To receive reports about and receive questions and answers on the business of any joint arrangements or external organisations.

1)    Councillor G Waller attended the East Midlands Councils Employers Board and had circulated highlights of the meeting to Members. Councillor G Waller highlighted two items that could cause some concern, these included work placements for university level planning courses and the decisions recently taken by Government around National Insurance both as an impact on the Council as an employer and what the Unions reaction could be. 

Councillor G Waller reminded Members of the up-and-coming East Midlands Scrutiny Network meeting and would circulate the date to all in due course.

2)    Councillor J Fox attended the 4Oakham Arts and Crafts Market held in Gaol Street on 4^th September 2021 which was a great success.

4Oakham was currently working with RCC Highways team, Mill Street traders and Oakham Town Council on a proposal around additional lighting on Mill Street, Oakham.

3)    Councillor K Payne - A report on the meeting of Hanson Cement Liaison Group which took place on 28^th July 2021 was presented by Councillor Payne. In attendance were Councillors K Payne and G Brown.

A very useful meeting where in addition to updates on the site performance, restoration, and emissions. Ketton was 1 of 11 cement plants in the UK and is the third largest. 60% of Ketton cement goes to London mostly by rail. 250 staff and 100 contractors involved and pay £1.3m in business rates.

Information was provided on the restoration works which were being carried out this year and next to the north-east part of the quarry some 70m acres and later in the southwest of the site which would include a permissive footpath. This was being restored in line with the Council’s approved plans for agricultural land, grassland, and woodland.

Work had commenced in preparing the land to the west of the old Empingham Road for the extraction of limestone and clay with the removal of the old road. Additional woodland was being provided as a buffer between the cottages on Empingham Road and the new quarry workings.

Cement manufacturing generates high levels of CO2 emissions due to the chemistry involved. They generate 80% of Rutland’s total emissions. Hanson are working to reduce this with a number of initiatives on the site which include:

• Using hydrogen as a fuel enhancer to improve fuel burn efficiency. A pilot plant on site will generate hydrogen and oxygen from water.

• An application had been made to amend the Environment Agency to use a range of alternative raw materials in the production process to improve cement production with lower emissions. These additional materials will include naturally occurring, manufactured and waste-based products

• A new formulation for 52N cement with more limestone which reduce the heat required during the calcining process.

Following the installation of new bag filters two years ago, particulate emissions have been reduced to almost zero and in fact the existing monitoring equipment was struggling to measure them.

4)    Councillor E Baines attended the Welland Valley Partnership meeting in Loddington on 8^th September 2021 and wanted to highlight to Members the below points:

•       Natural Capital

•       An Environmental Bill would be taken to Parliament in March 2022 and would require the need to show a biodiversity net gain which could have implications on the new draft Local Plan.

•       A Leicester PhD student was looking at net carbon retention and emissions and whether this was altered by a change of use. If the student’s modelling was accepted this could add a financial value.