Agenda item

Further information can be found on the Council’s website regarding the new Garden Waste Service by clicking on the link.

A verbal update was provided on this point by, Martin Hone, the Interim Head of Services.

·         The Officer provided the background as to why the charging was introduced.

·         The Council has decided to charge £35.00 a year for green waste. This is because funding is being reduced from Central Government on a yearly basis. This requires the Council to find additional revenue.

In order to generate additional income the Council consulted the residents about their views on the following:

·           Charging for car parking

·           Charging for bin collections

·           Charging for collection of the recyclettes

·           Charging for collection of garden waste

·           Public conveniences  and

·           Selling off Brockshill Centre

·           The result of consultation showed that residents prefer to pay for the collection of garden waste.

·           The Council looked at what the other Leicestershire local authorities are doing and noted the average charge was £35.00

·           From April 1^st the garden waste will be collected 12 months a year fortnightly.

·           The new bins will have stickers to show the people who have joined the scheme.

·           The monies for generating garden waste will be substantial. Income from garden waste could reach £500.000 annually. This would mean not making a charge for services such as parking.

·           The average charge by Leicestershire authorities for collecting garden waste is £35.00 per household. This influenced the Council`s charging strategy. There has been a good level of consultation on this issue in the Borough.

·           On the question raised about helping with payment hardship, the Council is looking at introducing a hardship support scheme.

·           It was confirmed that garden waste will be collected from 1^st April 2018.The cost will be £35.00 yearly.

·           Starting April 1^st April the Garden Waste will be collected throughout the year fortnightly.

·           Currently 4,550 households have signed up for this service.

·           A sticker placed on a bin will show who has paid for this service.

·           The Tips owned by the County Council will remain open.

Recyclables

·         The Council use to sell our recyclettes but the company who bought them has gone out of business .This is a loss of £700,000 to £899,000.

·         The Council was instructed by the County Council to take our recyclettes to CasePak.

·         The collections will be made on a fortnightly basis.

·         Collection will be made in a single clear plastic sack.

·         No contaminated waste will be taken.

·         A leaflet will state what can and cannot be taken and a sticker placed on the sack as to why it has not been taken, if it is contaminated.

·         General concern was expressed as to broken glass being placed in the sacs, which residents were informed are extremely strong.

·          A review will take place on the method of collection. Feedback will be received by the Council in June 2018.

·         A resident requested white bags are not placed in the gardens where snow fall might cover them.

·         From April 1^st coloured bags can either be kept or returned to Customer Services, on Bell Street.

General Domestic Waste

·         Bin collection for general domestic waste was noted to be a separate issue.

·         Council Members intend to keep the general waste collection on a weekly basis but no decision has been made so far.

·         A working group is to report to the Council Members in June on the general waste issue.

·          The residents will be consulted on the outcome before the Council makes a final decision.