Agenda item

Report of Cabinet Member for Waste, Recycling and Public Realm, Councillor Izaac Tailford

The Cabinet Member for Waste, Recycling and Public Realm gave a long and detailed introduction to this item, highlighting the main issues as set out in his report.  He began by explaining the reasons for the proposed temporary closure of the Household Recycling Centre (HRC), specifically the new Environment Agency requirements and the high cost of the necessary improvements, with no guarantee of a permit at the end. He was aware that the proposal is controversial, and that the HRC is a valued site, but pointed out that waste disposal is in fact a county council function - CBC is not required to provide the service, and kerbside collection of recyclables and garden waste has grown exponentially since the HRC was opened 40 years ago. As a result, the HRC has become more of a tip than a recycling centre which was never the intention, and over the last two years, daily visits have dropped from 1000 to 400-500; these can be absorbed by Wingmoor Farm which also accepts a wider range of types of rubbish.

The estimated costs of the work, in addition to the regular running costs, represent a very large percentage of CBC’s 11% council tax share but a very small percentage of the county’s 74% share.  CBC has subsidised the provision of waste disposal for 40 years, and it does not make financial sense for both county and borough to provide the same service.  He hopes that that county will be willing to work with CBC to find a solution which works for the people of Cheltenham; some conversations have already taken place, and a face-to-face meeting will be held soon. 

The recommendation is to close Swindon Road HRC for a prolonged period while different options are being considered.  These include:

-       the county council taking on the Swindon Road site;

-       the expansion Wingmoor Farm – which has recently been upgraded and much improved with an efficient booking system in place;

-       the opening of a brand new site.

If none of these are taken forward, other options will have to be considered, and residents will be able to share their thoughts through the budget consultation process.  Charging for visits to the site is not workable – the cost to residents would be too high -  and with the current site no longer fit for purpose, both councils will have to consider medium-term plans and decide whether it is worth spending £1m on the existing site for a short-term solution.

It is hoped that the additional drive to Wingmoor Farm won’t result in an increase in criminal fly-tipping, which is a challenge for all councils; this will be monitored closely.  Savings from the Swindon Road site will be re-invested in other services - weeding, leaf clearance, bring banks, and fly-tipping clearance. 

If approved, the Overview and Scrutiny Committee will be invited to look at the issue, and there will be public consultation, including a resident survey in 2025, and regular updates throughout – the council recognises the importance of this.

The second part of the report concerns small commercial waste collection which currently loses money and requires investment.  The council’s vehicles cannot collect all that is required, and it would cost many hundreds of thousands of pounds to buy enough new vehicles.  However, many private companies offer the service and the council is keen to explore opportunities to work with small businesses to find an alternative, which will also offer employment opportunities for those affected by the decision. 

The third part of the report concerns delivery charges for waste and recycling receptacles, introduced earlier this year.  There has been no drop-off in orders since the charges were introduced, but the proposal is to reduce the costs as set out in the report, to coincide with the closure of HRC. 

He ended by saying that this is not a report he would have wanted to present, but action is required and he hoped to work collaboratively to find the best solution for tax payers and residents.  Although it is not a popular decision, he hoped that residents would understand why it had to be made.

The Leader invited Councillor Davies, co-leader of the Green Party, to speak.  She said she and other Green Members had been talking to concerned residents who had many suggestions and questions they were unable to answer.  She hoped to see positive outcomes, and is looking forward to seeing equitable and accessible methods of waste disposal in the future. She will forward a document of feedback comments to Members, and encouraged people to share their thoughts via the budget consultation.

In response to her question as to why the proposal is to close the HRC in January and when exactly the legislation to make it non-compliant is expected to come into effect, the Cabinet Member for Waste, Recycling and Public Realm said legislation was originally going to come into force in November 2024, but the change in government has delayed this till 2025 – with no official date yet. As the council budget for the year must be planned, with or without the £1m required to upgrade the HRC, the proposal has been made and residents are invited to comment via the budget consultation.   The window between closure of the site in early January and the end of the current financial year will give time to see how kerbside collections, bring banks and Wingmoor Farm are coping with the loss of the Swindon Road facility. 

The Cabinet Member for Climate Emergency supported the proposal, saying CBC now collects a larger range of recyclables than anywhere in the country.  He was aware that the HRC is located in a residential area, and cars have traditionally queued to get in with their engines running; he wondered what monitoring of the effect on air pollution would take place during the time services were suspended, and whether this would be fed back into the report and shared with residents, who he hoped would benefit from the reduction in traffic. 

