ST ERTH PARISH COUNCIL

Freedom of Information

 

 

Affordable Housing- This Information is not related to the St Erth Parish Council

 

 

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ST ERTH PARISH COUNCIL MEETING

 

AT THE VESTRY ROOMS

FORE STREET

ST ERTH

 

First Tuesday of each month

 

PUBLIC PARTICIPATION WILL COMMENCE AT

7.20PM

 

FOLLOWED BY

THE PARISH COUNCIL MEETING

THE PUBLIC AND PRESS ARE CORDIALLY INVITED TO ATTEND



 

ST ERTH PARISH COUNCIL

MEMBERS

 

Chairman Cllr Miss D E Harry             Tel: 01736 740237

Vice Chairman Cllr Mr R B Jenkin       Tel: 01736 753171

 

Councillors, Mr M O Eddy, Mrs C Attwood, Mrs W M Chappell, Mrs P Crellin, Mrs A Denton,

Mr G Cheney, Mr M J Hanley, Mrs B Rickard, Mrs J A Sedgeman

 

Parish Clerk Mr R Selby-Boothroyd             Tel: 01736 757575

 

INFORMATION

The Current Councillors were elected 1 May 2003

(Except for Mrs Rickard who has replaced Mr J Roberts)


The next elections for Councillors will be May 2007.Anyone can put their name forward. If a casual vacancy occurs, it will be advertised in the Cornishman and if more than one person is interested an election will take place. If no one is interested, then the council can co-op a new member.

 


St Erth Home Page

CURRENT MINUTES AND  AGENDA

Please see St Erth Parish Notice Board outside the Star Inn 

 




Report on the St Erth Sewage Treatment Works Liaison Meeting held on Thursday 1st December 2005

 

Councillors Miss Harry, Jenkin and the Clerk attended the meeting at the St Erth Sewage Treatment Works.  These meetings are held roughly every six months to provide a forum for discussing concerns about odour and the work being carried out to address the concerns.  This meeting was convened since the last Parish Council meeting and took priority over arranging a public meeting on the same subject.  The previous meeting had been held on 8th June 2005.  Others present represented South West Water, Cornwall County Council (Planning ? Monitoring and Enforcement), Penwith District Council (Environmental Health) and Hayle Town Council (Mayor).  County Councillor Nigel Walker was also present.

 

Ian Starmer, representing South West Water chaired the meeting and introduced Mike Galligan who is appointed site manager with effect from 5th December 2005.  Minutes of the June meeting were reviewed and highlighted the following points regarding complaints about odour:

'  Calls to the call centre are registered to establish a record of the numbers of complaints received. 

'  Calls to the works are not registered but may alert staff to an immediate problem which may not be apparent from inside the works.

'  It is helpful if the complainant can distinguish between different types of odour (mainly between ammonia and hydrogen sulphide) though not everyone can tell.

'  Since there seems to have been some confusion about the correct call centre number, this will be verified and circulated with the minutes of the meeting.

 

An odour survey was carried out in July 2005 by Hyder Consulting (UK) Ltd.  The 26 page report of the survey (the Clerk has a copy for reference) contains a description of the processes at the works and comments on sources of odour as well as the results of the survey, and concludes with a series of recommendations for reducing the problems.  The survey was conducted over four days deliberately chosen for warm weather and high tides, conditions known to exacerbate the problems.  Measurements were taken inside the works, many to assess the efficiency of each of the five odour control units (OCUs), as well as in the neighbouring residential areas.

 

Among the specific problems highlighted were:

L     One of the OCUs is significantly less efficient than the others.

L     Up to 60% of the sewage pumped in from one source was sea water which has a bad effect on the treatment, multiplying the formation of odours.

L     Occasional lapses in routine housekeeping tasks allow odour to escape.

 

The report makes 14 separate recommendations and South West Water has allocated money to fix the higher priority items in the next financial year, with local housekeeping issues being tackled immediately.  The nature of the processes is such that one identified problem may mask another unidentified one so there will probably be another survey once the first problems have been fixed.

 

The meeting was called by Penwith District Council Environmental Health which has the power to serve an enforcement notice should problems continue.  The laws governing such enforcement proceedings allow for expensive defence procedures with money being spent on lawyers? fees, so continuing liaison is to be preferred.  It was agreed that the next meeting should be arranged in March 2006.



FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT 2000


Publication Scheme

of the
Penwith District Council
St
Clare
Penzance

Cornwall
TR18 3QW

The Freedom of Information Act 2000 requires all public authorities to make information publicly available by means of a publication scheme.

Penwith District Council's publication scheme sets out details of the classes of information that will be published. There are six classes or categories which are:

• The Council and its Constitution

• Council finances

• Council policies

• Council decisions

• Council performance

• Council services

The publication scheme gives the title of each class, a definition with an explanation, and then a description of how the information can be seen, i.e. on the website or at an office. The description of each class will also contain a statement of explanation, should any documents be exempt from publication.

