Issue - meetings

To consider the report of the Director (Customer and Digital). 

Asim Khan, Director (Customer and Digital), presented a report which updates Members on the impact of changes to garden waste collections.

A charge of £30 per bin was introduced on 1 May 2017 for residents who wished to participate in the council’s garden waste collection service. Prior to that date collections had been free at point of use if residents wished to participate in the scheme.

Currently there are 23,386 grey bin subscriptions generating an income of £702,616.  Participation in the scheme for those properties with gardens is around 55%. 

Members noted that the recycling rate has reduced by 5% since the change to garden waste collections, but that there has been no increase in fly tipping of garden waste following the introduction of a charge for this service. 

Councillor Paul Leadbetter queried the figures in paragraph 10 showing the changes in the recycling rate over the last four years.  Officers undertook to confirm the figures outside the meeting.  Members noted that the waste authority are monitoring the recycling figures and that there is some work to be done to improve recycling rates.  The new contractor for waste collection will be introducing WEE collections and bulky waste collections. 

It was clarified that only garden waste bins with the right coloured label displayed on the bin are collected to ensure that payment is made.  

Decision: That the report be noted.