Minutes – 14thMarch 2012
Present
Councillor Neil Emmott (Chair)RMBC
David McKailFriends of Wince Brook
Geoff GrimeMiddleton View Resident
Christine GrimeMiddleton View Resident
Carol GeddesFriends of Alkrington Woods
Michael WhiteAlkrington Resident
Gary LeighAbsolute Angling
Brian JohnsonAlkrington Resident
Paul HarrisMiddleton Resident
Carol HarrisMiddleton Resident
Jon DavenportEnvironment Agency
Ian GossopEnvironment Agency
Stephen ParryEnvironment Agency
Councillor June WestRMBC
Councillor Carol WardleRMBC
Councillor Susan EmmottRMBC
Councillor Malcolm BorissRMBC
Councillor Donna MartinRMBC
Councillor Phil BurkeRMBC
Councillor Mike HollyRMBC
Councillor Teresa FitzsimonsRMBC
Julie SimpsonRMBC Environmental Enforcement
Debbie ChoulartonRMBCTownshipSupport Officer
Apologies
Audrey RichesMiddleton Civic Association
David LappinAlkrington Resident
Bob MageeFriends of Wince Brook
Anthony DickinsonDane Bank Resident
Jean BunnerMiddleton Resident
Harry AlldrittMiddleton Community Training Centre
Terry LindenMiddleton Resident
Ian RayFriends of Wince Brook
Pat DonaldLangley Environment Group
Ron DonaldLangley Resident
Ivy IsherwoodLangley Environment Group
Mick RipleyRMBC Street Services
Councillor Peter WilliamsRMBC
Councillor Lil MurphyRMBC
Councillor Alan GodsonRMBC
Councillor Jonathan BurnsRMBC
Councillor Maureen RowbothamRMBC
Councillor Linda RobinsonRMBC
1.Minutes of the last meeting
The minutes of the meeting on 18thJanuary 2012 were agreed as a true and correct record.
2. Matters Arising
The Chair, Councillor Neil Emmott, asked that if Mick Ripley was unable to attend next time, that a substitute from Environmental Management be sent as well as Julie Simpson from the Enforcement Team. He also re-iterated the importance of a Highways officer attending the meeting. Councillor Martin agreed and said that there have been problems for all sub-groups in getting officers to attend on a regular basis.
The Chair thanked Julie Simpson for providing the Forum with a breakdown of enforcement cases where they had been successfully prosecuted
From the Action Points:
a) Weeds on Farmway – Councillor Martin asked why certain areas seem to drop off the regular maintenance schedule, so that intensive work such as this is needed.
h) Cigarette litter outside pubs – Councillors requested that Julie Simpson write to the landlords of the pubs, copying in the brewery and the Chair. Councillor Burke asked if the licence given to pubs includes a clause about keeping the frontage of the premises clean and tidy. Councillor Wardle, as Chair of the Licensing Committee, said she would write to the Borough Solicitor to check the current licensing policy and if necessary look at changing it to include this proviso.
l) Chewing gum on the new paving in MiddletonGardens – Councillors requested that the new paving be cleaned of any chewing gum.
o) Sunk Lane litter – the Forum agreed that a new litter bin should be requested for this area, to be paid for (approximately £100) from the remainder of the funding allocated to the Forum in 2010/2011.
p) Skip on Mainway – Councillors were still not happy with new permits being given and asked that Debbie email Highways to tell them to refuse a new permit for the main highway and ask that it goes on the property drive as the skip was being used for business waste. The Chair said that if Highways would not do this, Members would look at putting in double yellow lines to deal with the issue.
q) Fencing around Waste Exchange on Grimshaw Lane – this has now been repaired.
r) Parking in the Town Centre – Councillors also raised the issue of cars parking on the pavement in front of Studds menswear shop and on the bend of the road near the Horridges gap, ruining the new paving, causing obstruction for pedestrians and also causing a safety issue on the Highway.
3. Flood Defence – Environment Agency
Ian Glossop and Stephen Parry from The Environment Agency (EA) explained to the Forum the responsibilities of EA regarding waterways and what they can and cannot do. They also provided each member of the group with a leaflet explaining this, produced by EA.
Geoff Grime raised the issue of litter and debris, including a sofa, in the river at the side of Lodge Mill. It was explained that EA do not deal with litter per se, only when it becomes a flood risk, as day to day responsibility goes to the land owner over whose land the waterway runs. Due to the sofa, it will be looked at.