The publication scheme demonstrates our commitment to publish as much information as possible, and to have regard to the public interest and to the rights that the Freedom of Information Act will bring to everyone in due course in 2004.

The publication scheme does not limit an individual's other rights to information, nor does it
omit the amount of information that the Council published outside the scheme. For example, planning applications will continue to be available for public inspection.

Personal and private information held by the Council is not the subject of this publication
scheme. An individual's right to confidentiality remains unchanged, and information that is
personal and private will still be protected under the Data Protection Act. The individual
retains a right to have access to their own personal information.

The Council has appointed Barbara Mathews from the Legal, Personnel and Estates Service, (tel. 01736 336581, fax 01736 336791, e-mail arbara.mathews@penwith.gov.uk) as the officer responsible for this scheme on behalf of the Council and also as responsible for maintaining the scheme on a day to day basis. She is also the Data Protection officer for the Council and any issues about personal data will also be dealt with by her. The Council has a set complaints procedure and any complaints about Data Protection or the Freedom of Information Act may be dealt with by contacting Barbara Mathew s or the Council's Monitoring Officer, David Hooper.

An individual may also complain to the Freedom of Information Commissioner, whether about Freedom of Information or Data Protection, at the following address:

Information Commissioner, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF
Fax: 01625 524510 CX: 20819 Wilmslow Tel: 01625 545745

E-mail: data@dataprotection.gov.uk

As this is a new requirement for councils, the publication scheme will be reviewed at the end of the first twelve months, but after that it is anticipated that the information in each class will be reviewed and submitted to the Information Commissioner every three years.

The publication scheme will be made available on our website (www.penwith.gov.uk) and will be deposited at our offices at St. Clare, Penzance. Copies will also be distributed to County Libraries within the district, and also to town and parish councils, thus distributing it throughout the district. The publication scheme is printed in English, but if people have any difficulty with other languages and/or with access or require large print or otherwise require particular assistance, they should contact Barbara Mathews.

No charge will be made by the Council for examining the information within this publication scheme. A charge may be made at rates determined from time to time by the Council for any photocopies sought.

The information defined and classified by the publication scheme relates to the Council only and does not refer to any other executive agencies.

If you have any suggestions about this scheme, please contact Barbara Mathews in Legal,
Personnel and Estates Services.

CLASS 1

(a)        TITLE

Council Constitution

(b)        DEFINITION

The Constitution of the Council pursuant to the Local Government Act 2000

 

(c)         EXPLANATION

This is a document that includes all the rules, standing orders and workings of
the Council including contract and financial procedures, committees and
office structures.

(d)        LOCATION

Penwith District Council Offices, St Clare, Penzance and on the website from
2004

CLASS II

(a)        TITLE

Council Finances

(b)         DEFINITION

Council Tax Estimates and Capital Programme 2002/2003 and succeeding

financial years.

Annual Statement of Accounts 2000/2001 and succeeding financial years.

(c)        EXPLANATION

The Council's income and expenditure service by service for the financial
year.

(d)        LOCATION

Penwith District Council Offices, St, Clare, and on the website from 2004.

Class III

(a)         TITLE

Council Policies

(b)        DEFINITION

The policy framework of the Council as defined by the constitution.

(c)        EXPLANATION

All Council strategies and policies approved by the Council from time to time
statutory or otherwise. For example and including:

• The District-wide Local Plan

• Local Agenda 21 Strategy

• Crime and Disorder Strategy

(d)         LOCATION

Penwith District Council Offices, St. Clare, Penzance and on the website from
2004

CLASS IV

(a)        TITLE

Council Decisions

(b)   DEFINITION

Committee and Council Agenda and Minutes.

EXCEPT: Items falling within schedule 12A Part 1 Local Government Act

1972 as from time to time amended.

(c)   EXPLANATION

The reports and decisions of committees and the Council except "private"
information as defined above and explained in the introduction.

(e)   LOCATION
        Penwith District Council Offices, St. Clare,
Penzance and website from 2004

CLASS IV
(a)   TITLE

Council Performance

DEFINITION

 

Best Value Local Performance Plan 2002 and succeeding years.
Comprehensive performance assessment

(c)   EXPLANATION

An annual document detailing the council's performance in selected service
areas including comparative figures.

(d)   LOCATION


Penwith District Council Offices, St. Clare,
Penzance and on the website from 2004

CLASS VI

(a)        TITLE

Council Services

(b)         DEFINITION

An alphabetical A - Z index of Council Services

(c)        EXPLANATION

A list of contacts for each service.

(d)         LOCATION

Penwith District Council Offices, St Clare, Penzance and on the website from 2004


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Submitted by:  Martin Page
Email address:
martin@housingmatters.org.uk

Comment: Housing Matters Group has identified land in the village on which planning can be given for low cost homes for ownership by qualifying people from the Parish of St Erth BUT it will only happen if we can identify sufficient interest from Local People.