Agenda item

A report was brought to Cabinet on 12 February 2013 outlining recommendations for further reducing the annual cost of providing the Councils waste collection service.  This report presents the outcome of the consultation on the options for garden waste collections and the opening hours at Towthorpe and makes recommendations for Member consideration.

RESOLVED:       That Cabinet agree to:

(i)           Approve the closure of Towthorpe HWRC every Wednesday throughout the year to take effect as soon as possible.

(ii)          Approve the removal of the garden waste service between November and March each year with effect from November 2013. 

(iii)        Approve the introduction of an annual charge to residents of £35 for each additional garden waste bin.

(iv)        Delegate authority to officers to enter into alternative disposal arrangements where this is a financial benefit to the Council.

(v)         Tasks officers with preparing a business case for a food waste service.

(vi)         Task officers with continuing to monitor the potential for garden waste as a saleable commodity and for all, or part, of the service to be undertaken by a social enterprise or community group.

REASON:           To enable the Council to meet its statutory and policy targets and continue to provide a high quality waste collection and disposal service that is financially sustainable and provides a robust base for future growth.

Consideration was given to a report which presented the outcome of consultation undertaken on the options for garden waste collections and the opening hours at Towthorpe Household Recycling Centre (HWRC). This followed an earlier report to Cabinet in February which had set out proposals for further reductions to the annual cost of providing the Council’s waste collection services.

The following consultation options for both garden waste and Towthorpe had been consulted on and these had been analysed at paragraphs 8 to 61 and Appendix 1 of the report:

Garden Waste

The options consulted on were: 

a)   A subscription charge of around £30 for emptying green bins all year round

b)   A subscription charge of around £15 for emptying green bins in the winter months (November to March), but no charge for the summer months

c)   No green bin collection in the winter months and no charge in the summer months

d)   First green bin supplied free and a one-off charge of around £30 for each extra garden waste bin

e)   The option to swap existing green bins for home composters free of charge

f)    A combined food waste and garden waste collection all year round

g)   Testing the market to see if a lower garden waste disposal cost can be achieved

h)   Assessing the market to see if garden waste has any value as a commodity

i)     Looking at the potential for all or part of the service to be undertaken by a social enterprise or community group

Towthorpe

The options consulted on were:

·        closing regularly on one weekday all year round

·        reducing daily opening hours

·        opening weekends only in winter

·        closing completely in winter

As the final recommended options fell short of the savings target, as set out in paragraph 64 and at Appendices B and C in the report, it was confirmed that this would be mitigated by a reduction in disposal costs achieved by ongoing work.

The Cabinet Member referred to inaccurate information which had been given to residents in relation to closure of the Towthorpe HWRC pointing out that during consultation residents could have chosen to support no reduction in closure or reduction in hours. In answer to earlier speakers the Cabinet Member confirmed that residents would be able to exchange additional green bins or free bins, for a composter.

Following further discussion it was

RESOLVED:       That Cabinet agree to:

(i)           Approve the closure of Towthorpe HWRC every Wednesday throughout the year to take effect as soon as possible. ^1.

(ii)          Approve the removal of the garden waste service between November and March each year with effect from November 2013.  ^2.

(iii)        Approve the introduction of an annual charge to residents of £35 for each additional garden waste bin. ^3.

(iv)        Delegate authority to officers to enter into alternative disposal arrangements where this is a financial benefit to the Council. ^4.

(v)         Task officers with preparing a business case for a food waste service. ^5.

(vi)         Task officers with continuing to monitor the potential for garden waste as a saleable commodity and for all, or part, of the service to be undertaken by a social enterprise or community group. ^5.

REASON:           To enable the Council to meet its statutory and policy targets and continue to provide a high quality waste collection and disposal service that is financially sustainable and provides a robust base for future growth.