Contacts for Ian and Stephen are as follows:
Ian Gossop, Enforcement Officer, Environment Agency, Mirwell, Carrington Lane, Sale, Manchester, M33 5NL
Tel: 01925 542157
Mob: 07768 904791 (Please do not leave messagesif no answer, but contact01925 542835)
Email:
Stephen Parry, Flood Defence Enforcement Officer, Environment Agency, Richard Fairclough House, Knutsford Road, Warrington, WA4 1HT
Tel: 01925 542297
Email:
4. Recycling Plant on Grimshaw Lane
Jon Davenport from the Environment Agency (EA) gave the Forum the following update partly at the meeting and partly by email:
The large section of damaged fencing was finally repaired by the landlords on the afternoon of the Forum.
As discussed in previous meetings, so far, attempts to guide the company in the right direction and warn them about the potential (and actual) escape and impact ofodour, litter, noise and dust on the local people and environment has had some, but not the desired affect. EA have warned the company several times and served two Enforcement Notices on them and are concerned about the odour issue with the warmer weather coming.
Following last summer's odour problems and other concerns at the site,an Odour Management Plan (OMP)was produced detailing how they will prevent, minimise, contain and investigate odour from their facility as well as what further measures they willimplement if the ones in place don't work.
Jon suspects that the current measures may not be enough andaren't being followed (and doors aren't kept closed all the time), soplanned an audit for the 19th of March.Jon took a team to audit the site's management systems andprocedures and take a detailed look at what's happening on the site. The report is still being written, but it was a very useful day and throughoutApril EA will bemonitoring the site 3-4 times a week at various times of dayand night to substantiate the odour and litter problem.If a problem is detected, EA will be holding them to the promises in their OMP and enforcing against it as necessary.
A dust monitor has been at the site since September 2011, but hasn't shown anything of concern (the levels have been well below those that would be classed as a nuisance) and noise monitoring is also being done over the next few weeks.
Litter clean-up has increased and the site is still speaking to drivers about poor mesh. Jon is writing to all the third party companies who remove waste from the site to let them know of their responsibilities and will be checking on vehicles leaving the site during the upcoming monitoring.
With regards to the location of the plant, the site took over the existing 24hr planning permission without the need for change of use as it was deemed that the fitted into the existent class/use. This is something we are working on with the Planning Authorityon and the results of the audit will be fed through to Peter Rowlinson.
Information from members of the public has been very useful for us to be able to target our visits and substantiate the issues. EA have a freephone 24hr number 0800 80 70 60, which Jon would urgepeople tocall.Reports are logged on EA systems and sent straight to Jon or his colleagues. In particular, it would be very helpful for Jon to continue to get reports of vehicles leaving the site spilling litter, the times of the worst of the odour and times of day when the noise is worst. EA can then continue to target their resources more effectively.
Jon’s direct dial number is 01925 54 2764 for general updates (for reporting dour, litter, noise etc please use the 0800 no.) and his email address is , if people prefer to get in touch that way.
It was queried why the site's Odour Management Plan wasn't or couldn't be agreed by members of the Forum and apart from anything else, it is EA who have the expertise, experience and legislative powers to determine and approve the odour management plans. Copies of it are on the public register should anybody else want to see a copy. This can be requested by the email address above.
Members of the Forum raised points also. Councillor Burns said that a clean up had been done around Geometric Furniture and then was nearly as bad again two days later, partly due to material from the Waste Exchange plant. Christine Grime commented that part of the problem is that the shredded waste is blowing everywhere but is too small to be picked up easily. Paul Harris said the trucks coming to and from the site are dropping rubbish all the way to the M62 and Castleton as he has followed and seen it happening.
The area at the corner of Kirkway and Grimshaw Lane won a Chief Executive’s award a few years ago when it was replanted and refurbished helped by funding from the Ward Councillors, but now it looks a mess due to blown litter from the Waste Exchange plant.
Comment was made that enforcing the situation was even more difficult as the company and the owner of the land were sister companies, but it was unclear if this was actually the case, so Jon Davenport will investigate this.
