Issue - meetings

To receive and consider the report of the Director of Customer and Digital.

To approve the approach and changes to waste collection rounds from September 2020.

Councillor Adrian Lowe, the Executive Member (Customer Advice and Streetscene Services) presented the report of the Director (Customer and Digital) which seeks approval for changes to domestic waste collection rounds.

The FCC waste contract commenced in April 2019 and reduced the Council’s waste collection costs by over £1m per year. The council agreed to more efficient collection rounds in the waste contract to contribute towards the savings.

FCC have now submitted plans to change collection rounds. A total of 20,804 households will be affected by the changes. Of these, 13,285 households will see a change to their waste collection day and 7,520 households a change to the order in which their bins are collected. 33,112 households are unaffected by the changes.

There will be no reduction in the waste collection service. Each household will still have one collection day per week. Residential waste collections one week, with recycling and garden waste collected the alternative week. Collection frequencies will remain the same: fortnightly blue, grey and green bins; and four-weekly brown bins.

Communications will include a targeted letter with bin collection dates, a bin sticker to give advance notice, a dedicated webpage with a new ‘address checker’ feature, a social media campaign, press releases and posters in areas affected by changes. A suggestion was made for a new calendar to be stuck on the inside of bin lids. 

Members commented on the excellent service maintained during the Covid-19 pandemic. 

Decision: To approve the approach and changes to waste collection rounds from September 2020.

Reasons for Recommendation(s):

1.         To comply with the contract agreement reached with FCC to review collection rounds.

2.         The benefits from changes to waste collection rounds are:

a.      Improve efficiency of collections, performance and the quality of service to residents.

b.      Reduce carbon impact.

Alternative Options Considered and Rejected:

To not proceed. However, this may leave the Council open to a challenge for a breach of contract and would also mean the benefits listed above could not be achieved.