My Report to Council

Posted By: Wera Hobhouse
Date Posted: 10/02/2009

REPORT OF THE CABINET MEMBER FOR ENVIRONMENT AND SUSTAINABILITY TO THE MEETING OF THE COUNCIL ON 4th FEBRUARY 2009


Thank you Mr Mayor for the opportunity to report to the Council on various matters relating to the Environment and Sustainability Portfolio.

Planning and Regulation

The Council is disappointed at the result of the referendum on the Transport Innovation Fund but independently of this process, officers from the Planning and Regulation Service and Impact have been developing a transport strategy for the Borough which looks at our future transport needs up until 2020 and indeed beyond.
The strategy is based upon an assessment of current problems and opportunities but takes full account of funding opportunities so is based upon a desire to deliver a series of transport improvements. It does however also look at the longer term future and improvements which could be needed beyond that date.
Key proposals include :
• Support for extensions of Metrolink into the town centre.
• Exploration of a Metrolink connection to Middleton
• Retention of the proposal to develop ELR as a commuter line, linked to its development as a tourism asset
• Improved access to M62 Junctions 19 and 21 especially for heavy vehicles
• Traffic calming in sensitive areas such as town centres and outside schools
• Improved cross borough public transport links
• Improvements to the walking and cycling network
Consultation on the strategy will be undertaken during February and opportunities for further proposals will exist as part of this process.

Environmental Management

The Big Clean

Since the Lib Dem administration allocated an extra £100,000 in the 2008/09 budget to clean up the borough we launched the Big Clean Campaign at the end of October/beginning of November. Together with the Council’s Communication’s team and the local and regional media we started a call on community groups, churches, schools, businesses and individual members of the public to nominate their ‘favourite grot spot’ so that after a selection process, resources would be allocated to tidy up and improve those sites.

Since the beginning of January the Big Clean team sifted through the 77 applications, they received, to separate out those which were not eligible according to application criteria. The Green Champions subsequently selected the sites within all four townships and the successful applicants are being notified. The remaining applicants will also be contacted to inform them of how they can work with EM to progress their proposals. This means we will be working with all applicants over the spring and summer to address the issues they have raised.
As the scheme develops and sites are completed a comprehensive before/during and after picture file will be complied to be published in an effort to continue awareness. Keeping our environment clean and green is the Council’s big priority and everybody can help to achieve this.

I thank all officers and the local media for the great team work that has been demonstrated during this campaign. My special thanks go of course to our residents and all the groups that have come on board with the campaign. I am confident that we will soon see the real improvements on the ground.

50% Recycling by 2011

Following the Council’s unanimous motion in October 2008 to achieve 50% recycling by 2011, we have been putting together a strategy to achieve this ambitious goal. Measures include:

Food Waste Collection: to introduce a food waste service to properties not on garden waste collections using data provided from the 17 RAP food waste trials and information provided by Oldham MBC who are currently rolling out a food waste collection service.

Bulky Waste Collections:To introduce a bulky refuse reuse scheme in partnership with an appropriate social enterprise provider in 2009 to replace the existing landfill based bulky refuse service, thereby diverting this waste from landfill.

Upgrading of Bring Sites: Change and Upgrade bring sites to bring them in line with alternate week recycling provision to ensure that the same mix of materials can be disposed of across the borough either by kerbside collection or via bring sites.

Multi-Occupancy Properties: introduction of quality bespoke recycling facilities for all multi occupancy properties.

Optional Bins for Paper and Cardboard: to provide optional bins instead of blue bags to residents who request them in order to capture higher rates of paper and cardboard recycling and address the issue of blue bags going missing.

Rural Hard to Reach Collections: to change current service provision to enable a more appropriate waste and recycling service.

Recycling Collections for Charities: continue to promote the free recycling service to charities, places of worship and community centres.


The beginning of 2009 has been very promising in achieving a cleaner, greener borough. I look forward to delivering this agenda with officers, Council colleagues and the residents of Rochdale Borough.

Councillor Wera Hobhouse