Decision details

To consider the referral of the Notice of Motion from Council.

Councillor Denis Murphy was the original proposer of the Notice of Motion and introduced the item to the Committee.  Councillor Murphy noted that a lot of residents in Congleton had spoken to him with concerns about the closure of Congleton Household Waste and Recycling Centre (HWRC).  There were fears from residents about fly-tipping and the increased disposal of waste through the black bins as part of the domestic refuse collection.  Councillor Murphy encouraged the Committee to review the HWRC provision for Congleton.

Councillor June Buckley was the original seconder of the Notice of Motion and addressed the Committee, she noted the figures quoted within the report appeared low but in the context of the pandemic, the sites were closed for a while.  Councillor Buckley suggested using 2019 figures to represent a more accurate baseline and noted she had seen more visible instances of fly-tipping despite the reports that it had reduced.

Ralph Kemp, Head of Environmental Services assured the Committee that officers would continue to engage with Congleton Town Council and monitor fly-tipping and vehicle numbers to other HWRC sites.

The Committee had some discussion that noted:

·         Congleton was the third largest town within the borough and yet was without a HWRC  facility;

·         The potential for cross border working with Cheshire West and Chester and a sharing of responsibilities;

·         When the Congleton site was closed, Members were advised that provision could be reviewed as part of the procurement process;

·         The potential to work costed option in any procurement that would include Congleton as part of service provision;

·         The implications of the Environment Act and the potential to monetise waste;

·         The potential for a Member Advisory Panel to review HWRC services later in the year;

·         The importance of innovative approaches to waste including pop-up centres, upcycling and recycling, and the need to find environmentally-friendly low-impact outcomes;

·         The rising cost of fuel and the impact to both residents and contractors;

·         The fact that the contract procurement could lead to closures elsewhere.

The Committee noted that the staff who work at the HWR centres were very efficient and polite and requested thanks to be passed on.

Finally the Committee requested clarity on the historic ownership of the old Congleton HWRC site.  The Head of Environmental Services advised a written response could be provided.

RESOLVED:

That the Committee will await the report regarding the procurement of the HWRC service contract and decide then whether to establish a Member Advisory Panel to look at what the future service provision across the borough will look like.

Councillor Tony Dean proposed a named vote and this was seconded by Councillor Charlotte Leach: