Agenda item

The Committee gave consideration to a report presented by the Operational Services Manager, seeking to provide an update on the implications and options of running a trial side waste pilot scheme covering approximately 1,300 properties for a period of 26 weeks. It was explained that as part of the preparation for the report, operational services crews were asked to log every piece of side waste presented over a 4-week period of which there were 172 reports (none of which were reported to the council by the resident, therefore not collected). For over 200,000 collections in that period, the figures represented that only a minority of households presented occasionally and adhered to Council policies.

It was highlighted that the collection of side waste not only contradicted national legislation and upcoming statutory guidance from the government, but also had serious financial impacts on West Lindsey District Council and Lincolnshire County Council in the collection and disposal of the waste and would in turn increase both councils’ carbon footprint.

The additional cost for this service, if it was to be trialled and then implemented, had been estimated at £11,500 for West Lindsey District Council and £17,500 for Lincolnshire County Council, with an additional £220,000 for the purchase of a vehicle, £170,000 per annum running costs and £700,000 for Lincolnshire County Council.

Based on the evidence presented in the paper, it was recommended that the Council continued to operate under its existing Policy 11: Collection of Side Waste (Refuse) and did not proceed with a trial side waste collection scheme. Alongside this approach, Waste Operatives would continue working closely with the enforcement team to educate those who were frequently putting out additional materials.

The Chairman invited Visiting Member Councillor P. Key to address the Committee, as the paper had been prepared for the meeting following Councillor Key’s Motion to Full Council. He thanked the Chairman and Committee for their consideration, however expressed his disappointment with the approach recommended within the paper. He stated his belief that the existing vehicles did not run at capacity, and therefore there was opportunity to run a trial period of collecting side waste. In response, the Officer reiterated the financial and environmental implications, highlighting that the collection of side waste would be contrary to the waste hierarchy and upcoming legislation.

The Chairman thanked the Officer for the due diligence undertaken in preparing the report and responding to the concerns raised in the original Motion. Members of the Committee recognised the potential impact of implementing either a trial period or a change of policy, with it highlighted that the focus across the county was for less waste overall to be presented. Reference was made to the upcoming introduction of separate food waste collections, with the Committee noting the priority needed to be, not just on presenting less waste, but also ensuring as much of that waste was recycled or directed away from general rubbish.

In response to an enquiry regarding educating residents and how District Councillors could be of assistance, it was explained that Waste Operatives and Enforcement Officers worked together to identify and communicate with those residents for whom it was a persistent issue. There were leaflets which District Councillors could be provided with to help communicate with their residents and the Council often ran media campaigns, for example ‘Right Thing, Right Bin’.

With repeated thanks to the Officer, and having been moved and seconded, the Chairman took the vote, and it was

            RESOLVED that

a)    a side waste pilot collection scheme would not be trialled; and

b)    Policy 11: Presentation of Side Waste (Refuse) be kept under review in line with the scheduled review timetable for the Council’s Operational Waste Policy documents (currently conducted biennially) and;

c)    Operational Services to work closely with the Enforcement Team in identifying repeat offenders with side waste issues, and through education and then enforcement (if no other options are available), to reduce any incidents of this type.