Environmental Performance Working Party Minutes 14th September 2007
ENVIRONMENTAL PERFORMANCE WORKING PARTY | ||
Meeting held 14th September, 2007 | ||
PRESENT: | Councillors Mary Lea (Chair), Simon Clement-Jones, Martin Lawton and Garry Weatherall. | |
............ | ||
1. | APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE | |
Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Ibrar Hussain and Bryan Lodge. | ||
2. | MINUTES OF LAST MEETING | |
The minutes of the meeting of the Working Party held on 29th June, 2007, were approved as a correct record. | ||
3. | SHEFFIELD ECO-SCHOOLS (SUSTAINABLE SCHOOLS) CONFERENCE | |
The Director of Environment and Regulatory Services submitted a report on the proposed arrangements for holding a Sheffield Eco-Schools Conference at the Town Hall and containing details of the award of the Green Flag standard to Brook House Primary School in July, 2007, as part of the pilot Eco-Schools Programme running in the South East area of Sheffield. | ||
It was proposed that the Eco-Schools Conference be held in December, 2007, with the objective of providing an opportunity for eco-representatives from all Sheffield schools to engage in active dialogue with Council Members, and for pupils, teachers, Councillors and Council officers and other interested stakeholders to develop further the already established Sheffield Eco-Schools network of City Council Eco-School theme specialists. | ||
The report was supported by a presentation from pupils of Brook House Primary School on the work the school had undertaken as part of the pilot Eco-Schools Programme, in order to achieve the Green Flag Award. Some of the eco-friendly systems adopted by the school, which were set out in the Green Flag application form appended to the report, included composting, paper recycling, healthy eating and the production of a School Travel Plan. The pupils and Kath Scott, (Teacher and Eco-Schools Co-ordinator) responded to questions from Members of the Working Party on the eco-measures undertaken at the school. The pupils also asked the Councillors questions on eco-issues relating to the Council. | ||
The Working Party (a) noted the contents of the report now submitted, together with the information now reported, including the presentation from the pupils of Brook House Primary School; | ||
(b) supported the proposed organisation of the Sheffield Eco-Schools Conference, to be held at the Town Hall on a date to be arranged in December, 2007, along the lines set out in the report now submitted; and | ||
(c) thanked the staff and pupils of Brook House Primary School for attending the meeting and congratulated them on the attainment of their Green Flag Award. | ||
4. | MANOR FIELDS DISTRICT PARK SUSTAINABLE URBAN DRAINAGE SCHEME | |
The Director of Parks and Countryside submitted a report on the success and benefits of the Sustainable Urban Drainage Scheme (SUDS) in Manor Fields District Park and recommending a series of actions that would enable the use of SUDS to be encouraged, wherever practical, in all appropriate locations within the City. | ||
The report indicated that in November, 2005, Manor Fields District Park had received an Eco-Quality Award and one specific feature of the work undertaken in the park included the development of a SUDS, which managed the rainwater run-off from an adjacent new housing development. SUDS was viewed an alternative way of managing rainfall to the conventional piped sewerage system and in view of the recent flooding in the City, it was considered appropriate to explore the lessons and action that could be taken to embrace SUDS across the City. | ||
Supplementary to the report, Roger Nowell gave a presentation on SUDS, reporting on the benefits to Manor Fields District Park and how such systems could have long-term benefits for the City. He stated that one of the main benefits of SUDS was that if the system was designed correctly, it required very little in terms of maintenance and referred to the benefits of extending the use of SUDS and the plan of action, in terms of the system, for the City. | ||
The Working Party (a) noted the contents of the report now submitted, together with the information now reported as part of the presentation; | ||
(b) endorsed the establishment of a Sheffield SUDS Working Group to provide a clear focus for the practical encouragement of SUDS in all appropriate locations within the City; and | ||
(c) thanked Roger Nowell for the presentation now made. | ||
5. | ECO-DRIVING BEST PRACTICE PROCEDURE | |
The Director of Environment and Regulatory Services submitted a report on the benefits of Eco-Driving and seeking endorsement for this aspect of good driving to be recognised as an essential part of the overall driving standards promoted and expected of all those who drive on Local Authority business. | ||
Supplementary to the report, Mark Daly gave a presentation on the benefits of Eco-Driving, referring to the guide to Eco-Driving produced by Care4Air Campaign. | ||
The Working Party (a) noted the contents of the report now submitted, together with the information reported as part of the presentation; | ||
(b) agreed that (i) Eco-Driving be accepted as a key aspect of the best practice standard that all those who drive on City Council business should aspire to, and be a recognised part of the way in which all Council Services can begin to address the common travel impacts they all share, (ii) all City Council employees that use their car for work or drive City Council fleet vehicles be made aware of the Eco-Driving booklets and web information produced by the Care4Air Campaign and (iii) major City Council partners such as Veolia, Sheffield Homes and Kier should be encouraged to adopt a similar approach; and | ||
(c) thanked Mark Daly for the presentation now made and requested that their thanks be conveyed to everyone involved in the production of the Guide to Eco-Driving. | ||
6. | CITY COUNCIL DIRECTORATES AND CLIMATE CHANGE REPORTING | |
The Director of Environment and Regulatory Services submitted a report (a) providing a brief review of the four City Council Directorate Climate Change reports which had been submitted to the Culture, Economy and Sustainability Scrutiny and Policy Development Board and (b) seeking endorsement for the development and refinement of the Directorate Climate Change reporting process to the Scrutiny and Policy Development Board. | ||
The Working Party (i) noted the contents of the report now submitted; and | ||
(ii) endorsed the development and refinement of the Directorate Climate Change reporting process to the Culture, Economy and Sustainability Scrutiny and Policy Development Board along the lines set out in the report. | ||
7. | DATE OF NEXT MEETING | |
It was noted that the next meeting of the Working Party would be held on Friday, 9th November, 2007, from 2.00 p.m. to 4.00 p.m. in the Town Hall. | ||