DUNDEE PARTNERSHIP FOR THE ENVIRONMENT

MEETING HELD ON 14th OCTOBER 2010 AT 10.00 AM

CONFERENCE ROOM A, 18, CITY SQUARE

Present:

Merrill SmithDundee City Council - Leisure & Communities (Chair)

Bryan HarrisDundee City Council - Leisure & Communities

Jola LysonInternational Resources & Recycling Institute

Edith HamiltonFriends of the Earth Tayside

Andy MulhollandDundee City Council - City Development

Doug McLarenTFCR / Sustain Dundee

Robert CrowAbertay Centre for the Environment

Peter SandwellDundee City Council - Leisure & Communities

Sharon BainSolar Cities Scotland

Alison AndersonDundee City Council - Leisure and Communities

Apologies:

Phil GaskellScottish Natural Heritage

Christine LowdenDundee Voluntary Action / Sustain Dundee

Gary MairTayside Police

Alistair McLeodSolar Cities Scotland / Carbon Exchange

Bill LynchDundeeUniversity

Shiona BairdCRAIC

Christine LowdenDVA

No / Item / Action
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1.1 / Welcome & Introductions
Merrill Smith welcomed everyone to the meeting and introductions were made. Merrill updated the group on recent staff changes in particular Bryan's move to the Corporate Planning Department as a Senior Corporate Planning Officer. Bryan will now act as the representative from the Corporate Planning Team / Dundee Partnership on the Dundee Partnership for the Environmentand Alison Anderson (Environmental Development Officer) will take on Bryan's role as co-ordinator.
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2.1 / Apologies
The above apologies were noted.
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3.1 / Minute of 8th July 2010
The minutes wereaccepted.
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4.1 / Matters Arising
DPEShowGarden update (ref 4.a):
Alison reported that the LowCarbonLivingGarden had been a great success at the Dundee Flower and Food Festival and won a gold award and 'best in show' (Lord Provost's Trophy) in the garden design category.
It was agreed that the prize money of £350.00 would be disbursed by Sustain Dundee to environmental / community projects in Dundee via their small grants scheme.
The garden came together extremely well with input from a variety of groups and sources. The garden came in under the expected budget. Thanks to Solar Cities Scotland and TFCR for providing the majority of funding.
TFCR co-ordinated the adjacent stall giving away free DIG In seeds from the BBC and Low Carbon Living Garden leaflets, as well as engaging with visitors using the garden to spark off conversations. Richard Lockhead (Cabinet Secretary for the Environment) and the Lord Provost had been 2 such visitors.
The Garden will feature on a poster to be displayed at the Sustainable Scotland Network conference in November at Dynamic Earth, Edinburgh and has been reported in the Greenspace Scotland monthly update and Scottish Wildlife Trust Magazine.
Doug to hand over spare copies of the leaflet to Bryan who will take them along to the SSN Conference.
Doug was enthusiastic to replicate the garden at next year's Gardening Scotland. Peter stated that Dundee City Council has a presence at the show to advertise the Dundee Flower and Food Festival. Consideration of the idea could be given but the reasons why DPE would put forward a garden would have to be explored and agreed. Alison said that if she was to be involved, logistically it would be much more difficult and take much more time and she doubted whether she could justify this to Dundee City Council. / DMcL
4.2 / Supporting Scotland's Climate Change Declaration Letter (ref5.1):
Merrill reported that she had not followed up on the action point from the last meeting. The reasons for this would become clear in the following item.
5 / Fit for Purpose Review - Improvement Plan
At the last meeting of DPE it was agreed that the way forward for the group as a result of the Fit for Purpose Review was:
  • Focus on Climate Change.
  • Opportunity for joint project working to be actively sort.
  • Funding/Resources for priority areas i.e. Climate Change promotion to assist DPE and associated organisations.
  • Partnership engagement evidence required.
  • How to include Scottish Enterprise and/or private sector in DPE.

