Agenda and draft minutes

To agree the minutes of the previous meeting.

The minutes of the Strategic Planning and Environment Overview and Scrutiny Committee meeting held on 19 September 2018 were confirmed by the members present and signed by the chairman.

To receive any apologies for absence.

Apologies were received from Cllr Birnie (Cllr McLean substituting), Cllr Hearn and Cllr Silwal.

To receive any declarations of interest.

There were no declarations of interest.

There was no public participation.

None.

None.

D Austin provided an update on fly tipping.  Following the presentation, members were asked if they had any questions.

Cllr Hicks asked if the waste left around the recycling areas was the result of fly tipping, the bins being full, or there not being bins for the waste concerned.

D Austin replied it was a mixture.  Some people might turn up with a large bag of textiles that’s too big for the hatch and just leave it by the bin.  Others might come along with completely inappropriate items, thinking it’s allright to leave for examples a chair, TV or fridge.  Within that there were people genuinely coming along with items that may not fit, particularly at the sites that weren’t overflowing.  There had been some problems with the servicing of the textile banks, but he understood these had been resolved, so there shouldn’t be any issues with overflowing bins. 

Cllr Hicks said that if a bin was regularly overflowing it needed to be emptied more often.

Cllr Timmis reported that a part of her ward had been heavily contaminated with fly tipping.  25 fly tips had been left in a country lane near Flamstead called Chad Lane.  A very large fly tip had currently been left just off the A5 by the sewage works.  On her way to the meeting, she had seen 3 black bin bags full of rubbish just chucked at the side of the road.  She appreciated that people will dump things next to bins if bins were too full, but the fly tippers menacing her ward were a different type of fly tipper and were not the type that could easily be caught.  She welcomed attempts to tackle the problem by questioning people, but these were not the type of people that would be about during the day, as they fly tip by night.  Many of the fly tippers came from London, and most of the tipped material was builders rubbish. 

Cllr Timmis felt that two issues had been omitted from the presentation.  The £1 million cost of dealing with and removing fly tips applied solely to public land, and excluded the amount of money that landowners/farmers unfairly have to spend when fly tips have been left on their land.  The fly tipping was not their fault, and efforts to stop the problem were not their responsibility, so they should be entitled to some sort of help.  Also the Police didn’t have the time or the numbers of people to keep an eye out, although the rural Police do have a good idea of some of the local offenders.  It would be difficult to do anything about fly tipping whilst offenders were so confident they would not be caught, and it was difficult for people to go to the tips that were available, because there were so many restrictions.  It was no wonder people just didn’t bother going, so it would be better to spend the £1 million on opening the tips more.

D Austin responded  ...  view the full minutes text for item 139.

P O’Day provided a presentation on the food hygiene service, and members were asked if they had any questions.

Cllr Timmis asked if Dacorum inspected mobile vans selling food at markets/on the street.

P O’Day said that mobile premises registered in Dacorum were inspected, but if they were registered elsewhere and traded in Dacorum, it very much depended.  If Dacorum had a formal arrangement with the registering authority, then the Council would inspect it, for example a business registered in Watford and trading in Dacorum.  However, if the business moved from market to market, they would be inspected by the registering authority for that district.  With a big event, for example Chillfest, the Council would probably do a cursory check on these businesses and advise the organisers to permit only caterers who are 4 or 5 star rated.

Cllr Timmis asked if businesses involving a caravan selling coffee or tea at a big event, for example the Hertfordshire Show, or some sort of smaller outdoor event, have to be registered, even though they were not doing much.

P O’Day replied that it depended on whether there was an undertaking, as per the relevant regulation EC1782002.  If the business was being done on a regular basis, even if it was very low risk, it would still have to be registered.   However, if it was a church group fundraiser done once per year, it wouldn’t have to be registered.

Cllr Riddick asked if things like the sausage sizzle fundraisers that had been run outside the Homebase store in Apsley had been registered and were being inspected.

P O’Day wasn’t aware of food being sold at this location.  Generally if large stores like Homebase ran a promotion involving food, the Council would advise them as it does event organisers, i.e. ensure caterers were 4 or 5 star rated, registered with a local authority and covered with the correct liability insurance.  If it was a regular undertaking, like the van at the B&Q car park, then it would be inspected, but if it was ad hoc, it would make things more difficult to control.  He said he would look into this particular case.

Cllr Riddick asked how one could differentiate a counterfeit food hygiene rating sign from a genuine one in a restaurant window.

P O’Day replied there was a handwritten part of the sign which states Dacorum, the date of the inspection, and the signature of the officer who did the inspection.  Verification was available on the Council’s website.  If a sign is false, it’s a trading standard offence, and the Council has reported businesses which have displayed old signs.

Cllr Hicks asked if the Council has an obligation to confirm if caterers have to have a food hygiene standard for a one-off event.

P O’Day said that if one is hiring a professional caterer, he would strongly recommend choosing only one that has a 4 or 5 star rating, has appropriate insurance and is registered with its local authority.  However, if  ...  view the full minutes text for item 140.

The chairman advised that it hadn’t been possible to avoid adding an eighth item for the next meeting, and asked members if they would be willing to start the meeting earlier at 7pm.  Members agreed, and S Turner agreed to advise Corporate & Democratic Support.