Neil Ferris, Director of Strategy and Developments, MWDA, will give a presentation to the Committee.

A report by the Director of Technical Services provided the Committee with information relating to the Merseyside Joint Municipal Waste Management Strategy (JMWMS) review and associated complementary Wirral Council District Action Plan (DCAP).  It was noted that, subject to Members’ approval and ratification by the Council, the current schedule for the publication of the JMWMS and the Wirral DCAP was December 2011.

The JMWMS and Wirral Council’s DCAP would become the Council’s strategic documents to support the delivery of the corporate goal “Minimising Waste by Encouraging Waste Reduction and Recycling”.

Neil Ferris, Director of Strategy and Developments at the Merseyside Waste Disposal Authority provided the Committee with a presentation on the latest position of the JMWMS.  Mr Ferris reminded Members of the EU Waste Framework Directive and EU Landfill Directive Targets.  He also provided a short list of strategy objectives, a menu of delivery options and informed of the details of his Authority’s ten week public consultation exercise, which had ended on 7 September 2011.  A review timetable had been prepared along with an action plan for Wirral Council to assist it in delivering the Waste Strategy.

Finally, the Committee was asked to consider whether:

• it remained satisfied with the process that has been undertaken to develop the new Joint Municipal Waste Management Strategy;

• subject to any comments Members may wish to submit on its content, they are happy to endorse the draft Strategy and associated Council action plan as they currently stand; and

• it agrees that a final version of the draft Strategy and Council action plan, taking into account the Board’s comments, be referred to the Cabinet for consideration, prior to their submission to the Council for formal approval.

Following the presentation Members asked a number of questions which were answered as appropriate by Mr Ferris.

RESOLVED: That

(1)  Mr Ferris be thanked for his informative presentation;

(2)  the process that has been undertaken to develop the new Joint Municipal Waste Management Strategy be endorsed;

(3)  the draft Strategy and associated District Action Plan as they currently stand be endorsed;

(4)  the current work being carried out on the Environmental Streetscene Services Contract Review be noted and progress on this work be reported to this Committee in January 2012;

(5)  a final version of the JMWMS Strategy and draft Wirral DCAP, taking into account the Committee’s comments, be referred to the Cabinet for consideration, prior to them being presented to the Council for formal approval;

(6)  a final Wirral DCAP, outlining the Council’s intentions with regards to recycling and waste prevention (and associated future targets) be brought back to this Committee no later than June 2012, once the Environmental Streetscene Services Contract Review regarding the seven year break clause has been concluded;

(7)  following the ratification of the JMWMS a request be made that the Merseyside Waste Levy Payment Mechanism review must be undertaken, as soon as possible, and the progress of this work be monitored by this Committee.