The Environment and Sustainable Communities Overview and Scrutiny Committee were scheduled to discuss a range of topics, including an overview of the Neighbourhoods and Environment service, the Quarter Four Performance Management Report for 2024/25, and a refresh of the work programme for 2025-26.

Neighbourhoods and Environment Service Overview

The committee was scheduled to receive an introductory overview of the Neighbourhoods and Environment service grouping from Mark Jackson, Corporate Director for Neighbourhoods and Environment. The Neighbourhoods and Environment service has a budget of around £258 million, offset by around £136 million of income, and a capital budget of around £129.6 million. It employs 1,800 full time equivalent staff. The service is divided into four key areas:

• Community Protection, headed by Joanne Waller, Head of Community Protection
• Environment, headed by James Gilchrist, Head of Environment Services
• Highways, headed by Mark Readman, Head of Highways
• Transport and Contract Services

The presentation was scheduled to highlight key areas of work within the service grouping, including:

• Community Protection, which provides services to protect the health, safety and environment of County Durham's residents, traders and visitors. This includes food safety, occupational health and safety, environmental protection, licensing, trading standards, safer communities and neighbourhood interventions.

• Environment, which aims to make County Durham attractive and sustainable through direct delivery, strategic planning, education and enforcement. This includes refuse and recycling, strategic waste management, clean and green initiatives, environment and design, neighbourhood protection, fleet management, and energy management and sustainability. The Environment team:

  Collect Bins from 234,800 households every week, over one million bins lifted per month

• Highways, which is responsible for the delivery of all civil engineering, construction, and maintenance activities. This includes winter maintenance, street lighting, major works and highways.

• Transport and Contract Services, which is responsible for all aspects of how people move safely around the county's transport network. This includes strategic traffic management, transport and infrastructure projects, and integrated passenger transport.

Quarter Four Performance Management Report 2024/25

The committee was scheduled to receive a report of John Hewitt, Chief Executive, informing them of progress towards achieving the strategic ambitions and objectives set out in the Council Plan 2024-2028. The report contained performance data up to 31 March 2025. The report highlighted areas of strong performance:

• Above target attendances at cultural venues and leisure centres.
• A smaller proportion of waste being diverted to landfill.
• Improvements to the contamination of household recycling.
• 61% of private sector rented properties covered under the selective licensing scheme being fully licensed.
• The condition of main roads performing well compared to national and regional averages.
• Low reports of fly-tipping and high environmental cleanliness.
• Continued improvement in bus patronage and punctuality.

Refresh of the Work Programme 2025-26

The committee was scheduled to discuss and agree its work programme for 2025/26. The proposed work programme was framed around the County Durham Vision 2035, based on the three strategic ambitions of 'more and better jobs', 'long and independent lives' and 'connected communities'. The key themes which apply to the ESC OSC are 'Our Economy', 'Our Environment' and 'Our Communities'. During 2024/25, the ESC OSC prioritised items to be considered at formal meetings, with other items circulated via email. The committee has been involved in various workshops, informal information sessions, and has undertaken budgetary and performance monitoring. The proposed draft work programme for 2025/26 includes a range of topics, such as:

• Neighbourhoods and Environment Service Overview
• Waste and Recycling
• Council Land Management
• Biodiversity Net Gain
• Green Corridor Update
• Local Nature Recovery Strategy
• Ecological Emergency Action Plan
• Climate Emergency Response Plan (CERP3)
• Energy Management & Resources incorporating Utilities Management
• Heat Networks
• Environment and Climate Change Partnership
• Flood Risk Management Authorities for County Durham
• Transport Management
• Leisure Transformation Programme
• County Durham's Visitor Economy and Tourism Offer
• Fuel Poverty
• Bereavement Services
• Heritage Coast
• Library Provision
• DCC Fleet
• Seaham Garden Village
• Morrison Busty Depot