BDR Waste Partnership

DR PFI Waste Treatment Facility – Community Liaison Group Meeting on Monday, 2nd September 2019

Attendance:

Non members:

1. Welcome

The chair welcomed everyone to the meeting.

2. Apologies

3. Minutes of last meeting on 10th June

Were approved as a true record.

4. Issues arising

BDR Manager confirmed she had raised the issue of non attendance by elected members with steering committee and portfolio holders and the presence of two elected members was welcomed by the chair.

5. Chairmanship of CLG

Following a bereavement, the current chair has indicated he did not feel able to continue as chair of the CLG. It was agreed that the group would continue without a permanent chair until the end of the year, when a new chair for 2020 would be elected in the usual way. The acting chair asked that the thanks of the CLG for all the work put in and major contribution by the current chair be conveyed to him. The chair felt this would also be a good time to refresh the CLG membership.

Action: Stratiji to organise election of new chair after next meeting.

Action: Stratiji to write a letter of thanks and appreciation to the current chair on behalf of the CLG. 

6. New CLG membership request

A resident of Bolton on Dearne had asked to join the CLG and this was agreed. The chair felt more members were needed to offer as wide a range of opinions as possible.

Action: The CELO to contact him and issue an invitation to the next meeting.

7. Complaints

The Renewi Contract Director said that the facility had no history of odour complaints until the end of last year when new virgin woodchip was installed in the Line 1 biofilter. This resulted in a change in odour, which generated an increase in complaints. A total of 39 complaints were received in February, but as the new material bedded in, these reduced to 15 in March/April, and 7 in May. There were 7 complaints in June, five in July and 18 in August. A change in personnel at the Environment Agency had resulted in an increase in regulatory site inspections, The EA had issued odour diaries to local residents who have complained previously and conducted 131 surveys in various locations. Five of the surveys identified odours from 10th June to 16th July. The EA also collates complaints received by them from May until July. Of the 29 received, 3 complaints noted a musky or damp smell, the restdescribed a ‘bin waste’ smell. BDR have also been carrying out odour surveys in the area, and odour monitoring consultants have been commissioned to gather data on the biofilter emissions. This work is scheduled to start in early September. A CLG member noted that in the first couple of years of operation there had been no odour problem, but this had changed over the last six months which was disappointing.

Complaints about flies continued but were reducing. By this time last year there were 72 complaints, compared to 50 in the same period this year. However, 14 of these had been discounted by the EA as they were regarded as spurious and generic in nature. An analysis of flies from one household had shown that the majority were crop flies from local fields and not house flies. There were several other sources of flies in the Dearne Valley. Fly boards had been issued to residents who had complained several times, and more analysis will be done when these are collected. There had been some complaints from businesses immediately adjacent to the facility and discussions were taking place with them. As an extra cleaning measure, the pits had been cleaned right down to the concrete bottom to remove any residue. 

8. 3SE update

The Contract Director reported that the acid scrubber installation was now 90% complete with further mechanical and electrical work to finish before commissioning starts. Work on the new fire system installation began in August, with completion and commissioning scheduled for early December. Two further projects were due to start shortly. The apron feeder refurbishment will be carried out in the last week of September and last approximately six days, and the replacement of the shredder table would start in early November, again lasting six days. There would be no interruption to the working of the facility. Construction of Ferrybridge FM2 is now complete and the first waste is expected to be delivered on 10th September. Commissioning and handover are expected in late November, early December. A major landmark had been reached at Manvers in July when the facility received its 1 millionth tonne of waste since it opened in 2015.

9. BDR update

The BDR Manager reported that the team had been working closely with Renewi on addressing the fly issue, including identifying other possible sources in the area. BDR had taken part in the consultation on the Government’s Resources and Waste Strategy for England. The results had now been analysed by Defra and a further consultation was taking place. There were personnel changes on the Joint Waste Board, with new portfolio holders for Sheffield and Barnsley who were being briefed about the South Yorkshire Waste Strategy. A CLG member asked if there was any progress on more joint working. The BDR Manager reported this was something they were working towards, although there would always be local 
preferences. Waste streams were constantly changing, and there was always a need for more markets for re-processing. There was a discussion about whether recyclable materials like yoghurt pots and pet food tins needed washing before being put out for recycling (the advice was to rinse but no need to wash thoroughly), and another discussion about the need for more environmentally friendly packaging.

10. CELO update

A composting campaign for junior schools produced two winnng schools in each local authority area who all received a composter and garden equipment. Free compost bins had been won by three entries in the social media competition for adults. A successful project undertaken last year in partnership with Ferrybridge with secondary school children would continue this year. Interest in waste and recycling was increasing and although this was the first week of the new school year, already three requests for school workshops had been received. 
Events coming up include Rotherham Show and Recycle week, a national campaign to encourage more recycling, beginning on September 23rd. Local publicity for this would include press releases and social media posts. In October there would be the first of three food waste campaigns, this one on correct food storage. Demand for site tours from members of the public was decreasing, and dates were available up to February 2020. Work was on-going on a new Waste Less South Yorkshire website which would generate social media posts about encouraging waste reduction and more recycling.

11. Communications update

Stratiji reported that separate press releases on the successful composting competition winners had been issued for Barnsley, Doncaster and Rotherham, naming the successful schools in those areas. A press release had also been drafted ready for the future launch of the new Waste Less South Yorkshire website. Responses had been drafted to fly complaints. A plain guide to what happens to waste at Manvers for local authority comms teams to give to interviewees who may get asked about the facility during media interviews on waste. CLG members thought this would be useful for them to have. The next press release will be to promote Recycle Week from 23rd September, an example of how the four South Yorkshire local authorities were working more closely together on waste and recycling communication issues.

Action: Stratiji to forward the plain guide to Manvers to CLG members.

12. Any other business

There was none. 

13. Date, time and venue for the next meeting

This will be on Monday, 4th November, 7pm at the Visitor Centre.