Agenda item

RESOLVED:

1.    That Cabinet approve allowing users of pickups, trailers or vans registered on the SCC permit scheme to bring chargeable construction waste to the nine CRCs that currently accept it.

2.    That Cabinet approve restricting the use of all Surrey CRCs to Surrey residents only, requiring proof of identity to gain entry, to ensure Surrey are only paying for waste we have a legal duty to dispose of.

3.    That Cabinet approve temporary COVID measures allowing residual waste to be accepted at the four ‘Recycling Only’ CRCs be made permanent.

Reasons for Decisions:

There is currently an anomaly in the CRC operating policy that allows a resident with a car to bring in chargeable construction or DIY waste to CRC sites but does not allow residents who have a permit for a van, pickup, or trailer to bring in the same waste.

Construction and DIY wastes are not considered household waste. Residents are allowed to bring certain construction and DIY waste into nine CRCs by car and dispose of it for a charge.  The original rationale for not allowing vans, pickups, and trailers to be used was to reduce the risk of trade waste abuse through limiting capacity of vehicles permitted. Changing the policy to allow users of permitted vans, trailers, and pick-ups to bring chargeable construction and DIY waste to the nine CRCs that operate the chargeable waste scheme will make the policy simpler for residents and more consistent. Trade waste will still be banned from CRCs.

Secondly, most waste disposal authorities that border Surrey have now introduced resident only policies at their CRC sites preventing Surrey residents from using them. To ensure that that SCC are only paying for waste they have a legal duty to dispose of it is recommended that a Surrey resident only policy is also implemented at Surrey CRCs. 

Finally, during the Covid pandemic residual waste containers were reintroduced at the four ‘recycling only’ Surrey CRCs as a means of reducing congestion at other CRCs caused by social distancing measures. Tonnages of residual waste across Surrey have not increased because of this measure, therefore it is recommended that SCC retains these temporary arrangements mainly as a means of reducing car travel undertaken by residents who currently have to travel longer distances to CRC sites that do accept residual waste.

(The decisions on this item can be called-in by the Communities, Environment and Highways Select Committee)

The Cabinet Member for Environment introduced the report and outlined the three recommendations. She clarified that the review of the policies concerned how the Council could improve recycling and access to Community Recycling Centres (CRCs), it was not about closures or changes to opening hours. The review reflected the decisions of neighbouring county authorities, Surrey was one of the last to move towards a measure that restricted the use of a CRC to anyone living outside of the county. Residents would be asked to provide a proof of their identity the first time they entered their local CRC and would be issued with a windscreen sticker. The Council had looked to establish cross-border deals with West Sussex County Council and Windsor and Maidenhead Borough Council for Surrey residents using sites across the border. Regarding the changes to the Council’s permit scheme to allow pickups, trailers and vans to bring chargeable construction waste, the Council would notify all existing permit holders of the change via email and would update its website. Highlighted the positive move of the four CRCs accepting residual waste on a permanent basis. The Council was looking at pedestrian access to its CRCs where feasible and safe such as at Warlingham and Caterham CRCs.

The Leader highlighted the following typing error to the second recommendation to be amended (with additional words in bold/underlined and deletions crossed through):

“identify” to be amended to “identity”

The Leader assumed that residents would be given due notice of the requirement for having a proof of identity and asked what forms would be acceptable. The Cabinet Member for Environment responded that there would be a communications campaign.

The Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Finance and Resourceswelcomed the recommendations which demonstrated the Council’s commitment to helping residents dispose of waste locally and responsibly; she welcomed the proposals to improve pedestrian access.

The Leader welcomed the removal of the Covid-19 restrictions in place at the CRCs.

RESOLVED:

1.    That Cabinet approve allowing users of pickups, trailers or vans registered on the SCC permit scheme to bring chargeable construction waste to the nine CRCs that currently accept it.

2.    That Cabinet approve restricting the use of all Surrey CRCs to Surrey residents only, requiring proof of identity to gain entry, to ensure Surrey are only paying for waste we have a legal duty to dispose of.

3.    That Cabinet approve temporary COVID measures allowing residual waste to be accepted at the four ‘Recycling Only’ CRCs be made permanent.

Reasons for Decisions:

There is currently an anomaly in the CRC operating policy that allows a resident with a car to bring in chargeable construction or DIY waste to CRC sites but does not allow residents who have a permit for a van, pickup, or trailer to bring in the same waste.

Construction and DIY wastes are not considered household waste. Residents are allowed to bring certain construction and DIY waste into nine CRCs by car and dispose of it for a charge.  The original rationale for not allowing vans, pickups, and trailers to be used was to reduce the risk of trade waste abuse through limiting capacity of vehicles permitted. Changing the policy to allow users of permitted vans, trailers, and pick-ups to bring chargeable construction and DIY waste to the nine CRCs that operate the chargeable waste scheme will make the policy simpler for residents and more consistent. Trade waste will still be banned from CRCs.

Secondly, most waste disposal authorities that border Surrey have now introduced resident only policies at their CRC sites preventing Surrey residents from using them. To ensure that that SCC are only paying for waste they have a legal duty to dispose of it is recommended that a Surrey resident only policy is also implemented at Surrey CRCs. 

Finally, during the Covid pandemic residual waste containers were reintroduced at the four ‘recycling only’ Surrey CRCs as a means of reducing congestion at other CRCs caused by social distancing measures. Tonnages of residual waste across Surrey have not increased because of this measure, therefore it is recommended that SCC retains these temporary arrangements mainly as a means of reducing car travel undertaken by residents who currently have to travel longer distances to CRC sites that do accept residual waste.

(The decisions on this item can be called-in by the Communities, Environment and Highways Select Committee)