Issue - meetings

To enable the Cabinet to consider recommendations made by the Resources and Services Overview & Scrutiny Committee in relation to this matter, together with the Environment & Public Space Portfolio Holder’s response thereto.

RESOLVED that Cabinet notes –

(a)    the contents of the report; and

(b)    that a full response from the Environment & Public Space Portfolio Holder will be submitted to the next meeting of the Cabinet.

Cabinet was aware thatthe Resources and Services Overview & Scrutiny Committee (“the Committee”), at its meeting held on 30 June 2022, had considered a report which had been submitted by that Committee’s own Task and Finish Group on Waste, Recycling, and Litter which had itself met on 16 May 2022.

Councillor Michael Talbot (the Portfolio Holder for Environment and Public Space) had addressed the meeting and had set out an introduction to the material provided to the Task and Finish Group which was a range of information on the issue of waste, recycling, litter and fly tipping as referenced in the terms of reference for the enquiry.  Some additional text had been included in the report on customer contact in relation to services provided by the Street Scene Service Area and the online forms for requesting services. 

At the invitation of the Chairman of the meeting, Mr Hamlet (the Council’s Street Scene Manager) had given a verbal update on the material set out in the report. Contributions had then been made by Damian Williams (the Corporate Director (Operations and Delivery)) and Andy White (the Assistant Director (Building and Public Realm)).

The Members of the Task and Finish Group had previously considered their key lines of enquiry on 5 May 2022 and had submitted those to the Officers in preparation for the meeting on 16 May 2022. At that meeting Officers had provided written responses to most of those questions.  As such, the Members had asked supplementary questions based on the responses provided.  Subsequent to the meeting on 16 May 2022, a completed set of written responses had been provided to the Members of the Task and Finish Group / Members of Resources and Services Overview and Scrutiny Committee.

After discussion the Committee’s decision had been to recommend the following to the Cabinet:-

“In respect of the recycling elements of the enquiry:

(1)    That the capacity of the Street Scene Team to undertake a range of engagement and recycling promotion work with school age children, members of community organisations and the public through roadshows, Council Tax Bills etc. be assessed and plans brought forward to support this capacity.  The Committee believes that this work is vital to ensure we have a well-informed local population about recycling and the benefits of it and that the capacity of the team should provide for this work to be undertaken systematically and consistently;

(2)    That, in addition to the steps in (1) above, available data, or proxies for it, about recycling rates within the District be examined to identify those areas where recycling rates are lowest and that the available resources for promotional activity be targeted to those areas to increase recycling rates there.  The Committee is conscious of the need to use data to guide action and that this is an area where finite resources can be directed where the need for action is most required.

(3)    That proposals for new style three chamber litter bins to separate out general waste  ...  view the full minutes text for item 37