Agenda and draft minutes

To confirm the minutes of the meeting held on 21^st November 2024

The minutes of the meeting held on 21^st November 2024 were confirmed as a correct record and signed by the Chair.

To disclose any pecuniary, other registrable or non-registrable interests as set out in the adopted Code of Conduct. In making their disclosure councillors are asked to state the agenda item, the nature of the interest and any action they propose to take as part of their declaration.

If required, further advice should be sought from the Monitoring Officer in advance of the meeting.

Cllr Northam declared an interest in the Dorset Local Nature Recovery Strategy item due to his role as Chair of the Neighbourhood Plan Steering Group for Weymouth.

Representatives of town or parish councils and members of the public who live, work, or represent an organisation within the Dorset Council area are welcome to submit either 1 question or 1 statement for each meeting.  You are welcome to attend the meeting in person or via MS Teams to read out your question and to receive the response.   If you submit a statement for the committee this will be circulated to all members of the committee in advance of the meeting as a supplement to the agenda and appended to the minutes for the formal record but will not be read out at the meeting. The first 8 questions and the first 8 statements received from members of the public or organisations for each meeting will be accepted on a first come first served basis in accordance with the deadline set out below.  Further information read Public Participation - Dorset Council

All submissions must be emailed in full to antony.nash@dorsetcouncil.gov.uk

by 8.30am on 27^th January 2025

When submitting your question or statement please note that:

•         You can submit 1 question or 1 statement.

•         a question may include a short pre-amble to set the context.

•         It must be a single question and any sub-divided questions will not be permitted.

•         Each question will consist of no more than 450 words, and you will be given up to 3 minutes to present your question.

•         when submitting a question please indicate who the question is for (e.g., the name of the committee or Portfolio Holder)

•         Include your name, address, and contact details.  Only your name will be published but we may need your other details to contact you about your question or statement in advance of the meeting.

•         questions and statements received in line with the council’s rules for public participation will be published as a supplement to the agenda.

•         all questions, statements and responses will be published in full within the minutes of the meeting.

There were no questions from members of the public.

To receive questions submitted by councillors.  

Councillors can submit up to two valid questions at each meeting and sub divided questions count towards this total.   Questions and statements received will be published as a supplement to the agenda and all questions, statements and responses will be published in full within the minutes of the meeting. 

The submissions must be emailed in full to antony.nash@dorsetcouncil.gov.uk by 8.30am on 27^th January 2025

Dorset Council Constitution – Procedure Rule 13

Question from Cllr Craig Monks

In the summer of 2024, I asked Full Council what steps were being taken to deliver on promises to clean up Dorset's rivers and seas. The Leader of the Council stated that water company representatives would be invited to meet with Councillors to discuss improving our waterways. When I followed up at Cabinet in the autumn, I was informed this work would be referred to the relevant overview committee as part of a new policy.

Having reviewed the Dorset Local Nature Recovery Strategy, I see no direct mention of a stand alone policy to improve water quality, nor are water companies listed as consultative bodies. Could the Committee clarify why there is no proposed policy to directly address water quality and with water companies being invited to work with the Council as a consultative body?

Response given by Environment/Policy/Partnership Manager and Cllr Nick Ireland

In relation to the Dorset local nature recovery strategy (LNRS):

Specifically, priority 4 focuses on rivers, streams and wetlands – it includes several activities to improve water quality for the benefit of wildlife and people, often using habitat creation/enhancement as a nature-based solution to improve water quality. Several other priorities also include activities that would benefit water quality, e.g. natural-process led conservation, nature-based solutions, sustainable farming, nature-friendly gardening, sustainable drainage systems, controlling invasive species etc 

Water companies were included in the stakeholder analysis, and the strategy highlights how every sector has a role to play in nature recovery and how the strategy can help them (see ‘who is the strategy for’ section)

Several local experts in the water environment have been included in the collaborative process so far, this is in the consultation and engagement report, including reps from:

·       Environment Agency

·       Dorset Catchment Partnerships

·       Poole Harbour and Stour catchments (hosted by Wessex Water)

·       West Dorset Rivers and Coastal Streams catchment (hosted by Dorset National Landscape)

·       Natural England - Conservation Adviser for water and wetlands

In addition to the catchment partnerships, water companies have been contacted as part of the wider engagement process

·       Regular meetings with Wessex Water around water quality and biodiversity net gain and nutrient mitigation

·       Examples of habitat creation projects to deliver water quality benefits funded by Wessex Water are included in the strategy e.g. leaky dam (p64), arable reversion.  These are often delivered in partnership with farmers and landowners.

·       Bournemouth Water/South West Water have joined the nature recovery Dorset network for their work for habitats and species in their site management plans

·       Wessex Water accepted the invitation to speak at the LNRS  farmer and landowner event on their work with farmers to deliver nature-based solutions (attended by over 120 farmers/landowners)

·       Other reps from across water environment have attended events and workshops to help shape the strategy e.g. water companies, catchment partnerships and Catchment Sensitive Farming advisors.

·       We have mapping from the rivers trust as part of the LNRS mapping and this will be available to all

During the next steps in the LNRS consultation process we’ll be  ...  view the full minutes text for item 36.

