Agenda item

          The Board considered a report of the Strategic Director, Environment and Economy which provided members with a copy of the draft Household Waste Collection Policy for comment and endorsement. The Safer Halton Policy and Performance Board work programme of Topics for examination included various aspects of waste management. It had been previously agreed by the Board that the Waste Management Working Party would produce a document that set out the Council’s policies and service standards relating to household waste collection. Following the work carried out by the Working Party, a draft Household Waste Collection Policy had been produced.

The policies within the draft Household Waste Collection Policy document had been developed taking into account the pressures the Council faced both in terms of meeting landfill diversion targets and the increasing costs of waste treatment and disposal. It had drawn upon best practice and common approaches adopted by local authorities across the country. The draft Policy sets out both existing and new policies and Members’ attention was drawn in particular to the policies on charging and collecting side waste.

It was reported that financial pressures and the increasing costs of dealing with waste necessitated a review of the Council’s policies on charging for services where legislation allowed. This had resulted in revised policies on charging for the collection of bulky household waste and a new policy regarding the provision of wheeled bins.

It was therefore proposed that from April 2011, the charge for removing bulky household waste be increased to £15 and that the number of items collected be reduced to five. The new proposed payment structure reflected the increasing costs of collecting and disposing of bulky household items. The new lower limit on items per collection had been established to encourage the re-use/recycling of items.

It was noted that the draft Policy also included a charge for new and replacement wheeled bins. At present the provision of new and replacement wheeled bins was free of charge and there was no limit on the number of replacement wheeled bins that a householder could request. It was proposed that a charge for the provision and delivery of new and replacement wheeled bins be introduced on a phased basis as follows:-

-      From April 2011 residents could be required to make a contribution of £12.50 towards the costs of new and replacement bins;

-      From April 2012 residents would be required to pay £25 to meet the full cost of receiving a new or replacement wheeled bin; and

-      Recycling, replacement blue or green bins would continue to be provided free of charge.

          Members noted that it was the current policy of the Council not to collect side waste placed alongside wheeled bins for collection.  This policy was approved by the Executive Board in April 2005 (Minute EXB 53 refers). However, to date, this policy had not been applied. It was now recommended that the Council applied its policy with regard to not collecting side waste other in exceptional circumstances, such as during the Christmas holiday period or other unavoidable disruptions in service. The “no side waste” policy would encourage residents to accept responsibility for their waste, minimising their waste and encourage recycling.

          It was recognised that the policy document sought to ensure that the Council provided high quality, cost effective services that were applied fairly and consistently to all households. In addition to setting out clear and robust waste collection policies the document also set out pledges to residents on the level of services that they could expect to receive from the Council.

          The Waste Working Party, Councillors Thompson (Chair), Osborne, Stockton, Redhead and Shepherd were thanked for their contributions to the development of the Policy.

          RESOLVED: That authority be delegated to the Divisional Manager Waste and Environmental Improvement, in consultation with the Chair and Vice-Chair of the Environment and Urban Renewal Policy and Performance Board, to agree the nominations to the Waste Working Party and to explore options for discretion within the Household Waste Collection Policy. The revised Household Waste Collection Policy be brought back to the Board for consideration.