BOROUGH OF POOLE
FOOD AND PACKAGING WORKING PARTY
11 SEPTEMBER 2012
The Meeting commenced at 1.30pm and concluded at 2.50pm
Present:
Councillors Chandler, Mrs Le Poidevin and Trent
Officers:
Kate Rixom
Shaun Robson
–
–
Hilary Evans
–
1.
Democratic Support Officer, Legal and Democratic Services
Head of Environmental and Consumer Protection
Services (ECPS)
Community Strategy Manager, Borough of Poole
ELECTION OF CHAIRMAN
RESOLVED that Councillor Mrs Le Poidevin be elected as Chairman of
the Food and Packaging Working Party for this Municipal Year.
2.
ELECTION OF VICE-CHAIRMAN
RESOLVED that election of Vice-Chairman be considered at the next
Meeting.
3.
APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE
Apologies for absence were received from Councillor Burden.
4.
DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST
There were no declarations of disclosable pecuniary interest.
5.
TERMS OF REFERENCE
RECOMMENDED that the Terms of Reference be noted.
6.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
The Working Party considered the Minutes of the Environment Overview and
Scrutiny Committee’s Food and Packaging Event on 12 April 2012 and the Minutes
of the Environment Overview and Scrutiny Committee Meeting on 19 June 2012.
During the discussion it was recognised that the majority of the recommendations
made on the 12 April 2012 were already being investigated i.e. a Working Party had
been established to identifying suitable pieces of Council Land to provide further
allotments, Poole Housing Partnership (PHP) had been involved with establishing
community gardens, to grow fruit and vegetables and a campaign to raise
awareness about waste and recycling, to encourage the residents of Poole to
1
reduce, reuse and recycle had been implemented by Environmental and Consumer
Protection Services etc. It was also noted that the Council had established a Green
Initiatives Panel to award funds to community organisations, social enterprises and
individual ‘social entrepreneurs’ resident within the Borough who had proposed new
and sustainable green initiatives and a further fund to promote compositing
initiatives.
The Community Strategy Manager advised the Working Party of the Poole
Environmental Partnership’s work and its links with Transition Poole. It was noted
that links with the Carbon Reduction Manager could be used to steer this Working
Party’s ideas and recommendations.
Councillor Trent advised the Working Party of community garden project work
being undertaken at St Aldhelm’s Academy, to encourage and promote its pupils to
grow fruit and vegetables.
The Community Strategy Manager advised the Working Party that funding to
aid community learning was available through the Adult Learning Services and
suggested that such funding may be used to establish more community gardens
within the Borough.
The Chairman advised the Working Party that she continued to work with the
traders within the Ashley Road Area, to encourage them to stop issuing plastic bags
and instead sell recyclable/sustainable bags, which could be produced by Remploy.
She hoped that if successful this initiative could then be rolled out in areas such as
Broadstone, Ashley Cross and Canford Cliffs. Remploy’s future, however, remained
unclear and as such alternative suppliers may need to be considered before further
work in this area could be pursued.
The Working Party discussed the possible cost implications to the Traders and
the need to promote the use of compostable bags as opposed to bio-gradable plastic
bags that could still be harmful to the environment. It was suggested that paper bags
maybe a cheaper and more environmentally friendly alternative. Councillor Chandler
highlighted an article in the ‘Daily Mail’ newspaper, which had promoted the
reduction of plastic bags and provided a list of the major players that could be
contacted.
In response to a Member’s question the Working Party was advised that
unwanted and old Council Waste or Recycle Bins were either reissued or recycled,
dependant on the quality and life of the bin.
RECOMMENDED that
i. The Community Strategy Manager contact the Officer responsible
for the funding to aid community learning, to see if this Funding
could be used to establish more community gardens within the
Borough.
ii. Councillor Mrs Le Poidevin to contact the major players identified
in the Daily Mail’s article re: the reduction of plastic bags, to help
promote the use of compostable bags.
iii. Councillor Mrs Le Poidevin to contact the Commerce of Traders
and Poole Centre Management to promote the use of compostable
bags.
2
iv.
v.
vi.
vii.
viii.
7.
All Ward Members be encouraged to promote the use of
compostable bags by traders within their Ward.
Councillor Chandler to investigate the potential cost to traders for
purchasing paper bags compared to plastic bags.
Councillor Trent to provide an update on St. Aldhelm’s community
garden project work at the next Meeting.
The Community Strategy Manager to contact Poole Housing
Partnership and Leisure Services to provide feedback on
community garden projects at the next Meeting.
The Community Strategy Manager to contact the Carbon
Reduction Manager to establish links with the Poole
Environmental Partnership and Transition Poole, to promote the
Working Party’s Recommendations.
FUTURE MEETING DATES/TIMES
The recommended date and time for the next Meeting was 13 November 2012
at 1.30pm, however, as not all Members and Officers the Working Party were able to
confirm their availability at this Meeting is was recommended that Legal and
Democratic Services confirm the date and time.
RESOLVED that the next Meeting be confirmed by Legal and Democratic
Services.
Chairman
3