The Cabinet Member for Waste, Recycling and Public Realm agreed that this is an important consideration, and said that the more kerbside collections the council can do the better, reducing the number of car trips people need to make.

The Cabinet Member for Planning and Building Control thanked the Cabinet Member for Waste, Recycling and Public Realm for a detailed and difficult-to-present report.  He said it is important that people understand that the job of  waste disposal is a statutory requirement of the county council; CBC is the only authority in the UK to provide this discretionary service, which it has done for the last 40 years, in effect subsidising the county council.  Regarding fly-tipping, although this is a particular issue in some areas, he doesn’t imagine that residents will fly-tip as a matter of course rather than taking their rubbish to Wingmoor Farm.

The Cabinet Member for Finance and Assets commented that central government sees Cheltenham with its economic prosperity as a place where more houses could be built to help with the national housing crisis, but as councillors know, this would result in an enormous stretch on infrastructure, and money and means would need to be found to support the growth.  She wondered if central government has been forthcoming in supporting the work needed to provide this discretionary service and the population growth they have in mind.   The Cabinet Member for Waste, Recycling and Public Realm said this is one of the challenges the council faces, for example, the requirement to collect soft plastics by 2025-27 but no confirmation as to whether New Burdens funding will be available.  It is left to councils to work things out and purchase the right vehicles, which is a lot more challenging.                                                                   

The Cabinet Member for Economic Development, Wellbeing and Culture thanked the Cabinet Member for Waste, Recycling and Public Realm and the team for the report, aware that they had agonised over the decision.  He also thanked Councillor Davies for the constructive way in which she asked her question, looking to the future, and noting that many Green Party-led district councils cannot provide this type of service.  With this in mind, he asked if the ultimate aim of CBC is to increase recycling overall and continue on an upward trajectory.  He also asked whether, as a comparison, when the HRC opened 40 years ago there was no kerbside recycling at all, and now 90% of recycling is collected at the kerbside with most of the remainder taken to bring banks?  If this is the case, it would suggest that the time has passed for HRCs.

The Cabinet Member for Waste, Recycling and Public Realm confirmed that 40 years ago, nothing was collected at the kerb; paper collection started in the early 2000s, followed by glass, cans and garden waste, and by 2011 the council  was collecting a huge range of items, with coffee pods added a couple of years ago.  The council is always looking for more ways to recycle, including adding another bring bank site, and working with local organisations and charities that will take goods such as larger electricals and furniture items to be recycled and re-used, thus reducing waste.

The Cabinet Member for Major Developments and Housing Delivery said the report was detailed and inclusive, and reflected on the fact that forward-thinking residents of Cheltenham were keen to recycle decades ago.  The world and the town have changed hugely since then, and although this current change is being forced by improved environmental standards, it is a good opportunity to review how we do things.  The recommendations have his whole-hearted support. 

The Cabinet Member for Waste, Recycling and Public Realm confirmed that, if the proposals are approved, he wants the council to take the public on the journey, being as open and honest as possible at every stage, and making sure residents are updated throughout. 

RESOLVED THAT:

1.    Cabinet agrees that from Friday 10 January 2025 the Swindon Road recycling centre will undergo a prolonged closure in order for a full options appraisal to be undertaken on the future of the Swindon Road Depot and the Household Recycling Centre. The options appraisal will include an assessment of the site and the potential for finding a cost-effective solution to meet with new and future environmental legislation and regulations, engagement with GCC, engagement and consultation and appropriate involvement of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee. 

2. Cabinet agrees that the Council will cease to provide a direct commercial waste service to businesses in Cheltenham from a date to be determined by the Chief Executive.
3. authority is delegated to the Chief Executive to implement recommendation 1 and 2, including the necessary contract variation with Ubico and to make suitable alternative arrangements for existing customers of the Council’s commercial waste service.    

4.    Cabinet agrees that the delivery charges for receptacles agreed by Cabinet on 23 July 2024 (recommendation 1) are amended as follows with effect from 1 January 2025 to assist residents using the kerbside service for any items which can no longer be taken to the Household Recycling Centre:  £4.99 for up to 3 items (with a reduced delivery charge of £2.99 for up to 3 items for residents in receipt of benefits as listed in reported dated 23 July 2024) and £9.98 for up to 6 items (with a reduced delivery charge of £5.98 for up to 6 items for residents in receipt of benefits as listed in the report dated 23 July 2024).