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Agenda Item No. 5

 

 

THE VALE OF GLAMORGAN COUNCIL

 

ENVIRONMENT AND REGENERATION SCRUTINY COMMITTEE: 12 JULY 2018

 

REFERENCE FROM CABINET: 2 JULY 2018

 

 

C356              Revised Waste Management Strategy:  The Future Collection Arrangements for Waste and Recycling (NST) (Scrutiny Committee - Environment and Regeneration) -

 

Cabinet was advised of the outcome of the public consultation exercise and the submission of the capital bid to Welsh Government as part of the Collaborative Change Programme in respect of the proposed recycling and waste changes. 

  

Also, Approval was sought to implement the ‘collections blueprint’ across the Vale of Glamorgan and develop the Council’s Waste Strategy through to 2025.

 

Cabinet on the 19th February 2018 (minute no. C235 refers) approved the implementation of a source separated recycling service subject to receiving capital funding from Welsh Government and obtaining the views of residents through a public consultation exercise. 

 

At its meeting of 19th February 2018, Cabinet approved a move to a restricted black bag collection service from September 2018, but resolved to seek the views of the public on the major changes proposed to dry recycling services.

 

The public consultation exercise commenced on 17th April 2018 and closed on 1st June 2018.  6,066 responses were received.  One of the highest recorded responses for a service consultation exercise, demonstrating the importance of waste collection services to our residents.

 

The main learning points from the survey included a wish to retain both green boxes and blue bags for dry recycling and that the cost of recycling containers was viewed as a barrier to recycling for some.

 

For these reasons, it was suggested that the current container types would remain but with the addition of a box that can be compartmentalised to allow more than one material to be stored in one box to save space.  It was also suggested that all charges for recycling hardware including food waste bags be removed to assist in increasing recycling participation going forward.

 

The report dealt with the enforcement of the two black bag scheme from September with a restricted residual waste policy attached at Appendix E to the report.

 

Communication of both the restricted residual waste controls and the new dry recycling collection arrangements would be extremely important; hence a communication plan had been drafted and was attached to the report for approval at Appendix C with a draft of a leaflet detailing the residual waste changes attached at Appendix D.

 

The changes to a source separated dry recycling collection service were still subject to receiving Welsh Government funding and whilst the Council remained optimistic that this would be forthcoming this was yet to be confirmed.

 

A draft timetable for the main recycling changes was shown at paragraph 38 of the report and development of the waste transfer station at the Atlantic Trading Estate in Barry would be the subject of a further report to Cabinet.

 

The Council had plans for an interim waste transfer facility in the Vale on an existing waste site but these had not yet been finalised.  Until they were, the Council would be required to retain use of the transfer station in Cardiff that it had been using for a number of years.

 

At the meeting the Cabinet Member for Neighborhood Services and Transport explained that the report dealt with the enforcement of the two black bag scheme from September with a restricted residual waste policy attached at Appendix E to the report.

 

He proposed a slight amendment to the policy stating that section 6 of the draft policy (the use of dustbins and wheeled bins be removed) pending consideration of a further report on this matter and that this action would be addressed by adding a revised recommendation 3 outlined below.

 

He further commented that the Council was not a wheeled bin collection authority and had no provision on its general collection vehicles to mechanically lift such bins; black bags in these bins had to be removed by hand so action to control their use was needed.  However there were a large number of wheeled bins in use so he explained that he would like more time to review this matter.

 

This was a matter for Executive decision

 

Cabinet, having considered the report and all the issues and implications contained therein

 

RESOLVED –

 

(1)       T H A T the full implementation of the ‘collections blueprint’; namely a source separated collection service, subject to receiving capital support from Welsh Government and addressing any equality impacts associated with the service changes be approved.

 

(2)       T H A T the implementation of alternative recycling bags and boxes as detailed in the report and summarised from the public consultation results in readiness for the proposed service change be approved.

 

(3)       T H A T the restricted residual waste policy, subject to the removal of section 6 in the report document be approved along with the communication plan.

 

(4)       T H A T the increased costs of the co-mingled recycling contract 2019-2021 including the use of reserves to fund the additional cost be noted.

 

(5)       T H A T the temporary engagement of Cardiff City Council’s Waste Transfer Station be approved retrospectively.

 

(6)       T H A T the withdrawing charges for food waste bags and caddies and dry recyclable boxes and bags be approved.

 

(7)       T H A T  delegated authority be granted to the Director of Environment and Housing Services in consultation with the Head of Finance and the Cabinet Member for Neighbourhood Services and Transport to accept the anticipated capital grant from Welsh Government's Collaborative Change Programme to implement the requirements of the ‘collections blueprint’.

 

(8)       T H A T delegated authority be granted to the Director of Environment and Housing Services in consultation with the Head of Finance and the Cabinet Member for Neighbourhood Services and Transport to procure all necessary vehicles and containers and expenditure up to design stage for the proposed construction of a Waste Transfer Station necessary for the revised collection service and accept any associated tenders.

 

(9)       T H A T  a further report be presented to Cabinet to approve the construction of a Waste Transfer Station on completion of the detailed design.

 

(10)     T H A T the report be referred to the Scrutiny Committee (Environment and Regeneration) for their consideration.

 

(11)     T H A T section14.14 of the Council's Constitution (urgent decision procedure) be authorised in respect of resolutions 5 and 6 above.

 

(12)     T H A T Cabinet receives a report in the near future concerning the use of existing wheeled bins and other similar containers for the storage of residual waste.

 

Reasons for decisions

 

(1)          To ensure that the service was compliant to current legislation and remains economically and environmentally sustainable

 

(2)          To ensure the most effective way of participating in a source separated dry recycling collection service was selected.

 

(3)          To ensure that residual waste restrictions were appropriately managed and communicated and that consideration is given to householders where necessary.

 

(4)          To note the current situation with regards to the economic market in respect of recycling material and that the costs pressures attributed to the service area are noted.

 

(5)          To ensure continuity of service and to capture the economic advantages of using Cardiff City Council's Waste Transfer Station.

 

(6)          To assist residents with the implementation of restricted residual waste and achieve optimum recycling participation.

 

(7)          To enable the phased introduction of the proposed service changes to commence from 1st April 2019 through to 1st April 2020.

 

(8)          To enable the implementation of a source separated collection service with the necessary infrastructure.

 

(9)          To consider the proposals prior to constructing the Waste Transfer Station.

 

(10)       To provide the Environment and Regeneration Scrutiny Committee with an opportunity to consider the details of the report.

 

(11)       To permit the communication strategy for restricted black bags to start immediately to allow the maximum time for residents to understand the system and to source any new receptacles required. To permit the prompt retrospective agreement for the interim short term contract arrangements for waste transfer.

 

(12)       To review the most appropriate ways of reducing the use of containers for the storage of residual waste in future.

 

 

Attached as Appendix – Report to Cabinet – 2 JULY 2018