Agenda and minutes

The Chair welcomed all those present.

Apologies for absence were received from Councillor Pearce.

To note any declarations of interest from the Councillors.  They are asked to indicate the relevant agenda item, the nature of the interest and in particular whether it is a disclosable pecuniary interest.

Any declarations of interest made at the meeting which is not on the register of interests should be notified to the Monitoring Officer for inclusion.

Cllr Gollop declared himself as observer to the Shareholder group until May 21. Since then Cllr Carla Denyer, and Cllr Tony Dyer have held the role of Shareholder Group observer, due to their positions as Chair of OSMB.

The minutes of the previous meeting were approved as a correct record.

To note any announcements from the Chair

The Chair advised that the main focus of the meeting was to review and scrutinise the draft business plans of Bristol City Council’s arms-length companies for the following entities;

Bristol Holding Company

Bristol Waste Limited

Goram Homes Limited

He noted that the draft business plan for Bristol Heat Networks Limited was not available for scrutiny alongside the other business plans as this was subject to ongoing work, the outcome of which would feed into the City Leap procurement process which was still live and subject to some commercial confidentiality; and that OSMB would be updated on City Leap and related heat network matters in exempt session, ahead of April Cabinet, where it was anticipated that the preferred bidder for City Leap would be confirmed.

The Forward Plan was noted

The Minutes were noted and approved as a correct record.

To note the work programme.

The Work Programme was noted

Up to 30 minutes is allowed for this item

Any member of the public or Councillor may participate in Public Forum.  The detailed arrangements for so doing are set out in the Public Information Sheet at the back of this agenda.  Public Forum items should be emailed to scrutiny@bristol.gov.uk and please note that the following deadlines will apply in relation to this meeting:-

Questions - Written questions must be received 3 clear working days prior to the meeting.  For this meeting, this means that your question(s) must be received in this office at the latest by 5 pm on Thursday 3 February.

Petitions and Statements - Petitions and statements must be received on the working day prior to the meeting.  For this meeting this means that your submission must be received in this office at the latest by 12.00 noon on Tuesday 8 February.

Statements

RESOLVED;

That the Public Forum statement be noted.

Appendices 

Appendix A: Bristol Waste Company Limited

Appendix B: Goram Homes Limited

Appendix C: Bristol Holding Limited

The Group Finance Director, Bristol Holding, introduced the item, and advised Members that summaries of the draft business plans of Bristol Waste, Goram Homes, and Bristol Holding would be provided.

The Executive Director of Growth & Regeneration introduced the role of Strategic Client of Bristol Waste and Goram. The role had been formalised to ensure that the strategic goals of the Companies met the objectives of the Council as the client. 

·        The Board heard that the business plans had been developed  through partnership working between the Companies, the Strategic Client and Cabinet Members.

·        The Executive Director of Growth & Regeneration told Members that Bristol Waste was now leading waste transformation in the city.

Bristol Waste Business Plan

The Group Finance Director, Bristol Holding, stated that the Board had reviewed and provided assurance on Bristol Waste’s proposed business plan and endorsed it.  The following points were noted;

·        The business plan was detailed and ambitious; that there was a challenge to absorb the cost of a new service (Hartcliffe Household Reuse and Recycling Centre) and to deliver improvements within the existing financial envelope.

·        Improvements embedded in the plan included flats recycling, engagement with students, further waste reduction campaigns, and the move to a ‘Village Approach’.

·        A key risk of the plan was that it was predicated on maintenance of buoyant recyclate prices; that, whilst there were good reasons to justify higher commodity prices as sustainable, this was a significant risk, and if prices fell losses would be incurred with additional cost to the Council.

·        Overall the plan indicated a surplus of £705,000 for the next financial year, of which £234,000 was assumed to be generated through non-teckal or commercial activity.

The Managing Director and the Financial Director, Bristol Waste Company, spoke to the slides in the published pack.

·        The Board was told that the Village Approach entailed six areas with their own street cleaners who would work as teams with refuge and recycling crews; and improved communication with ward Councillors was an important part of the approach. 

·        There was a discussion around the replacement of the vehicle fleet which would ensure net zero compliance by 2030, and Members were advised that all vehicles had been replaced with Euro 6 diesel engines which ran off gas to liquid fuel, and would last for 6-7 years.  It was anticipated that by 2030 technology may increase options to further improve the environmental impact of the fleet.

·        The Board was advised that payment mechanism (paymech) protected the business, benefited the shareholder, and drove efficiencies.

·        The Board was told there was a focus on both internal Teckal and external non-Teckal and the management and business development teams were to be developed to cope with both. 

·        There was a discussion about whether the 3% increase in the value of the contract was sustainable, and Members were advised that sufficient provision for inflation had been made; labour and waste disposal were the largest costs and inflation had been allowed for.

·        The Staff Engagement survey was discussed and Members were advised the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 10.

That under s.100A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972, the public be excluded from the meeting for the following item(s) of business on the grounds that it (they) involve(s) the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in paragraph 3 of Part 1 of schedule 12A of the Act.

The public was excluded from the meeting under s.100A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972, for item 10, Bristol Holding Group Limited – Exempt, on the grounds that it involves the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in paragraph 3 of Part 1 of schedule 12A of the Act.

Appendices

Appendix E: Bristol Waste Company (Exempt)

Appendix F: Goram Homes (Exempt)