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ITEM EX6

EXECUTIVE – 7 DECEMBER 2004

CORPORATE ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY - SCRUTINY REVIEW; AUDIT COMMISSION INSPECTION ON SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

Report by Director of Environment & Economy

Introduction

  1. At its meeting on 20 July the Executive considered the report and recommendations of the Environment Scrutiny Review Team and agreed to reconsider the review’s findings in the light of the outcome of the recent Audit Commission Inspection on Sustainable Development. This report outlines the actions being taken to address the findings of both these reports, which are available in the members’ resource centre, and at www.oxfordshire.gov.uk

    2. Corporate Environmental Policy Scrutiny Review

  2. The objectives of the review of Corporate Environmental Policy, reported to the Executive on 20 July 2004 were to consider how the Council can achieve significant improvements in its environmental performance, and to assess how, as a corporate body, it can reduce its adverse effects on the environment. The review concentrated on particular areas as priorities: procurement, property design and construction, energy, and road construction.

  3. The review concluded that insufficient corporate attention was being given to the Council’s own environmental performance and recommended new arrangements to ensure that environmental policy is implemented, and a process put in place to support continuous improvement. It also made a number of detailed recommendations, about, for example, environmental assessment in the procurement process, environmental targets and environmental performance standards which could be followed.

    4. Audit Commission Report

  4. The Audit Commission’s Report on Sustainable Development, published on 3 September 2004, reviewed:

    • specific services, mainly in Environment & Economy, which have strong links with sustainable development;

    • mainstreaming of sustainable development into service areas with less developed links with the concept;

    • the extent to which we have a corporate planning and monitoring framework which promotes sustainable development.

  1. The report is generally complimentary about the Council’s performance, and assesses the Council as providing a ‘good’, two-star service with ‘promising’ prospects for improvement. The report’s summary is positive overall and especially on the first point (above) but has some criticisms and recommendations on the second and third. In particular, in common with the findings of the Environment Scrutiny Review, the Audit Commission report identifies weaknesses and inconsistencies in the Council’s sustainability performance, and emphasises the need to strengthen the Council’s corporate environmental programme. It is here in particular where action is needed.

    2. CCMT Action Plan

  2. CCMT reviewed the Audit Commission’s report, and agreed that most of the findings should be addressed by a wider corporate response. The Draft Outline Action Plan and timeline at Annex 1 summarise each of the main "challenges" and recommendations, and the proposed action in response to each of them.

  3. However officers agree with the main thrust of the Environment Scrutiny Review and the Audit Commission recommendations that new machinery is needed to ensure that environment performance once again has profile and impetus. It is proposed that, rather than deciding on the detailed recommendations of Scrutiny in isolation, a new high-level environment group is established (see below) and that the new group should look at these recommendations as part of the preparation of a new action plan. CCMT have supported the proposal for such a group.

    4. High Level Environment Group

  4. The new high level environment group would:

    • consider each of the recommendations in the Scrutiny Review and Audit Commission reports;

    • evaluate the practicality and cost effectiveness of each action proposed in response to the reports;

    • agree priorities and targets for 2005/06; and

    • produce a revised environmental policy and strategy to be presented to a future meeting of the Executive.

  1. Annex 2 sets out proposals for:

    1. the objectives of the group;

    2. the main areas of impact the group would address; and

    3. membership of the group.

    Group Objectives

  2. The group’s remit will be to drive action to reduce the Council’s own environmental footprint, in particular our environmental impact and consumption of non-renewable resources within the context of a revised environmental policy, as recommended by the Environment Scrutiny Review and the Audit Commission. It is proposed that, to maintain focus, the group will cover only the environmental component of sustainable development. The Economic Development Action Plan and the action plan on social inclusion currently being developed will play an equivalent role for other aspects of sustainable development.

  3. The group will have the task of measuring the environmental impacts of the Council’s activities, setting targets, and reporting on progress. It will consider the impacts of the areas covered in the current environmental checklist, for example resource use from activities such as staff travel and use of computers. However, its remit will be wider, to include direct service impacts such as recycling of road materials, and the impact of Council premises on traffic and energy consumption.

  4. It will not attempt to cover the Council’s programme activity to improve the environment (wastes, countryside, public transport etc), which is already well embedded in service planning and was found by the Audit Commission to be in generally good health.

  5. To raise the profile of this work, and to win understanding and support for the group’s objectives across the Council, it is vital to engage staff and members at all levels across the Council. To this end a series of workshops and meetings with both members and a range of staff across directorates will be held in 2005.

    6. Group Membership

  6. Membership will be high-level, but will include people with the appropriate skills or influence to ensure actions can be followed through.

  7. In view of the members’ role in the scrutiny review, the strategic role of the group, and the need to promote awareness of sustainability at all levels throughout the Council, member participation in this group would be a significant asset. It is proposed that the Executive Member for Sustainable Development should be on this group, and that a member from scrutiny should be invited to attend as an observer.

    8. RECOMMENDATIONS

  8. The Executive is RECOMMENDED to:

          1. agree the establishment of an high level environment group to address the issues identified in the Scrutiny Review and Audit Commission Inspection reports, with terms of reference and membership as set out in Annex 2 to the report;

          2. invite the Environment Scrutiny Committee to nominate a member to attend the group as an observer;

          3. ask the environment group specifically:

            1. to produce for the Executive’s consideration a renewed environmental policy and strategy in Spring 2005; and

            2. to report annually on progress on, with recommendations for the improvement of, the Council’s environmental performance.

RICHARD DUDDING
Director for Environment & Economy

Background papers: Nil

Contact officer: Susie Ohlenschlager, Policy Manager (Environment), Tel (01865) 810148

November 2004

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