5. Grot Spots
a) Councillor Fitzsimons – dog fouling is becoming a real problem on pavements in South Middleton Ward
b) Councillor Fitzsimons – the section of land between Schoolside Lane and the Old Vicarage was cleaned last year but it is now a mess again with mattresses and black bin bags being dumped.
c) Councillor Fitzsimons – The shops on Manchester Old Road between Broad Street and Chapel Street in Rhodes have had the area behind them gated and have been notified they need to keep the area clean, but this is not happening and when fencing is stolen it is not replaced – can anything be done?
d) Councillor Fitzsimons – the area behind the shops at the top of Kirkway is a mess – Julie Simpson reported she had contacted the landlord about this and he is due to visit on 16/03/2012, so Julie will chase up afterwards.
e) Councillor Martin – big boulders have been dumped behind Davidson Drive and need clearing as it is hoped the footpath will be used as a continuation of the Wince Brook area.
f) Councillor Boriss – there is fly tipping on Donn Street going up to Scowcroft Farm
g) David McKail – not happy about the graffiti on the Edgar Wood shops facing Tesco still being there, so Julie Simpson said she will see if the Council can use enforcement to force the owners of the shops to clean it off.
h) Brian Johnson – In Middleton Gardens one of the fixed kiosks selling food was seen emptying food waste/cooking oil on to the new paving.
i) Christine Grime – on Old Hall Street at the rear of the takeaways on Market Place, the wheelie bins from the takeaways are overflowing with waste. They also block the pavements. Julie Simpson reported that she is already dealing with two, one has agreed to move the bin and one is refusing so notice will be served.
j) Christine Grime – on Springvale 2 electricity sub-stations have recently been tidied up by United Utilities, but the surrounding area looks a mess due to the proximity to the tip (although the tip itself is very tidy and well run). People are tipping outside the tip on Springvale, Hanson Street and on the edge of the river.
k) Middleton Waste (Skip Hire) is leaving full skips on Hanson Street and rubbish from these is blowing on to Springvale and Hanson Street. Julie Simpson reported that she was already dealing with the owners and if they won’t clear this up, the Council will do it and then charge the firm.
l) Brenda Stringer by email – black bin bags have been dumped again on the 24 steps and the wood from a broken bench is still next to the steps after 12 months. Also the car parks at the top and bottom of the steps are again full of rubbish.
m) Brenda Stringer by email – there is glass on the floor of the Assheton Way Subway.
6. Good News/Thanks
Christine Grimes thanked Environmental Management as when fly tipping of a single bed and 12 tyres on Middleton View was reported, they were cleared away very quickly.
7. Transport Issues
None reported.
8. Litterwatch
No report.
9. Langley Environment Group
Julie Simpson was thanked for clearing up land on Bowness Road.
10. Friends of JubileePark
No report.
11. Friends of Middleton View
Christine Grime reported that the Green Volunteers came to the site for tree pruning on 22nd February 2012 and also planted 12 new fruit trees. The area is being increasingly used by residents of Middleton, especially dog walkers, although this has unfortunately led to more incidences of dog fouling. The Forum agreed that it would agree to pay for a litter bin, the exact location to be determined by Christine with input from Mick Ripley.
12. Middleton Civic Association
No report.
13. Friends of Wince Brook
David McKail reported that 24 people attended the 1st AGM of the group on 20th February.The meeting lasted two hours and there was a lot of enthusiasm and energy for the task ahead. The pathway from Kirkway to bridge 1 by the Waste Exchange plant is to be re-laid and a pond created, to encourage schools to use the area with Mike Cummins. The group are also starting to apply for funding to make more improvements.
13. AOB
a) Michael White –on Water Street behind Barclays bank in the town centre there are double yellow lines outside the building with a new roof. Is loading/unloading allowed here?
b) Michael White – who sprays white circles around potholes to say that they need fixing as it seems some are marked and then others close by are not – particularly around the area near the Mount Road roundabout.
c) Brian Johnson – please could he have an update on where having traffic lights at the junction of Manchester New Road and Mainway is up to? Councillor Fitzsimons explained that as the Council refused to install the 24hr bus lane, GMPTE will not fund the lights. The Chair asked that Debbie confirm this with Highways.
d) Carol Geddes – taxis are parking/picking up and causing obstructions at the junction of Water Street/bottom of Wood Street where Members refused to pay to put in bollards as it was felt this was a Police enforcement issue. The Chair said that Councillor Martin Burke was looking into this.
e) Carol Geddes – There is a problem on Alkrington Green/Manchester New Road with people selling cars. Julie Simpson explained she is working on this already and one company has had a fixed penalty notice. The next step if it continues will be prosecution.
11. Date of next meeting
The next meeting of the Middleton Environment Forum will be on Wednesday 13thJune 2012 after Middleton Planning Sub-Committee (approximately 6:45pm) at Council Offices, Sadler Street, Middleton, M24 5UJ.
Page 1 of 6