Agenda item

Strategic Review of the Markets

A Member questioned when the Committee would receive a report and policy on, amongst other things, the possible relocation of some of the City’s Markets. He stated that he felt it was important to have a plan/policy in place before consulting on this and added that this was how other agencies tended to approach matters such as these.

The Chairman stated that he felt there was a danger in having any pre-conceived ideas before consultation.

A Member stated that it was good governance to consult on the matter first and to then look at all of the possible options and formulate a policy in principle before consulting further. He outlined that there were many stakeholders in the Markets and that it was correct that all should be consulted.

A Member stated that there would be some value in the Committee discussing the framework of options/parameters ahead of any initial consultation.

The Chairman went on to state that he felt it was inadvisable for individual Members to consult the media on these matters without speaking to the Director first.

Waste

A Member questioned whether there was a Committee policy on non-tenant waste at the Markets. The Director stated that this was actively discouraged at all sites, with individual Markets imposing charges on any individual found dumping waste. The Director pointed out that, were the City to allow non-tenants to bring their waste on to site, it would require a waste transfer licence to legally do so, but he confirmed that no written Committee  policy currently existed. Members were informed that some of the Markets conducted stop and searches on vehicles at the barriers to prevent those with waste entering the site.

The Chairman requested that a report on non-tenant waste and the extent of this problem be submitted to the next meeting of this Committee. Members also requested that the report outline the options available to the Committee and Officers in terms of penalties.