Questions from the Lib Dem Group at Full Council, together with the answers we received!

Councillor Mary D’Albert Pupil Premium

Could the Leader please detail the amount of ‘Pupil Premium’ funding being received by schools across the authority and give a breakdown of this funding by ward.

A. In 2011/12 the Pupil Premium is £430 for every eligible pupil aged 5 to 16 entitled to a free school meal in each local authority’s maintained schools as well as every Looked After Child in their home local authority. This additional funding is paid to each local authority for distribution to their maintained schools and in the case of Looked After Children the money is sent by the home authority to the local authority where the child is educated for distribution to the appropriate school.

Those schools that have converted to or will shortly convert to being an academy will receive their eligible Pupil Premium monies directly from the Government, via the Young People’s Learning Agency.

Bury will receive £1,662,180 for those pupils eligible for a free school meal and these monies have already been included in schools’ delegated budgets for 2011/12. In addition Bury will receive £50,740 for its Looked After Children in its schools, which have also been included in school’s budgets. Work is being undertaken to claim the £430 per pupil from the 23 other authorities who have children in Bury schools, which will be distributed to the appropriate school when the money is received.

The Pupil Premium amount per Ward is as follows. Care should be taken when comparing spending between wards as some have more than one High school while others have no High school, consequently having proportionately more eligible pupils.

Ward Pupil Premium Amount

Besses 83,420
Church 30,100
East 208,980
Elton 51,170
Holyrood 197,370
Moorside 124,700
North Manor 37,410
Pilkington Park 79,120
Radcliffe East 140,610
Radcliffe North 74,390
Radcliffe West 61,490
Ramsbottom 63,210
Redvales 209,840
Sedgley 95,030
St Mary’s 46,440
Tottington 95,030
Unsworth 115,240

Total 1,713,550

Cllr Donal O’Hanlon Spending Plans

The Leader and his colleagues have made some very bold and populist spending promises since coming to office. Could the Leader please provide members with a detailed breakdown of the savings they are making to fund them?

A. When I announced at Council on 18 May that the Labour administration was going to stand by the pledges we made during the election campaign I also explained how we intended to fund the budget changes. But because I believe in openness and transparency, and because Cllr O’Hanlon didn’t attend the meeting, I’m very happy to repeat myself…we will be utilising £155,000 from an on-going underspending within the Housing subsidy budget.

The Executive Director of Resources confirmed that this funding was acceptable and that it conformed to the Council’s Golden Rules.

Councillor Ann Garner Bin Collections

Specific funding was agreed in the 2011-12 budget to help larger families cope with a move to a fortnightly collection of residual waste. Why then is it proposed to reduce the size of a second bin – how will this help? Many households (including houses with gardens) still do not have brown garden waste bins. Will these be forthcoming before the move to fortnightly collections?

A. Any large family, of 6 or above, has the opportunity to apply for a second grey, blue or green bin if they think they have a requirement. It is recognised that large families generate large amounts of waste, but a significant % of this waste is recyclable so we need to look at bin capacity across all waste streams. If a large family does all it can by minimising its waste, recycling everything possible (including all paper and card using the new green bin) and optimising bin capacity by compacting waste etc, then it should be able to cope with a second grey bin 140 litres in size. For families of 8 or above the second grey bin will be 240 litres in size. To qualify for a second grey bin any household, whatever its size, must clearly demonstrate that it is recycling all it possibly can.
It is important that families are not provided with an ‘excess’ of grey bin capacity because this can provide a disincentive to recycle. This is evidenced by the fact that a move to managed weekly refuse collections inevitably pushes recycling performance upwards.
It is estimated that there may be 3 – 4,000 households across the borough with gardens that do not currently have a brown bin. It is not intended to roll out any more brown bins before the new collection system commences later this year. There simply isn’t the vehicle resource available with which to service them. We will be approaching the winter months then in any case when little garden waste is generated. We hope to be in a position to roll out additional brown bins in 2012.
We are looking to provide a comprehensive information package based on the Frequently Asked Questions format. This will be on the Council’s website from 14th July 2011. The new green bins will be delivered to households between 5th and 30th September, in readiness for the new collection system starting from 4th October 2011.

