Agenda item

To receive a report from the Director Frontline Services, which seeks Cabinet approval to establish a dedicated Tip Safety Management Team within Frontline Services.

The Director of Frontline Services presented the report to members to seek approval to establish a Tip Safety Management Team within Frontline Services which would focus all current elements of spoil tip safety, including regulatory, management and maintenance into a single dedicated Tip Safety Management Team.

Since Storm Dennis, capital investment in tip safety together with a major programme of tip maintenance, funded by Welsh Government, has been delivered by the Council’s new Head of Infrastructure Asset Management, utilising a combination of existing staff, consultants, seconded specialists and The Coal Authority. This has allowed the Flood Risk and Tip Management Team to focus more exclusively on the increasing demands of Flood Risk Management.

He continued that integrating the tip safety aspects of the Council’s responsibilities as land-owner with its responsibilities under the “Tips Act” provides a focal point for all tip safety issues and enables a dedicated team to be established to discharge these duties effectively.

The Director informed members that it is proposed to establish a dedicated Tip Safety Management Team which will report to the Council’s Head of Infrastructure Asset Management within Frontline Services.

On establishment, the current Flood Risk and Tip Safety team will become the Flood Risk Management Team with job titles adjusted accordingly. He concluded that the proposed team will consist of 6 posts which were detailed in the report with a possible market supplement required to attract candidates to the posts

The Leader commented that the dedicated coal tip safety teams are a much needed resource within the Authority. It is envisaged they will work on some of the Capital works that are coming forward and also remediation work on Tylorstown and Wattstown.  The costs will be covered from Welsh Government funding and the Capital Programme.  The new proposed way of working he added will also alleviate pressure on the Flood Risk Management Teams

The Cabinet Member Enterprise Housing and Development thanked the officer and his team for bring the report forward he commented that this team was desperately needed as we are facing a number of pressures also arising from Climate Change so it was imperative to increase our expertise in this area to ensure the safety of the public. 

The Deputy Leader agreed the proposals were the right way forward to provide reassurance of safety to our residents.

At this juncture of the meeting and with permission of the Leader, Cllr P Jarman addressed the Committee on this item.  She stated that she fully accepts the need to maximise the funding from Welsh Government to deliver a multimillion pound programme of works together with a schedule of tip safety works and also to look to establish a centre of excellence in the future. Cllr Jarman however was concerned that it has left the public querying whether the centre of excellence can only be achieved nationally due to skills shortages.  She asked therefore if it was anticipated if the posts to create the tip safety team would be advertised internally or externally. She expressed concerns that if funding were to not continue that the posts would cease to be viable.  She urged that if this were to be the case that the Council should continue to fund the posts in order to retain the expertise. She also commented that the public remained dissatisfied that the Authority has not made public new tip categorisation, unlike other neighbouring Local Authorities and asked when we can expect this to happen

The Leader reassured on the point of funding that he was not immediately concerned that the funding would not continue from Welsh Government and stated however that the Authority would continue to fund the posts should this be required. 

The Director Frontline Services confirmed that posts will be advertised externally in a bid to attract new skills and experience to the Authority and a market supplement may need to be applied to attract candidates. He commented that potential internal candidates are already undertaking critical roles. He concluded that the need was right now for RCT and this is the priority going forward, if the service does transform to be regional in the future then this will be reviewed.

Following consideration of the report it was RESOLVED to:

Agree to the establishment of a dedicated Tip Safety Management Team within Frontline Services to;

·         Manage the Council’s responsibilities under the Mines and Quarries (Tips) Act 1969,

Manage the Council’s safety responsibilities as a land-owner of significant numbers of coal spoil tips across RCT.