Issue - meetings

Any other business which the Chair considers urgent under the  Local Government Act 1972.

Urgent Item: Beckfield Lane Household Recycling Centre

The motion to Council, on 29 March 2012, from Cllr Reid requesting a halt to the closure plan for the Beckfield Lane Household Waste Recycling Centre has been referred as an urgent item for consideration at this meeting. An officer report on the associated implications is being prepared.

RESOLVED:             That Cabinet agree to note the motion and petition to Council which provided no further information with regard to the decision made at budget Council and agree Option 1 to confirm the decision made through the budget process for the closure of the Beckfield Lane Household Waste Recycling Centre. 

REASON:                  To enable the implementation of the Budget Council decision.

Consideration was given to report prepared in response to a motion, presented to Council on 29 March 2012, regarding the budget decision made regarding the closure of the Beckfield Lane Household Waste Recycling Centre (the report had been included in the republished agenda on 3 April and hard copies were circulated at the meeting).

The following motion had been presented to Council by Councillor Reid:

“Council notes the significant improvement in the proportion of waste that has been recycled under the previous Liberal Democrat administration, from 12% in 2003 to 45% in 2011.

Council supports the principle that waste collection and recycling should be convenient and fair to residents across the city.

In light of the fact that the Budget 2012/13 has deleted the provision of a Recycling and Reuse Centre in the west of the city, Council requests that the Cabinet halts the closure plan for Beckfield Lane Household Waste Recycling Centre.

Council also supports the principle of the provision of a free receptacle for the collection of waste to all residents across the city requests that the provision of free black bin bags should continue to all areas of the city where wheeled bins are not in use.”

It was reported that a petition calling for the tip to remain open had also been received at the same Council meeting and, as it was believed to have more than 1000 signatories, the petition would trigger a debate at a future Council meeting.

The Leader referred to lengthy Cabinet budget discussions undertaken prior to these decisions being taken and to the lack of financial information put forward in support of any change in decision. He confirmed that an extraordinary council meeting would be called to enable further consideration of the matter to be undertaken.

It was confirmed that the options available to members at the meeting were:

Option 1 – consider the evidence from the motion and petition and confirm the decision made through the budget process for the closure of Beckfield Lane Household Waste Recycling Centre; or

Option 2 – consider the evidence from the motion and petition and recommend a change in the budget decision and seek alternative funding cuts to offset it.

However it was recommended that Option 1 was approved as the motion presented no additional evidence to amend the decision made at Budget Council.

RESOLVED:             That Cabinet note the motion and petition to Council, which provided no further information with regard to the decision made at budget Council, and agree Option 1 set out in the report, confirming the decision to close the Beckfield Lane Household Waste Recycling Centre. 

REASON:                  To enable the implementation of the Budget Council decision.