Agenda and minutes

There were no apologies for absence received.

The Joint Executive Committee is asked to approve the minutes of the meeting held on 30 April 2021.

The minutes of the meeting held on 30 April 2021 were agreed as a true record.

There were no declarations of interest.

Report attached

The JEC received a report advising them of the latest position regarding the Residual Waste Treatment Contract and other ancillary waste joint contracts and activities managed by the South of Tyne and Wear Waste Management Partnership (STWWMP)

This report relates to quarter 4 of the last financial year.

Section 3 covers the Residual Waste Treatment Contract and illustrates that all targets were met.

Paragraph 3.10 onwards covers Waste Transfer Stations and provides the update following the serious fire at Campground WTS on 28^th February. The facility was unable to fully operate throughout March as investigations into the structural integrity of the building took place and a repairs programme was identified. 

Orders for some key pieces of infrastructure (such as doors, odour suppression, lighting, fire alarm systems, and CCTV) were placed & SUEZ started the process to procure a construction contractor and programme manager to progress and oversee the structural repairs.

Operationally the separate ad hoc area and sweepings bay were able to operate and following EA approval, the site also began to accept deliveries from bulky waste, void clearance and fly tipping teams in the tipping hall.

Both Middlefields and Jack Crawford House WTS’s were fully operational during March and acted as contingency sites alongside Byker.

As a result of the fire, 374 tonnes of charred waste required disposal by landfill although this had a minimal impact on the annual unprocessed landfill diversion rate.

A joint communications plan is being developed to help support the prevention of fires within our facilities and vehicles which are currently a regular occurrence.

Physical delivery of community engagement activities remained suspended due to COVID however ways of resuming face to face activity in a controlled manner were under constant review and online activity continued.

An interactive online Global Recycling Day (GRD) was launched in March which allowed students to promote actions and share their thoughts about the benefits of recycling.

Section 4 highlights the Material Recovery Facility recycling performance levels reduced in Gateshead and South Tyneside in Quarter 4.

Section 7 covers Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment project developments. The WEEE Reduce and Reuse project delivery team remained on furlough on a part-time basis, scheduled to return full-time on 12 April. 

The kerbside WEEE project officer began long-term sickness absence in March 2021 but options to continue the project were being reviewed.  

RESOLVED – that the JEC note the contents of the report.

Report attached.

The JEC received a report advising them of the latest position regarding the Residual Waste Treatment Contract and other ancillary waste joint contracts and activities managed by the South Tyne and Wear Waste Management Partnership (STWWMP).

Section 3 of the report covers the Residual Waste Treatment Contract and illustrates that all targets were met.

Paragraphs 3.24 to 3.31 updated the JEC on the works to repair Campground WTS following on from the fire on 28 February 2021 and also provided details of work ongoing with communication colleagues in each partner authority on a joint communications plan to support the prevention of any further fires within STWWMP facilities or vehicles.

Tables A and B at the appendix highlights the Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) Contracts and highlighted the impact of the pandemic on residual waste levels. A full procurement exercise leading to the award of the next long-term MRF contract(s) from 1 April 2022 is in progress with the tender documents being published in August and tenders due for return in October.

Table A at Appendix C highlights the latest HWRC recycling performance for 2021/21

(April – July).

The JEC were also advise that for service subscribers, the household garden waste kerbside collection services commenced in late March/early April. As 2021 is the final year of the previously agreed extension period to the current green waste composting contracts new replacement contracts will be required from 1 April 2022. Therefore, a full joint procurement exercise has already commenced, and the joint partnership team are currently finalising tender documentation which will be issued in September.

The JEC also  received an update on the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEE) Contract with the project delivery team having returned  from furlough full time on 12 April 2021.

The JEC were advised that in response to an audit undertaken by the Lead Authority Internal Audit Service in 2019, it was agreed that overall partner authority recycling performance should be reported to the JEC in September each year, once Waste Data Flow returns have been validated.

All local authority overall recycling performance is generated by the national Waste Data Flow database, using the definition of the former national performance indicator NI192 to calculate the percentage of household waste sent to reuse, recycling or composting.

The NI192 results show very slight increases in each partner authority , with the 2020/21 results showing:

·        Gateshead                  32.2%

·        South Tyneside           30.8% 

·        Sunderland                  28.1%

RESOLVED – That the information be noted

Presentation

The JEC received a presentation outlining details of pertinent international and national waste news, waste policy and local authority waste news.

RESOLVED -  That the information be noted

The JEC wished to place upon record their thanks to Chris Wilson for his work on the partnership. Chris is being seconded to another service within Gateshead Council and the JEC wished him well for the future and thanked him for his work.

The next meeting of the Joint Executive Committee will be held on Friday 10 December 2021 at 1.30 pm

The next meeting of the JEC will take place on Friday 10 December 2021 at 1.30 pm.