Agenda Item No.4(ii)

 

 

THE VALE OF GLAMORGAN COUNCIL

 

CABINET: 28TH FEBRUARY, 2007

 

REFERENCE FROM SCRUTINY COMMITTEE (ECONOMY AND ENVIRONMENT): 13TH FEBRUARY, 2007

 

 

“            VISIBLE SERVICES - RECYCLING CENTRE, DOMESTIC PERMITS (DEER) -

 

Committee considered the current arrangements used to control the use of vans and trailers at the Council’s recycling centres.  The Council had a statutory duty to arrange for places (Recycling Centre) where residents may deposit their household waste for recycling and / or disposal, free of charge.  The conditions of the Waste Management Licence for the sites do not allow trade/ commercial waste to be deposited at these sites.

 

The current waste permit system was introduced in April 2003 as a measure to stop commercial customers using the recycling centres to deposit waste without charge.  A ban on cars had been in place since April 1999 but a ban on trailers entering the sites without permit was also introduced in April 2003.

 

This permit system was reviewed by Cabinet on 15th September, 2004 after its first year of operation to allow for the issue of 6 and 12 month permits for domestic customers.

 

Currently domestic customers who required permits, applied to the Waste Management and Cleansing Section.  Permits were issued with each applicant being visited by a Council officer.  This was time consuming for Council staff and could be inconvenient for customers.

 

There were currently no weight restrictions on the permits for domestic vehicles and customers were able to deposit large volumes of DIY type waste (for example rubble).  This caused capacity problems on the sites and inconvenience for other site users.

 

With the introduction of the OneVale Call Centre, it was proposed that the issue of permits could be dealt with by OneVale.

 

Customers would contact the OneVale Call Centre who would first determine that they were a domestic customer.  The Call Centre, then having taken all of the appropriate details, would print out the permit and send it directly to the customer.  This would eliminate any need for the customer to be passed to the Waste Management “back office” staff at the point of service request.  This would also allow residents to make on-line applications.

 

Following issue, all necessary details of the permit would be forwarded to the Waste Management staff and EWC including a unique Oracle reference number.  This would allow Waste Management and Cleansing staff to record permits and carry out compliance checks to ensure the permit system was not abused.

 

Further compliance checks would be carried out by the Council’s contractor, EWC.  They would confirm the details of each permit and the point of entry at the site.  EWC would perform vehicle registration number, waste description, signature and permit reference number checks and only if satisfied, sign off the permit themselves and allow the waste entry to the site.

 

EWC had confirmed that they would implement the revised permit system and confirmed that this was similar to other procedures they operate with other local authorities such as Blackburn Council.

 

A draft of the details that would be entered on the permits issued by the OneVale office were shown on Appendix A to the report.  It was proposed that the permit would also contain weight limits for residents’ vehicles and the maximum quantity of DIY waste they could take to the sites.  Furthermore, in an initial effort to improve control of the household waste delivered to sites, it was also proposed that the use of a “one permit on deposit” be trailed to replace the existing 6 month multiple deposit permit.

 

RECOMMENDED -

 

(1)       T H A T the alterations proposed to the current permit system for domestic customers with vans or trailers to deposit waste at the recycling centres (Sully and Llandow) as of 1st April, 2007 be supported.

 

(2)       T H A T the introduction of measures to restrict the weight of domestic vehicles entering the recycling centres and the quantity of DIY waste that could be deposited at the site be supported.

 

(3)       T H A T the report and the views of Committee be forwarded to Cabinet for decision.

 

Reasons for recommendations

 

(1)       To provide an improved service for domestic customers with vans or trailers to deposit waste at the recycling centres (Sully and Llandow).

 

(2)       To reduce unauthorised use of the sites by commercial customers.

 

(3)       To gain an Executive decision by Cabinet that required to implement changes to Council procedures.”