Issue - meetings

Members received a report and a presentation on the Communications Strategy, which included a communications plan for the next financial year.

It was noted that service guides and calendars had been issued to residents at Elmbridge and Woking.  In addition, a postcard mailshot had also been sent to residents which highlighted changes to the service. A WEE and textiles service had been introduced at Elmbridge and this had already been communicated to residents. Pat Hindley and her team were currently working on the communications programme for Surrey Heath.

Once all partners had mobilised individually, Amey will be looking at the most efficient way of delivering the service across the whole area. Whilst the timing and scale of this hasn’t yet been agreed, budget has been allocated to communicate with all households prior to any changes.

The Committee discussed the following:

·        Surrey Waste Partnership (SWP) and JWS alignment

·        Recycling improvement

·        Christmas recycling campaign

·        Workshops with JWS staff to assess how they would prefer to be communicated with – ‘one team’

·        updates for stakeholders:

o   Quarterly meetings of the Committee

o   Updates to Committee between meetings – recycling improvements and current activities

o   Newsletter to all Members in the partner authorities from the Committee – either by email or newsletter (using specialist software to include images). 

o   Repeat the message regarding the £3 million savings

o   Short catchy campaigns, alternating the messages

·        Wrapping of the vehicles – confident that a solution would be found with regard to the wrapping of the vehicles, at present Elmbridge and Woking vehicles were carrying out the rounds with no livery. There was an issue with finding a space large and warm enough to affix the new wraps to these vehicles.  However, the food waste vehicles when delivered would already carry the livery. The Committee noted that it was important to have the livery on the vehicles as soon as possible. It was suggested, that in the spirit of partnership, that Surrey Heath could check with the army to see if they have a suitable space that could be used for attaching the livery.

Resolved that:

i)             the communications strategy be agreed;

ii)           updates be received by the Committee between the quarterly committee meetings and disseminated to Members at each Authority; and

iii)         the format of the newsletter be agreed.