Agenda and minutes

The members had before them:

A.    The Agenda papers (previously circulated); and

B.    The Minutes of the meeting held on 11 December 2019 (previously circulated).

None.

Apologies were received from Mr R W Banks and Mr L C R Mallett.

Members of the public wishing to take part should notify the Assistant Director for Legal and Governance in writing or by email indicating the nature and content of their proposed participation no later than 9.00am on the working day before the meeting (in this case 7 December 2020). Further details are available on the Council's website. Enquiries can be made through the telephone number/e-mail below.

None.

To confirm the Minutes of the meeting held on 11 December 2019. (previously circulated)

RESOLVED that the Minutes of the meeting held on 11 December 2019 be confirmed as a correct record and signed by the Chairman.

The Committee considered the Technical Update - EFW Plant Reporting Requirements.

In the ensuing debate, the following points were made:

·         Jim Haywood, a representative from Mercia Waste Management (MWM) reported that despite a difficult period during March/April, the company was close to its target budget for the financial year. The company had met all the targets that formed part of the contract with the Council. The loan repayments had been paid in June and there were no matters of concern to report to the Committee in relation to the repayment of the loan going forward

·         In relation to a query about input levels at the EfW plant at Hartlebury during the pandemic, Jim Haywood commented that it should be borne in mind that the EfW plant was not the only plant that the company operated and the EfW site dealt with commercial waste as well as council waste. There was a period during March where there was an issue with a particular district council’s waste collection service but the biggest fall during March was in the collection of commercial waste. However, when the household waste sites reopened, the company received higher than usual levels of waste through those sites. The company was now operating at the usual input levels of waste

·         It was concluded that there were no matters of concern that needed to be reported to Council.

RESOLVED that

a)    The main categories of reports or information that the Borrower must regularly produce:

·         Appendix 1 - The Historic Annual Debt Service Cover Ratio (“ADSCR”)

·         Appendix 2 - Ratio compliance certificate, and the

·         Senior Term Loan Facility Agreement (STLFA) Assurance Statement for the Council and operating update attached as Appendix 3 be noted;

b)   There were no matters of concern to report to Council.

The Committee considered the Risk Register.

In the ensuing debate, it was commented that as loan repayments were being received on time from MWM, there were no matters of concern that needed to be reported to Council.

RESOLVED that:

a)    The open risks set out in the Risk Register are accepted; and

b)    There were no matters of concern to report to Council.

The Committee considered the Work Plan.

In the ensuing debate, members raised some technical queries about the operations of the EfW plant at Hartlebury and officers undertook to provide written responses in due course.

RESOLVED that the work plan be noted.