Agenda and minutes

No apologies for absence were received.

Members are requested to declare the existence and nature of any disclosable pecuniary interests and/or other interests, not already on their register of interests, in any item on the agenda and withdraw from the meeting at the appropriate time.

Councillor Carolyn Renwick advised the Committee of an interest in any discussions relating to both environmental issues and Derbyshire County Council, as the County Council’s Cabinet Member for Infrastructure and Environment. This would not prevent Councillor C Renwick from participation in any item.

To approve as a correct record and the Chair to sign the Minutes of the Environment Scrutiny Committee held on 21 May 2024.

RESOLVED – That the Minutes of the Environment Scrutiny Committee held on 21 May 2024 were approved and signed by the Chair.

Overview of Scrutiny and remit of the Committee.

Joe Hayden, Senior Scrutiny Officer

The Senior Scrutiny Officer delivered a presentation to Members which included an overview of how the Scrutiny function operated, the specific remits of the Council’s four Scrutiny Committees, how to add topics to the annual Work Programme, and the different options to carry out reviews.

RESOLVED – That the presentation was noted.

An update on the Combined Authority – Who’s who and NEDDC’s role.

Lee Hickin, Managing Director

The Managing Director delivered a presentation to Members explaining how the recently established East Midlands Combined County Authority (EMCCA) was progressing in terms of its operating framework.  Members were also informed of the Strategic Leadership Board that was used as a feeder into EMCCA. The presentation included details on the EMCCA’s formation, how the EMCCA would operate, who would sit on the Board and other Committees, and how the EMCCA’s Scrutiny function would operate.

RESOLVED – That the presentation was noted.  

An overview on what the Council is doing to make their buildings more efficient.

David Broom, Facilities & Contracts Manager and Sylvia Moffatt, Sustainability Officer

The Facilities and Contracts Manager and the Sustainability Officer delivered a presentation on what the Council was doing to make its buildings more energy efficient. The presentation included details on reducing carbon emissions, decarbonisation, the Council’s facilities, challenges, future projects and CO2 emissions.

Members referred to the parts of the presentation which reported reduced energy consumption in the Council’s buildings following the Rykneld Homes move into Mill Lane, and enquired exactly how this had happened. Members were informed that ICT were still in the Rykneld building (Pioneer House), and they consumed less energy than Rykneld did.  However, due to the building still being used there was still energy consumption and this would be the case for as long as the building was occupied.

Members referred to the same section and enquired why Coney Green Business Centre had increased its consumption. The Facilities and Contracts Manager advised that he would investigate the exact reasons for Coney Green’s high consumption and circulate them to Members.  The Committee were informed that each business is responsible for their own consumption so is not recorded by the Council but assumed the increase was down to consumption within the communal areas. 

Members expressed the importance of educating the people in Pioneer House and Coney Green Business Centre about energy consumption. The Sustainability Officer explained that dialogue had taken place about this with people in both buildings, as well as Rykneld Homes staff.

The Managing Director explained that Pioneer House was currently in a transitionary period, and its energy consumption would be lowered once this had passed.

Members enquired if the Council had a Building Management System in place at its Leisure Centre buildings, and who monitored them. The Facilities and Contracts Manager explained that most of the Centres had one in place, and the managers of each Centre were asked to monitor them.

Members discussed the matter of heat pump installation, and asked if the District Network Operator had visited Dronfield Sports Centres. The Facilities and Contracts Manager explained that they had visited the Centre. Members were informed that the companies responsible for overseeing heat pump installation were taking a lot of time. The Committee were concerned about this and asked the Senior Scrutiny Officer to draft some correspondence on behalf of the Committee to the Cabinet to ask them  to lobby the heat pump companies on the timescale of their installations.

The Chair enquired if there were heat pump maintenance engineers in-house at the Council. The Facilities and Contracts Manager explained that the Council got maintenance engineers from an outside company.

RESOLVED – That the presentation was noted.

To inform Committee of recent and forthcoming Cabinet business.

A digest of Cabinet decisions taken since 23 May 2024.  This information is published by Cabinet meeting on the Council’s website.  Cabinet Agendas, Decisions and Minutes can be viewed at: Cabinet

The Forward Plan of Executive decisions.

Plans

These plans are updated to include new business.

Joe Hayden, Senior Scrutiny Officer

The Senior Scrutiny Officer presented a digest of Cabinet decisions taken since the last Committee meeting on 21 May 2024. The digest set out key information for each decision.

The Senior Scrutiny Officer also presented Members with the Forward Plan of Executive Decisions for the period 15 May 2024 – 30 September 2024.

RESOLVED – That the update was noted.

To contribute to major Policies being considered by the Council.

The Chair informed the Committee that there were no major policies for Members to consider.

RESOLVED – That the update was noted.

To consider and contribute to potential changes in the operating environment which may include legislation, regulation and key projects being undertaken by the Council, for example.

The Senior Scrutiny Officer updated Members on potential significant changes in the Council’s operating environment, including changes to national legislation and regulation.

The Senior Scrutiny Officer informed Members that the operations of the East Midlands Combined Authority would be closely monitored. Members were also informed that the recent General Election result would mean a lot of new legislation in the near future, which would also be monitored for the Committee.

Members discussed some recent events regarding the National Grid and pylons, and suggested that this may be something the Committee could monitor. The Members referenced an upcoming meeting to discuss the issue, and some Members had said they had not seen the invitation.  The Senior Scrutiny Officer advised that she would look into this and report back to those that had not had the invite.

RESOLVED – That the update was noted.  

To receive an update on the outcome following the Review being presented to Cabinet.

Chair – Councillor Caroline Smith

The Chair updated the Committee on the progress of the ‘Review on the Council becoming 100% Plant-Based’ briefing paper and recommendations agreed by this Committee at its previous meeting. The recommendations were considered by Cabinet on 20 June and all three were approved.

RESOLVED – That the update was noted.

To consider the Committee’s Work Programme.

Joe Hayden, Senior Scrutiny Officer

The Senior Scrutiny Officer presented the draft Work Programme 2024/25 for the Committee to consider. If approved, it would be the first Work Programme of the new municipal year. Members were told that the new draft design of the Programme now included an ‘outcome’ section for each issue, to set out what the Committee aimed to achieve with each one.

Members agreed to add to the draft Work Programme to invite Rykneld Homes to come to a future Committee meeting and answer questions on Energy Efficient Homes and the lessons they have learnt about it.

RESOLVED –

(1)      That an addition be made to the draft Work Programme to invite Rykneld Homes to come to a future Committee meeting and answer questions on Energy Efficient Homes and the lessons they have learnt about it.

(2)      That the Work Programme 2024/25 be approved with this addition.

To consider any other matter which the Chair of the Committee is of the opinion should be considered as a matter of urgency.

None.

The next meeting of the Environment Scrutiny Committee is scheduled to take place on 9 September 2024 at 3.30 pm.

The next meeting of the Environment Scrutiny Committee was scheduled to take place on 9 September 2024 at 3.30pm.