Councillor Vic D’Albert – Pot Hole Repairs

How much extra money has been made available by Government to repair ‘potholes’? Could the Leader provide a breakdown of how much of this money is being spent in each of the Authorities six local areas?

A. Bury were granted an additional £400,090.00, in order to provide extra support towards additional road maintenance expenditure following the abnormal damage caused by the severe winter of 2010/11. This has to be spent by September 2011.
The funds have been apportioned on a road length basis to each local area – The specific roads identified within each township will be circulated to all members.

Area Partnership Km % DfT Allocation
Bury East 19.3% 77,217.37
Bury West 11.9% 47,610.71
Prestwich 17.0% 68,015.30
Radcliffe 17.0% 68,015.30
Ramsbottom, Tottington & North Manor 18.9% 75,617.01
Whitefield & Unsworth 15.9% 63,614.31
Total 100% £ 400,090.00

Councillor Tim Pickstone Prestwich Tip Site

If the regrettable decision of Greater Manchester Waste Disposal Authority is to go ahead, how will the Council work with the Authority to ensure a sensible future use of the Clifton Road site, perhaps as a means to increase access to Prestwich Forest Park?

A. The HWRC is owned by the WDA not the Council. Since Prestwich HWRC is bounded to the west by land owned by United Utilities and leased to the Forestry Commission, in the first instance we would encourage the Forestry Commission to talk to the WDA.

The land to the east (the old Prestwich municipal tip) is owned by the WDA who have been discussing a possible disposal to the Land Trust (charity), so adding the HWRC to that disposal would be a second option. Either way the Council will do what it can to encourage the site’s incorporation into Prestwich Forest Park and we have already contacted the WDA to express this view.
Councillor Ann Garner Recycling in Prestwich

If the regrettable decision of Greater Manchester Waste Disposal Authority is to go ahead, what increased facilities will the council provide to ensure that people in the south of the Borough have easy access to facilities to recycle items not included in the kerbside collections, particularly given the closure in recent years of the main other recycling facility in Prestwich at Tescos?

A. The following items are collected form the kerbside by the Council:- all paper and card; plastic bottles; aluminium and steel food and drinks cans; glass bottles and jars and garden waste. Furthermore, there are numerous charitable door to door collections for textiles in operation.
Realistically Bury Council is not able to provide recycling facilities for the collection of any other types of material.
However there are two local GMWDA Household Waste Recycling Centres available at which a much wider range of wastes can be disposed of and/or recycled. These centres are at Lumns Lane and Cobden Street in Salford. In addition there is another centre at Cemetery Road in Radcliffe. All these sites have been recently redeveloped and are able to recycle a far wider range of wastes than the Clifton Road centre.
These wastes include: Asbestos, Batteries, Books, Cans, Cardboard, Cell Batteries, Computer Monitors, Fluorescent Tubes, Fridge/Freezer, Gas Bottles, Glass, Green Waste, Non Ferrous Scrap, Engine Oil, Paper, Plasterboard and Gypsum, Plastic Bottles, Rubble, Scrap Metal, Textiles, TVs, Tyres, WEEE (Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment) and Wood.
The closure of the recycling facility in Prestwich at Tesco was regrettable, but unavoidable due to the fly tipping problems at the site, which left Tesco with no option but to ask us to vacate the site.

Councillor Tim Pickstone – Motorway Noise

Given the significant increase over time in the volume of traffic on the M60 as it passes through Whitefield and Prestwich, is the Council aware of any monitoring of increased noise and air pollution and will the Council work with the Highways Agency to look at ways of alleviating this, particularly given the capacity improvements planned further west on the M60?

A I do have a full and technical response to the question which I think is best circulated to all members after the meeting.

Air Quality – Monitoring station at Junction 17 of the M60

We do play a part in the GM liaison have with the Highways Agency over pollution control and it is a fact that targets set by the EU to reduce pollutants by 2010 in this, and many other areas of the UK, was not met.

An extension to the deadline is currently being negotiated (2015 is possibly the new target date).

However we have very recently been made aware of the possibility of this particular monitoring station being taken out of commission. It is not yet clear whether it will be re-sited or simply not replaced.
Noise

The Highways Agency are required to asses whether the noise impact from traffic in this area can and should be reduced and must consult with the Local Authority on their deliberations.

