Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Hacon, Jones and Pratt.

Councillors K Grey, A Grey, Waters-Bunn and Weymouth declared a Personal Interest in the item relating to Dog controls within the Borough, but in line with the Constitution were allowed to both speak and vote on this matter.

The minutes of the meeting held on the 12 October 2016 were confirmed.

The Committee considered a request from Councillor Walch to include the Boardwalk of Yarmouth North onto the Forward Plan.

RESOLVED :

i) The Committee note the contents within the Environment Committee's Forward Plan.

ii) The Committee agree to include the Boardwalk at Yarmouth North on future Forward Plans.

The Committee received and considered the Group Manager, Customer Services report which provided Members with an update on current performance for the second quarter of 2016/17.

The Committee's attention was drawn to EN05 (% of contamination of recyclates as a % of all recyclates) within the report which showed an increase in percentage since the previous quarter. Councillor K Grey asked what measures had been put in place for contamination, and she was advised that both Norfolk Waste and the Borough Council were undertaking measures to address this issue.

The Chairman pointed out the significant increases recorded for EN06 (Garden Waste Service).

RESOLVED :

That all measures be monitored during the next quarter.

The Committee received and considered the Senior Environmental Rangers report which provided the Committee with details about a review carried out of dog control measures within the Borough.

The Senior Environmental Ranger drew the Committees attention to Appendix 1 within the report which provided Members with a summary of the Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO). He advised that the Order would come into force on the 1 April 2017 and would be valid for a period of 3 years unless extended under Section 60 of the Act.

It was reported that the public consultation opened on the 13 September 2016 and closed on the 17 October 2016 and that in excess of 800 responses were received. Members attention was drawn to Appendix 2 where a breakdown of responses received were summarised. The Senior Environmental Ranger advised that Appendix 3 contained local press articles and letters.

The Senior Environmental Ranger reported that the Council's proposals had generated a wide range of responses, in the main most of the proposal's had received support particularly around the Borough wide proposals around dog fouling and request to leash dogs. It was pointed out that a number of responses had been received which had taken issue with the Council's proposals for a dogs on lead requirement in particular for areas covering the North Denes Special Protection Area, Burgh Castle Roman Fort and for the extension of the dog bans on Great Yarmouth Central and Gorleston Beaches from the 1 May (at present) to commence on April 1st or Easter whichever comes first.

The Chairman summarised each of the proposals detailed in Appendix 4 to the Committee, and he read a statement to Members which had been received from the Parish Councils in relation to the proposals. 

The Chairman thanked Officers for the work undertaken in relation to the PSPO.

RESOLVED :

That the Committee agree to the Public Space Protection Order (PSPO) as set out in Appendix 4 subject to the following amendments :-

i) The removal of the request for a dogs on lead requirement on the Special Protection Area covering the beach from Salisbury Road, North Denes, Great Yarmouth to Tan Lane, Caister-on-Sea.

ii) That the current dates (1 May to 30 September) for dogs on lead requirement be continued at the following sites :-

• Promenade adjacent to the beach between Wellington Pier and Britannia Pier, Great Yarmouth
• Promenade adjacent to the beach between the Breakwater and Ravine, Gorleston

iii) That the current dates (1 May to 30 September) for dogs being banned be continued at the following sites

• The beach between Wellington Pier and Britannia Pier, Great Yarmouth
• The beach between the breakwater and Ravine, Gorleston

iv) That any proposal for a dogs ban or dogs on lead requirement relating to any Parish or privately owned land remain as the Parish Council or landowners responsibility and not included in the PSPO (excluding any fenced playgrounds managed by the Borough Council)

v) The Committee agreed not to include within the PSPO the proposal that the following sites are covered by a dogs on lead requirement during sports :- 

• Beaconsfield Recreation Ground, Beaconsfield  Road, Great Yarmouth
• Cobholm Recreation Ground, Mill Road, Cobholm
• Gorleston Recreation Ground, Church Lane, Gorleston
• Magdalen Recreation Ground, Edinburgh Avenue, Gorleston
• Mill Lane Recreation Ground, Mill Lane, Bradwell
• Southtown Common, Suffolk Road, Gorleston

RESOLVED :

That the next meeting of the Environment Committee be held on the 25 January 2017 at 6.30pm.

RESOLVED :

"That under Section 100(A)(4) of the Local Government Act 1972, the public be excluded from the meeting for the following item of business on the grounds that it involved the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in paragraph 1 of Part I of Schedule 12(A) of the said Act."