Agenda item

1.

Question from Councillor Smith to Cabinet Member Sustainability

Given the financial mess he has created by introducing his brown bin recycling scheme for green waste,

(i)      Will the cabinet member give his word that he will not try to introduce any further stealth charges for recyclables, either by charging for additional bins or bags or by sending the public to facilities where they would be charged

(ii)    Will he specifically confirm that he will retain free recycling of green waste and other recyclables for members of the public who wish to take their own waste to the Cheltenham depot

(iii)   Will he confirm that he will resist any attempt to put financial or other barriers in the way of Cheltenham residents who wish to continue to recycle

Response from Cabinet Member Sustainability

I do not accept the brown bin scheme is a mess, it is more than covering its costs, and had the administration retained the previous scheme, it would have cost the Cheltenham tax payer over £400,000 compared to the new scheme. The Council is working on various approaches to further increase take up of the new scheme.

The questioner will know well that the annual local government settlement from central government never keeps pace with cost inflation. Further, the precise details of this year’s settlement are not yet known. Given the ongoing need, year on year, to close this gap through the ‘bridging the gap’ process, I cannot give the sort of detailed open-ended assurances he seeks. I can however say that the regulations greatly limit the range of waste for which charging is permitted.

All options are currently being examined, with a view to promoting those which maximise both recycling rates and minimise the burden on Council tax. I can also say that I envisage re-invoking the member working group on waste in the implementation of new schemes, e.g. for bagged waste, noting that those on this cross-party group have agreed that it has been very helpful.

2.

Question from Councillor Smith to Cabinet Member Sustainability

Can the cabinet member confirm if he will be taking up the government’s offer to fund the re-introduction of weekly refuse collection?

Response from Cabinet Member Sustainability

Full details of the offer are not yet known, but based on all we know so far, I have no intention of re-introducing weekly collections of residual waste.

It is our experience that the recent introduction of weekly food waste collections, by this administration, combined with alternate weekly collections of refuse with dry re-cyclate has enabled recycling rates to increase from 35% to 50% in the first quarter of 2011/12. Moreover the new scheme has proved very popular with the public, with few reported complaints, and many plaudits. All the major increases in recycling figures have happened under Liberal Democrat administrations. It is also saving the local taxpayer approximately £500,000 per year in Landfill tax, though much of that net benefit flows to the County Council not the Borough. In short the new scheme has been a huge success, for which this council should be very proud, and upon which its officers have worked very hard and to great effect.