Agenda and minutes

Apologies were received from Councillor Fear.

To receive any declarations of interest from Members on items included in the agenda.

There were no declarations of interest stated.

To consider the minutes of the previous meeting(s).

Resolved:                 That Councillor Mrs Williams’ apologies are recorded.

The Recycling and Refuse Collections Policies July 2016 onwards was presented by the Head of Recycling, Waste and Fleet Services.  The aim was to outline Newcastle Borough Council’s methods of dealing with recycling and refuse collections.

Section 1 - outlined the statutory requirements.

Section 2 - Service Charter with Residents

What you should expect of us

Resolved:-

That an additional bullet point be added as follows:-

·      To return containers to a safe and convenient location.

What we ask of you

The Head of Recycling, Waste and Fleet Services clarified that there was no separate emergency out of hour’s telephone number as it was the Borough Council’s contact policy to use the Contact Centre switchboard telephone number.

Section 3 – General arrangements for the collection of recycling and refuse

The Head of Recycling, Waste and Fleet Services confirmed that residents who do not return their empty containers would be notified in writing.  Enforcement action may be taken in cases of containers being repeatedly left outside the boundary of the property.

Resolved:-

That that the time residents should return their empty containers back to their property is changed from 7.00pm to 8.00pm.

Section 4 – Collection Points

Resolved:-

That point 7 is amended to read:-

Non-standard collection services will be assessed in view of the new collections policy and where there are changes to services, residents affected will be informed.

Section 5 - Designated Containers

This section outlined the recycling and food waste service, accepted materials and container size.

Presently half the Borough was operating a plastic liner trial for the silver caddy, with the proposal to extend the trial to cover the remaining parts of the Borough.  If the trial showed to be successful there would be a need to consider offering residents liners.  This would be incorporated into the food waste tendering process to support the Borough Council in the provision of liners.

Committee were asked for their views on offering transparent or translucent Council logo sacks to properties unsuitable for wheeled bins.  Committee agreed that translucent sacks be offered.

Resolved:-

(a)   That if the trial for plastic silver kitchen caddy liners was successful to bring back to Committee the proposal to offer residents silver food caddy liners.

(b)   That translucent sacks be offered to properties unsuitable for wheeled bins.

Section 6 - Excess Dry Recycling and Food Waste

Householders would always be offered extra containers for dry recycling or food waste.

Section 7 – Excess Residual Waste

Where households claim they had insufficient capacity to store their waste in the Council issued container, they would be visited by an Officer who would assist them.  A waste assessment would not be carried out for larger households (six persons or more).

If Officers were unable to visit households, the Contact Centre would advise that an Officer would return their call.  If there were more than six persons living at the household details would be taken over the telephone.

Section 8 – Excess Garden Waste

Additional bins were available for garden waste  ...  view the full minutes text for item 4.

The consultation process had now finished.  Every member of staff affected from the change of working days from a four to a five had been consulted. Out of the eleven bank holidays staff would be working eight days, rather than paying an allowance over the year.

Second stage interviews to be commenced Wednesday 12^th August 2015.  Out of the forty one staff, seven requested a meeting. 

Consultation with staff from Acumen would commence mid-September, providing an outline of proceedings.

Resolved:-

That further feedback is received at the next meeting.

There would be a number of procurements being submitted over the coming months.  Each one would be submitted as one agenda item:-

1)  Weighbridge at the depot – Officer decision.

2)  Works to be undertaken at the depot and sorting equipment – due to be submitted.

3)  Green Waste Contract – this was out to tender jointly with Stafford Borough Council.  It would be a four year contract with a two year extension, to be determined early October 2015.

4)  Food Waste – published by Friday 21^st August 2015.

Resolved:-

That each procurement be submitted to Committee as one agenda item.

1.    Layout

2.    Acoustic Report

3.    Planning

Plans were tabled detailing the proposed new layout of the depot and bailing shed, showing the elevation of the building on the side of the court yard.  The proposal also included replacement of glazed panels with composite cladding panels and the introduction of roller shutter doors in place of glazed panels.

The Borough Council had commissioned Environmental Health to undertake a noise report which would be submitted to the Planning Committee on Tuesday 18^th August 2015.

Resolved:-

That the information be received.

To consider any business which is urgent within the meaning of Section 100(B)4 of the Local Government Act.

Staffordshire County Council had included in their Medium Term Financial Plan that they would be changing to recycling tokens.  A proposal had been put forward to freeze recycling credits with green waste.  Staffordshire County Council had requested a freeze on uplift and proposed RPI uplift for the next two years.

Discussions were ongoing with Staffordshire County Council and Newcastle Borough Council.

Friday 6^th November 2015, 10.00am, Reception Room 6