Agenda item

To receive any questions relating to items on the Agenda from members of the public and replies thereto.

Note:   A maximum of 30 minutes is allowed for this item.

 

 

Questions were received from Town Councillor Sophia Beard, Castle Ward, Tiverton Town Council. The Chairman read out the following questions:-

 

In respect to your proposal to cease side waste collections from the 1 October 2023:-

Question 1

Please provide a detailed account of how this will be communicated to the wider public, including highlighting of your plan to reach those in the community for whom English is not their first language.

 

Answer

A wide variety of media would be used to include Press Releases, Social Media and potential posters. There is a google translation that is accessible on our website.

Question 2

How are you justifying giving less than 2 months’ notice of this significant change to policy?

Answer

We should not be collecting side waste as part of a 3 weekly scheme as it defeats its purpose. We made it clear before introducing 3 weekly collections that the collection of side waste was a temporary measure and that all residual waste should be placed in the black bin.

Question 3

What consultation has been undertaken with the Town and Parish Councils in the district in respect of the implementation of your proposals?

Answer

We spoke with Cullompton Town Council before 3 weekly collections were introduced and also regularly speak to other Town and Parish Councillors around arising issues. We have continued to offer meetings and have also gone into certain different areas and proactively talked to residents around these issues.

Question 4

What consultations and collaborative working can you evidence has taken place with grassroot organisations on this issue for example Sustainable Tiverton, Tiverton Town Centre Partnership and their counterparts in the district?

Answer

We have worked with these organisations where appropriate according to the nature of the issues e.g. grass and hedge cutting, maintenance of town centre open spaces. We are willing to work with groups on increasing our recycling rates and cement best practice.

Question 5

How will you inform residents as to why the side waste left on pavements has not been collected? (assuming that they have not received your pre-implementation communications?)

 

Answer

Our Collections team have already been labelling both recycling and garden waste that has not been put out for collection properly over previous months and education has been invested in through the appointment of Recycling Officers. As you heard about in the last item the Environment Enforcement team have tackled the more serious waste offences including fly tipping. This will continue.

Question 6

What are you expecting residents to do with the additional side waste not collected (ie. Hold it for an additional 3 weeks?)

Answer

Ask them to put it into the black bin (and if capacity is an issue we look at that with them). Ultimately we would target problem areas for education through site visits and subsequent enforcement as we currently do so.

Question 7

Under the Equalities Impact Assessment, how will this change in policy effect residents who currently benefit from the assisted collections policy, will you be leaving their side waste also?

Answer

Again we would work with the residents on their needs and if capacity is an issue we would address it with them.

Question 8

Under the Equalities Impact Assessment, what considerations will be made for residents residing in HMOs, flats and properties with no outside in the implementation of this proposal if it goes ahead?

 

Answer

We would work with the residents on their needs and if capacity is an issue we would address it with them. We are also working with town centre landlords to look at appropriate solutions and if more want to come and talk to us they can do so.

 

Question 9

With regard specifically to Tiverton Castle Ward, given that the Town Centre has a larger concentration of HMOs, flats and properties with no outside space, how will you support the Town Centre Businesses who will be adversely effected by the implementation of this policy where it leaves the uncollected side waste outside trading premises, creating a negative impression of the town centre as it prepares for the Christmas season.

Answer

We regularly patrol town centre spaces and car parks to identify potential problem areas and where we require either additional education, enforcement or ad hoc waste collections we implement this. So this is already in hand.

Question 10

How do you envisage the policy working in the post Christmas period where additional waste is likely to be created combined with the addition of bank holidays, will you still implement no side collections during this period into January 2024?

Answer

We would look to be more flexible in the post-Christmas period regarding additional waste as this is always a challenging time.

Hilary Tosdevin

 

Question 1

Would like details of who has been consulted regarding the Devon Carbon Plan. (Asked about who was consulted e.g. demographics, methods used, time given to respond, questions discussed.) 

 

Answer

It was explained that 70 people were selected from across Devon and the assembly met over 4 weekends.  All information can be found on the Devon Climate Emergency website.

 

The Chairman also indicated that a written response would be provided.

 

James King

 

Question 1

Cost of net zero plans - shows £117m for net zero projects.  My concern is what is that money going to be spent on?  Strongly believe it could be invested to make the community a 15 or 20 minute city.  Tiverton seems to be shutting down quickly.   Perhaps money could be better spent in developing the town rather than e.g. increasing car park charges.

 

Answer

The C&S Specialist apologised and said the figures should have a clearer explanation.  All the costs for potential projects are estimates.  Most are projects that the Council would not necessarily lead on or fund themselves.  Mid Devon District Council would welcome any suggestions for ways to address climate change.

 

It was also indicated by the Chairman that a written response would be provided.

 

Elizabeth Anne

 

Question 1

Does council know the following?

The human and environmental suffering involved in EV/ green component mining i.e. lithium and cobalt, 300 year damage to the local water supply, human slavery and child labour. Shipping companies are starting to ban EVs because of the fires that can't be put out. UK companies have banned their use on trains and buses.

 

Question 2

Has Devon Fire Service been consulted with regard to management of toxic run off from EV fires?

  

Question 3

Have you individually independently researched this whole net zero carbon neutral narrative? Should you choose to continue with this extreme plan? Remember we are mostly carbon!

 

I am requesting a public forum where Council can evidence their climate data and their claim of a man-made climate emergency, because half an hour is not sufficient time.

 

Most people don't know the full extent of the Net Zero plans. Few have read the Absolute Zero, C40 Cities & IPCC reports and are blissfully ignorant of how much our lives will radically change if recommendations go ahead.

 

A few examples from these reports;

 

By 2030, UK airports close except Heathrow, Glasgow and Belfast, which close by 2050.By 2030, 50% less lamb and beef production... had you noticed we're being conditioned to eat insects?Industries destroyed, limited employment.

 

Petrol and Diesel completely phased out by 2050, but don't worry, you'll have a rather generous 3 item clothing allowance per year!

And so it goes on.

 

If you expect the public to willingly go along with losing our entire way of life, our livelihoods and our freedom and being impoverished, for generations, then you absolutely must conclusively prove it's necessary. Anything less is unconstitutional.

 

And evidence not just using cherry picked data the, zero authority IPCC put out. Full chart data showing everything, including the inconvenient ice core sample data which shows CO2 levels over 5 times greater than they are now with much higher global temperatures, with no detriment to the planet. C02 is in fact a gas of life and at 0.04% of the atmosphere.  The science community is not settled on this narrative, thousands of scientists have been silenced and threated to not speak.

 

I'm not a climate change denier, she is alive so will evolve and change. The onus is on council to prove these effects are man-made and a disaster/emergency.

 

From your agenda today

 “Legal Implications: Full Council declared a Climate Emergency in June 2019”.? Excuse me how is that legal?

 

Question 4

Can council confirm the constitutional basis by which either they, or central government (both organizations made by the people) may act in any of these respects?

 

All I can find is on 1^st May 2019 uk gov passed a non-binding motion to declare a climate emergency. All that is, is an opinion it has no legal binding and never lawful binding. It could not be voted on as it would be unconstitutional to every man women boy and girl of the land.

 

The Chairman indicated that a written response would be provided.

 

Les Tosdevin

 

How can you communicate the Council’s plans to the 86% of voters that did not vote?

 

The Chairman indicated that a written response would be provided.