Similarly the legislative framework which exists to deal with increases in traffic noise resulting from significant changes to the Motorway network dictates that works to alleviate the impact of any increases in noise are undertaken by the Highways Agency.

Further Background Information

The council operate a very accurate air monitoring station at Junction 17 of the M60. This station is part of the Government’s Automatic Urban and Rural Network of monitoring stations. The Government own some of the equipment at the station and pay for the data collection and management at the site. The main pollutant of concern in relation to traffic is nitrogen dioxide and the data in the table below shows the annual average nitrogen dioxide measured at this site since 1999. These figures show that concentrations have tended to fluctuate from 64 to 73ug/m3 with no real trend either up or down.

This monitoring station is at the roadside of the M60 within the busy A56 roundabout at Junction 17. As no-one lives or spends any significant time at this location we have also been measuring nitrogen dioxide at one of the nearest properties to the junction. Concentrations at this property have been found to be 48ug/m3 in 2009 which is considerably less than was recorded at the main Junction 17 station.

The EU has set limit values for pollutants that are likely to be harmful to health. The EU Limit Value for the annual average nitrogen dioxide is 40ug/m3 and the UK was required to meet this by 2010. The Government have identified that they have not met the nitrogen dioxide Limit Value in a number of urban areas including the Bury section of the M60. They are currently in the process of applying for an extension to allow the UK until 2015 to comply.

The M60 is the responsibility of The Highways Agency and it is very difficult for local councils to significantly influence traffic on the motorway system. Much of the traffic on the M60 is through traffic which has no connection with the Bury area whatsoever. Having said that Greater Manchester councils have liaised with the Highways Agency to encourage actions to reduce pollution on our local motorway system. It is anticipated that the exceedence of EU Limit Values will concentrate Government action on areas which have not met the targets and this should lead to the necessary reductions of pollution from the M60.

As an aside we are aware that the government is reviewing its network of monitoring stations and we have been advised that the Bury site is likely to be cut from the national network during 2011.
This will mean that we will either need to find the funds to keep the station running or close it down.

Bury Roadside Air Monitoring Station – M60 – Junction 17
Annual Mean Nitrogen Dioxide Concentrations 1999 – 2010

Year Annual Mean
(µg/m3)
1999 73
2000 70
2001 69
2002 68
2003 76
2004 69
2005 64
2006 73
2007 65
2008 69
2009 72
2010 69

Noise

This part of the M60 is included in the Manchester Agglomeration Noise Action Plan as an ‘Important Area, First Priority Location’ i.e. road noise of at least 76dB LA10,18h which is what level of noise is exceeded 10% of the time in an 18hour period[see the briefing note below on Noise Mapping which resulted from the European Environmental Noise Directive 2002/49/EC and The Environmental Noise (England) Regulations 2006].
The Highways Agency are required to assess whether the noise impact from traffic in this area can and should be reduced and must consult with the Local Authority on their deliberations.

In terms of any ‘capacity inprovements planned further west on the M60’, the legislative framework which exists to deal with increases in traffic noise resulting from significant changes to the Motorway network dictates that works to alleviate the impact of any increases in noise are undertaken by the Highways Agency in accordance with The Noise Insulation Regulations 1975, as amended.
Further information on this matter can be found on the Highways Agency website http://dev1.highways.gov.uk/790.aspx
Briefing on Noise Mapping
Background
The Environmental Noise Directive 2002/49/EC came into force on 18 July 2002. It requires Member States to make ‘strategic noise maps’ for major agglomerations (large urban areas), major roads, major railways and major airports.
In England the Directive was enacted by The Environmental Noise (England) Regulations 2006. The Regulations refer to noise from road, rail and air traffic, and industry.
The noise maps provide an overview of the ambient noise climate in cities and major transportation sources in England at that time. The maps are produced using computer based noise models. The noise levels are calculated at a height of 4 metres above ground level (i.e. roughly at first floor height).The mapped noise levels are long-term levels determined over a period of a year and are shown in terms of the noise indicators Lden (an indicator of annoyance which takes into account noise levels during the day, evening and night), Lnight (an indicator of sleep disturbance – the night time period being defined as 11 pm to 7 am) and LA10,18h .