5.1 / Bryan introduced the paper Dundee's Sustainable Future stressing that it was a very early draft and much work is needed before it is agreed. The original was drafted by Sustainable Dundee, a group established by Scottish Enterprise Tayside and the Universities.
After the result of the Fit for Purpose Review of DPE it was recognised that both groups had very similar objectives as well as others in the City.
There is a proposal that a joint strategy be developed for Dundee's Sustainable Future. Before this happens the structure of the groups needs to be discussed and agreed.The focus of the meeting'sdiscussion centred on this.
Bryan reported that the same conversation would be happening in Sustainable Dundee.
It was agreed that to progress the discussion on a joint approach, the principle of a) merging Sustainable Dundee and Dundee Partnership for the Environment and b) working towards a single Dundee's Sustainable Future strategy, be agreed by all DPE partners.
It was felt that to include all members of the DPE in this decision Alison would draft a one page briefing paper for circulation as soon as possible to everyone asking for views and opinions by the beginning of November.
Merrill will follow this up with a phone call to update members not present at the meeting. / AA
MS
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6a. / Environmental Strategy implementation
Implementation - focus on climate change action:
id / Update
4003 / DCC currently compiling a response to the Scottish Government on the draft Climate Change Duty guidance
4361 / Community Carbon Exchange target of involving 100 people is currently on schedule.
4362 / 73,000 Carbon Reduction Starter packs have been distributed. 18 people involved in monitoring their carbon reduction via the website. The insulation project is up and running. 52 people have been referred to Solar CitiesScotland for the Solar Promotion project and 10 of these have been completed.
new / The Climate Change Act will be in force from next April. There is a possibility of a joint programme.
new / Dighty Micro Hydro study to be added to action programme.
6b. / Actions Outstanding ReportOctober 2010
Outstanding actions (i.e. those classed as 'Behind Schedule', 'Unlikely to be achieved' or 'Abandoned') include:
id / Update
4015 / Alison to contact Broughty Ferry Environmental Project for an update
4017 / DRT is likely to acquire a low carbon vehicle from funding offered by the Scottish Government.
4120 / Change contact details to Martin Bonar, the new TWIG officer
4093 / Likely that appropriate elements of the Sustainable Construction Guide are incorporated into the updated Dundee Local Plan (supplementary guidance). Possibility of relevant parts of the guide being incorporated into the Urban Design Guide.
4071 / Progress relates to Sustain Dundee and not to FOE or Greenpeace.
4086 / Website overhauled
Alison to delete 'Abandoned' actions.
A number of members mentioned difficulties with updating the Strategic Plan Monitoring Database, in particular the password. Alison will follow these concerns up with Bill Findlay in the City Council who administers the database. / AA
AA
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7.1 / Dundee City Council Sustainable Development Framework
BH reported that the Sustainable Development Framework had been circulated to City CouncilDirectors and there had been no comment. BH will present the Framework to the Policy and Resources Committee before the end of the year. / BH
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8.1 / Sustain Dundee update
The last meeting of Sustain Dundee was the AGM at the end of August. DMcL suggested that the briefing paper referred to in 5.1 be circulated around Directors to stimulate a conversation on how Sustain Dundee fits in. The group agreed that this was a good idea. / DMcL
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9.1 / Dundee Partnership Update
Merrill reported that the Dundee Partnership Management Group was now more strategic / high level with CEO's etc. from partners sitting on it, along with Elected Members / Members of Boards. Merrill sits on the co-ordinating group.
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10.1
10.2
10.3
10.4 / A O C B
Alison has been invited to attend the Annual Presentation of Awards on 11th November from 7pm-9pm(for the LowCarbonLivingGarden) by the Leisure and Communities Department with a guest. It was agreed that Doug would also attend.
Details of the Sus it Out programme had been received from Forward Scotland. Alison to forward the e-mail on to members of the group.
Doug reported that the beach at Broughty Ferry and beyond (Tentsmuir and Barry Buddon) had been extensively contaminated by polystyrene filling from a construction site located on the Dighty Burn. He was working towards establishing a help line for local people to report such incidents in response to concerns that it was difficult to do as such,at present.
Finally, Merrill thanked Bryan for all his hard work on Dundee Partnership for the Environment and looked forward to welcoming him to further DPE meetings in his new role as representative from the Corporate Planning Team / Dundee Partnership. / AA
DMcL
11 / Date of Next Meeting:
Thursday 13th January 2011 at 2pm (with lunch at 1.30pm) at DVA, Number 10, Constitution Road (tbc).
Dates of Future Meetings:
Date/Time
2011: / Venue
Thursday7thApril at 10am / DCC Committee Rm (tbc)
Thursday7th July at 2pm (lunch from 1.30pm) / No.10
Thursday6th October at 10am / DCC Committee Rm (tbc)

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