Agenda item

To consider a report seeking approval for the implementation of changes to residual waste collections, including feedback from a planned public consultation exercise.

The committee considered the report which sought approval to implement three-weekly residual waste collections. This followed a public consultation which had been carried out during September and October 2024.

Cllr Ken Edwards spoke as a visiting member and stated that there were currently 217 people in Bollington with special collection arrangements and asked would these special arrangements be looked at carefully and adapted to meet residents’ needs when the three-weekly collection would be introduced. The Chair suggested that a written response could be provided.

A statement was read out by Cllr Edwards on behalf of Cllr Dawn Clark. Cllr Clark was asking for the committee to write to government and local MPs to ask to halt the implementation of the weekly food waste collections until the impact on local authorities’ finances was understood and for an immediate review of the legislation.

A request was made for details of the weight limit for wheelie bins and whether the reason for the limit was mechanical or due to health and safety. Officers undertook to provide a written response.

A further request was made for information on the current gate fee for processing food and garden waste at the Council’s composting plant. Officers advised that this was commercially sensitive information which could not be provided in a public committee meeting. A written response could be provided on the basis that the information remained confidential.

An amendment was put forward which sought to make the following changes to the recommendations as set out in the report:

-       That recommendation 3 reads ‘Delegate authority to the Head of Environmental Services, in consultation with the committee Chair, Vice-Chair and Opposition Spokesperson, to:’

-       That recommendation 3b reads ‘introduce service improvements to the ‘Waste Management and Flytipping Policy’ to require a specific service level improvement by introducing a return for a missed bin within 3 days, amend criteria to permit a larger residual bin in specific circumstances and introduction of missed bins performance measures. Introduce those measures described on pages 258-260 of this report.’

-       That an additional recommendation be included to read ‘Delegate authority to the Head of Environmental Services to work with ward members through the Member Enquiries Service to mitigate any waste collection issues caused by the changes when identified, where practicable’

This amendment became part of the substantive proposition.

During the debate, it was proposed and seconded that a recorded vote be carried out. The following results were recorded:

For:

Cllr Liz Braithwaite

Cllr Mary Brooks

Cllr Laura Crane

Cllr Ashley Farrall

Cllr David Jefferay

Cllr Heather Seddon

Cllr Mick Warren

Against

Cllr Janet Clowes

Cllr Stewart Gardiner

Cllr Alison Heler

Cllr Hannah Moss

Cllr Becky Posnett

Cllr Lesley Smetham

RESOLVED (by majority):

That the Environment and Communities Committee:

1. Note the outcomes of the recent public consultation exercise

2. Approve the move to a three-weekly frequency for the kerbside collection of residual waste, for all properties within Cheshire East

3. Delegate authority to the Head of Environmental Services, in consultation with the committee Chair, Vice-Chair and Opposition Spokesperson, to:

a)    Take all necessary actions to deliver 3 weekly residual waste collections

b)    introduce service improvements to the ‘Waste Management and Fly-tipping Policy’ to require a specific service level improvement by introducing a return for a missed bin within 3 days, amend criteria to permit a larger residual bin in specific circumstances and introduction of missed bins performance measures. Introduce those measures described on pages 258-260 of this report

4. Delegate authority to the Interim Director of Planning and Environment to amend the enforcement policy on the basis of having a defined staged education through enforcement process including the issuing a borough wide Section 46 notice with the introduction of a performance measure and reporting on the number of live cases and their status with a monthly officer case management meeting

5. Delegate authority to the Head of Environmental Services to work with ward members to mitigate any waste collection issues caused by the changes when identified