The purpose of strategic noise maps is:
• To enable the assessment of the exposure of population to noise – by linking population data to the noise levels on the maps.
• To assist in the identification of areas that have good environmental noise quality (‘quiet areas’).
• To inform the development of action plans to manage the exposure of populations to noise, including reduction if necessary, and, in urban areas, prevent locations of existing quiet from becoming noisy.
• To raise public awareness and engage everyone affected in the development of noise action plans
The Environmental Noise (Identification of Noise Sources) (England) Regulations 2007 identified the areas of England which for which noise maps were to be produced and for which noise action plans are to be prepared:
The first round of mapping has been completed, of the areas where most people are likely to be affected by most noise covered first. These are:
• Large, densely populated urban areas – over 250,000 people with a population density of more than 500 people per km2.
• Areas around roads with more than six million vehicle passages a year.
• Areas around railways with more than 60,000 train passages a year.
• Areas around airports with more than 50,000 movements a year

In the second round, due to be reported to the European Commission in 2012, the following must be mapped:
• Urban areas with a population of 100,000 people.
• Areas around roads with more than 3 million vehicle movements.
• Areas around railways with over 30,000 train movements.
• Areas around airports with more than 50,000 movements a year.

Manchester Agglomeration Noise map (the full 76 page document is available):
http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/quality/noise/environment/documents/noise-reg-2007/agg10-manchester.pdf
On the basis of the noise mapping, noise action plans are required to be drawn up, designed to manage noise issues and effects, including noise reduction if necessary. Noise mapping and action planning takes place every five years.
The Action Plans cover noise issues arising from road, railway, aviation and industrial sources. Responsibility for implementing the plans falls on those authorities who generate the noise (road, rail and airport authorities).
Manchester Agglomeration Noise Action Plan:
http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/quality/noise/environment/documents/actionplan/noiseaction-agglom-manchester.pdf
For our area we only need consider road traffic (we have no other qualifying sources affecting our area)
Responsibility for implementing the plans will fall on those authorities who generate the road, rail or aircraft noise (road, rail and airport authorities)(the Noise Making Authority NMA who) who will liaise with the Local Authorities in that area ( the Noise Receiving Authorities NRAs) about progress and, in the end, the outcomes.

The NMA for road noise (and the responsibility for managing road traffic noise in the agglomeration) is the relevant highway authority [through the implementation of the Highways Act 1980 (as amended) – this includes the Highways Agency, which is responsible for motorways and other trunk roads; the remaining roads are the responsibility of local highway authorities] and the Department for Transport.
The Regulations require that the Action Plans should apply in particular to the most important areas as established by the maps. However, once that work has been completed the relevant authorities should investigate the remaining Important Areas to determine what further measures, if any, might be implemented to improve the management of noise.
Because of the high numbers of dwellings identified by the mapping process as being affected by high levels of noise, a prioritisation process has been introduced by Defra. With respect to road traffic noise Important Areas will be where the 1% of the population of the agglomeration is affected by the highest noise levels from those roads are located.

The Action Plans will be applied firstly to Important Areas that contain First Priority Locations.

First Priority Locations are where the road noise is at least 76dB LA10,18h.

The relevant local authority (NRA) may separately identify locations that have not currently been identified as Important Areas for possible further noise management actions and request that consideration be given by the
relevant highway authority (NMA) to including them in the action planning schedule.

For each Important Area, the highway authority (NMA) will identify possible actions as below:

a) It is possible to be able to implement an action and there are financial resources immediately available to do so;

b) It is possible to be able to implement an action but there are no immediately available financial resources to do so;

c) It is not possible to implement any action because there is no scope for doing so (e.g. reasonable sound insulation already exists at the affected dwelling, or a noise barrier at its optimum size and location already exists), or there is some overriding technical issue that prevents implementation (e.g. ground conditions do not allow a barrier to be erected); or

d) It is not possible to implement any action because there would be large adverse non-acoustics effects that could not be accommodated by the proposed measure. Such non acoustic effects could include an adverse effect on safety, or a significant adverse air pollution impact, or an unacceptable increase in congestion or journey times.

