Agenda item

1.       That a further report on the Eco Park be brought back to the Cabinet in February 2015 with an updated value for money and affordability assessment.

2.       That the need to reduce costs at Community Recycling Centres, by rationalising the service offering be endorsed and that officers be requested to provide a detailed proposal in February 2015.

3.       That the proposal to develop a new model of working with district and borough councils to deliver waste services across Surrey be supported.

Reasons for Decisions:

Changes in Surrey County Council’s (SCC) approach to managing Surrey’s waste, including joint working arrangements between the Waste Disposal Authority (WDA) and Waste Collection Authorities (WCA) have the potential to make savings which will help address a funding gap that arises from increasing costs and reducing funding, in addition to contributing to other savings that will be required across SCC in the coming years.

Changes to the management of Community Recycling Centres will optimise their use and has the potential to deliver further savings.  

The Cabinet previously requested that in the event that all necessary consents to develop the Eco Park were not secured by 1 November 2014, it should receive a further report. In view of the continued delay it would be appropriate to report again when the position is clear.

[The decisions on this item can be called in by the Environment and Transport Select Committee]

The Cabinet Member for Environment and Planning introduced the report and said that it was one of a series of reports to update the Cabinet on managing Surrey’s waste. He said that the Council continued to make improvements to help residents minimise the amount of waste they produced and to re-use and re-cycle as much as possible. Surrey’s recycling rate was nearly 60%, and nearly 20% higher than in 2006 – it was one of the best in the country.

He updated Cabinet in relation to the progress with the delivery of the Eco Park since its last report in June 2014. He informed them that a local resident had recently applied to the High Court for permission to seek a judicial review of the decision taken by the Planning and Regulatory Committee on 24 September 2014. He said that a further report would be presented to Cabinet, which would include an update on the value for money analysis, in February 2015.

Referring to the Community Recycling Centres, he said that a number of performance improvement and efficiency savings activities had already commenced but in order to make further savings, more changes needed to be considered, including charging for certain materials and rationalising opening times.

Finally, he considered that partnership workingwith Surrey districts and boroughs was critical to make a step change in performance and efficiency.

Other Members made the following points:

·         The variance between Boroughs / Districts in recycling rates, ranging from 41% to 58%

·         The issue of recycling leaves

·         The percentage of waste recycled, re-used and composted in Surrey per annum

·         The need to work constructively with Boroughs and Districts

·         Food waste – the issue of the bags used

·         Examine the options for increasing recycling rates in flats

RESOLVED:

1.       That a further report on the Eco Park be brought back to the Cabinet in February 2015 with an updated value for money and affordability assessment.

2.       That the need to reduce costs at Community Recycling Centres, by rationalising the service offering be endorsed and that officers be requested to provide a detailed proposal in February 2015.

3.       That the proposal to develop a new model of working with district and borough councils to deliver waste services across Surrey be supported.

Reasons for Decisions:

Changes in Surrey County Council’s (SCC) approach to managing Surrey’s waste, including joint working arrangements between the Waste Disposal Authority (WDA) and Waste Collection Authorities (WCA) have the potential to make savings which will help address a funding gap that arises from increasing costs and reducing funding, in addition to contributing to other savings that will be required across SCC in the coming years.

Changes to the management of Community Recycling Centres will optimise their use and has the potential to deliver further savings.  

The Cabinet previously requested that in the event that all necessary consents to develop the Eco Park were not secured by 1 November 2014, it should receive a further report. In view of the continued delay it would be appropriate to report again when the position is clear.