Clark (Contract and Commissioning support Manager) and Andrew Loosemore (Head of Highways Asset Management) were in attendance for this item.

1.    Mr Payne (Cabinet Member for Highways and Transport) introduced the report that set out the position of the Highway Term Maintenance Contract along with the work undertaken to date in order to progress the Commercial Services (CSKL) delivery option. Mr Payne informed the Committee that Kent Highways delivery model was due to expire on 31 August 2020 and therefore a new delivery model was required. The four delivery options for the future provision of the services had been considered and this included: option 1 which was to extend the contract with Amey for a further year; option 2 which considered re-procurement of on a like-for-like basis; option 3 which explored the option to disaggregate the contract and procure smaller contract packages, of which the Council would take on the management and integration role; and option 4 which was to develop an alliance model between the Council and Commercial services which would sit under the Holding Company. Mr Payne informed the Committee that whilst option 4 was initially considered to be the preferred option, upon closer examination, including the assessment results of the PWC report, option 4 was not a viable alternative model on the basis that it failed to meet three requirements which posed an unacceptable  risk to KCC; financial viability, appropriateness and timing. In Summary, Mr Payne expressed that the preferred alternative model would therefore be option 3 which would involve the Highways Asset Management team undertaking a number of procurements for specific services and the advantage of such an option would be assurance in KCC’s proven ability to manage and deliver such a contract.

2.    Officers responded to comments and questions as follows:

(a)  Mr Payne informed Members that whilst an alliance model was not considered to be a viable option for the Highways Term Maintenance contract, potential procurement roles would continue to be explored with Commercial Services.  Mr Payne assured Members that due diligence work would be carried out and that each contract would be tendered.

(b)  Mr Jones (Director of Highways, Transportation and Waste) assured the Committee that in recognition of the importance to deliver the Highway Term Maintenance contract and the impact that the contracting decision would have on the Highways Asset Management team, a Steering Board was established. The members of that Board consisted of the Head of Internal Audit, Corporate Finance and various internal organisations to ensure that all aspects were considered in the winder corporate context. 

(c)   Mr Jones informed the Committee that an independent review was sought from PWC to ensure that KCC had incorporated and considered all potential risks. Mr Jones assured Members that the process of commissioning provided KCC with the level of confidence required to take forward the preferred model having undertaken the correct level of scrutiny and due diligence work.

(d)  Mr Jones addressed concerns around the disenfranchisement of staff, and said that of the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 238.