To review the Place and Resources Overview Committee Work Programme.

To review the Cabinet Forward Plan.

The Committee discussed the work programme, the delayed report for the Economic Growth Strategy was discussed and an additional request for an additional item on lowered local speed limits in partnership with town and parish councils.

To consider the report by the Head of Customer

The Place and Resources Overview Committee considered the report by

the Head of Customer who described the strategy, the process that formed it and the impact of it on the customer. The Customer Strategy reflected the voice of Dorset Council customers and set the expectations for easy, accessible, and inclusive services that are convenient to use through information, advice, processes, people and technology opportunities. The link between this strategy and the Our Future Council programme was emphasised by the Corporate Director for Transformation, Customer & Cultural Services.

Following the presentation, recognition was shared to the Head of Customer for the time taken to introduce this item to committee members in advance of the meeting.

The discussion that followed covered several key areas-

·       Digital skills and digital exclusion were identified as a potential barrier to a good customer experience, although digital inclusion is not a fixed state.

·       The work completed around digitalisation and the support structures already in place such as digital champions.

·       The opportunity to learn from other councils who have already implemented parts of this strategy to shorten the learning curve and mitigate any pain points.

·       The importance of making sure that the aspirational expectations were grounded in the reality of what is deliverable.

·       The importance of libraries as customer access points.

·       The integration of this strategy within the wider Our Future Council programme

·       The importance in ensuring this strategy is embedded across the organisation through clear objectives and clear feedback.

·       The importance of funding and clear measures to make sure this strategy resulted in delivery.

·       The addition of a customer impact assessment to reports

Following the discussion the recommendations in the paper were proposed by Cllr Brown seconded by Cllr Taylor and Unanimously agreed. 

To consider the report by the Environment, Policy and Partnership Team Manager

The committee considered the report from Environment/Policy/Partnership Manager who presented a summary of the work undertaken so far, the ambition of the strategy and the planned next steps. The Natural Environment, Climate and Ecology Strategy 2023-2025 highlighted an action to deliver a local nature recovery strategy (LNRS) for Dorset. This strategy will be part of a national network of LNRSs, ensuring comprehensive coverage across England. The Dorset LNRS was developed with various stakeholders including farmers and provides a framework for nature recovery, featuring maps to target high opportunity nature areas for maximum environmental benefits.

Following the presentation, the committee discussed the following topics;

·       The importance of language and clear communication with residents to gain their support and potentially reframing nature depletion to focus on the amount of nature opportunities

·       Working with schools and younger generations

·       Funding is varied with sources having issues and disparities

·       The use of land for competing priorities including development

·       Using our own estate including county farms to role model

·       A discussion on the maps and their role to inform development and encourage mitigations around Biodiversity Net Gain rather than hinder development. The Maps create the potential missing opportunities where land is offered to nature recovery is in non-priority areas.

·       The role and emphasis of Natural England in the development and delivery of strategy and nature recovery in general

·       The risk factors damaging the environment such as fires and floods.

·       Rivers, waterways and water infrastructure.

Following the discussion the Committee supported the strategy and the planned engagement and consultation activities.

To consider the report by the Sustainability Team Manager, Climate & Ecology Policy Officer and Carbon Management Officer

The Leader introduced this item in relation to its key importance to the manifesto pledge to reduce carbon emissions. The item was presented by the Sustainability Team Manager, supported by the Climate & Ecological Policy &Project Manager and Carbon Management Officer. The paper set out the intent to change greenhouse gas emission reduction trajectories and 5-year milestones required to achieve a net zero council by 2035 and a net zero county by 2045, along with the action needed to accelerate the pace and scale of delivery.

Following the presentation the committee had a broad discussion covering a range of subjects

·       Resilience to climate change and events such as flooding

·       The importance of engaging with partners, utilising multiple disciplines and a multiagency response to climate.

·       The opportunity in new technologies

·       Grid capacity as a limiting factor and the grid enquiry completed by scrutiny and the next steps identified.

·       The cost of realigning these targets and the opportunity cost of speeding up targets

·       There is a risk that the climate agenda can be viewed as mutually exclusive to other work, the Councils approach seeks to embed climate priorities in all work.

·       Funding sources and resource allocation

·       The details of the financial information including capital and revenue budget.

·       The impact of clean growth jobs on the local economy.

The meeting was extended to continue the discussion- proposed by Cllr Jesperson and seconded by Cllr Taylor.

The committee requested the specific financial information relating to the paper to be shared in writing when confirmed.

The recommendations in the paper were supported by the Committee.

To consider any items of business which the Chair has had prior notification and considers to be urgent pursuant to section 100B (4) b) of the Local Government Act 1972. The reason for the urgency shall be recorded in the minutes.

There were no urgent items

To move the exclusion of the press and the public for the following item in view of the likely disclosure of exempt information within the meaning of paragraph x of schedule 12 A to the Local Government Act 1972 (as amended). The public and the press will be asked to leave the meeting whilst the item of business is considered.  

There are no exempt items scheduled for this meeting.

There was no exempt business.