Actions which could be taken by the NMA:
• Façade insulation
• Noise barriers
• Low noise road surfaces
• Re-routing of traffic
• Restriction of HGVs
• Re-route new roads away from dwellings
• Speed restrictions

Quiet Areas
The Regulations also require that Action Plans include provisions that aim to protect any formally identified Quiet Areas in the agglomeration from an increase in noise.
In identifying Quiet Areas The Secretary of State through Defra will liaise with local authorities [Planning] to obtain information on the open spaces within each local authority and decide which of these open spaces should attract particular attention taking account of the results of the strategic noise mapping.

For these Quiet Areas, Local Authorities will be expected to adopt policies to manage the local noise environment so as to protect the quietness of the open spaces.

There is a set timetable in place to control the whole Action Plan process (which seems to be slipping…) to ensure that the first round of actions is complete by 2012…….as the maps are to be reviewed every 5 years……..

Councillor O’Hanlon Olympic Games

London is to host the 2012 Olympic Games. Could the Leader confirm what efforts have been made to ensure that Bury will make the most of any opportunities to benefit from the Games, including opportunities to host of create better links with participant countries?

A. The Bury Cultural Olympiad Network has been established to ensure Bury has a strategic and coordinated approach so that the Bury population are provided with opportunities to participate in sport and cultural activities in the run up, during and after the 2012 games. The membership of the Cultural Olympiad Network is fully represented by a range of local stakeholders including Bury Council – Children Services, Communities Portfolio, Leisure Services, Libraries and Art and other partners including The Met, Greater Sport, Bury 3SDA.

A Legacy plan has been developed and outlines key targets and priorities. The plan covers all aspects of Olympic legacy covering sporting and volunteering, as well as social and economic benefits.

The official branding for all associated Bury activities Bury Be Part of It which is being launched on 21st July in conjunction with the Bury Cultural Olympiad Website.

Three Open Weekends to mark the countdown to the Olympic Games have already been delivered in Bury and the one year countdown commences on the 22nd July – 24th July. There will be a host of further open weekend activities that are being promoted on the Bury Cultural Olympiad Website.

Six local projects have been officially recognised as achieving the official branding for projects – the London 2012 Inspire Mark, which represents the projects link and association with the Olympic Games.

I will ensure further detail is circulated to all Members after the meeting.

Councillor Vic D’Albert BBC

Much of the BBC is to move to a new site a few miles outside of Bury this year. What has been done to ensure that Bury shares in the increased prosperity that this will hopefully bring to the city-region, and what has been done to market Bury as a good place for to be live and do business?

A. Councillor D’Albert, thank you for your question.
Bury, as you will know, plays an active role in the City Region. As such we have, for some time, been working with colleagues in Salford and elsewhere in Greater Manchester to ensure that BBC personnel relocating to the north are well aware of what Bury has to offer. We have worked with estate agents and had direct contact with the BBC to promote Bury as a great place to live. We also work with MIDAS (Inward Investment Agency) and Marketing Manchester to promote Bury’s business and tourism offer.
Moreover, we have, and continue to be involved in, a range of working groups, led by Salford, to explore how our residents and businesses can benefit from the relocation by securing job opportunities or service contracts. Locally we are holding a Help, Opportunity and Advice Event on the 14 September to promote jobs across the City Region.
We continue to work with our colleagues in Salford and in the wider City Region to ensure that our residents can access the future jobs that Media City will create.
We are also updating and expanding our website to promote Bury as a great business location.

Councillor Mary D’Albert Bury Driving Test Centre

Bury Driving Test Centre has been closed since December 2010 meaning that tests are having to be taken outside of the Borough. When will the Centre be re-opening and what pressure can the Council bring to get the centre re-opened at the earliest opportunity?

A. A similar question was raised in the House of Commons by David Nuttall MP, earlier this week and the answer provided was as follows:-
The Driving Standards Agency (DSA) is committed to re-opening the driving test centre (DTC) at Bury. The property suffered extensive damage from flooding in late 2010.
DSA took the opportunity presented by the temporary closure to review the design and layout of the centre to improve facilities for customers and staff. However, obtaining feasibility studies, architectural and engineering plans and costings has taken longer than expected. Building works, which will be subject to a competitive tender exercise, and the planned reopening is scheduled for late 2011.

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