Agenda item

Rob Anderton, Divisional Leader for Commercial Services and Contracts, introduced the report which sought to provide the Committee with a review of the activity of waste management, recycling and street cleansing services from April 2018 to Marc2019. He highlighted the progress of projects that had occurred within the year, drawing attention to the success of the British Heart Foundation pilot and expansion of the Garden Waste collection service. He noted that among the key priorities for 2019/20 are; the expansion of the textiles and small WEEE kerbside collection service, continued work to improve to the quality of recycling; and preparing for the potential implementation of a food waste collection trial.

A Member noted that West Sussex County Council (WSCC) compost the garden waste that Mid Sussex collects and enquired whether the Council receive any monetary reimbursement for this.

The Divisional Leader for Commercial Services and Contracts confirmed that the Council does not receive an income for the provision of garden waste it collects to WSCC. He added that WSCC pay a contractor to turn the garden waste into reusable compost.

The Member noted that residents are now asked to prove that they live in West Sussex when attending the Waste & Recycling Sites however there are some residents of Burgess Hill that reside within East Sussex. She enquired whether this change would encourage more fly-tipping and therefore whether the Council is expecting an increase in fly-tipping.

The Divisional Leader for Commercial Services and Contracts explained that there is no suggestion or evidence that the requirement to pay or provide ID to enter a Waste & Recycling Site would result in an increase of fly-tipping.

The Member questioned when the food waste collection scheme pilot will be brought forward.

Judy Holmes, Assistant Chief Executive, confirmed that a report will be presented to this Scrutiny Committee which will detail the proposal timeline and provide information on the proposed locations for the trial.

A Member referenced Item B, Paragraph 7 and queried whether the number was correct as it had seemed considerably different to that in Item A.

The Divisional Leader for Commercial Services and Contracts noted that the figure was in fact incorrect and should read 23,800.

A Member asked when the next stage of the textiles and small WEEE kerbside collection service would occur.

Jo Reid, Business Unit Leader for Waste, Landscapes & Leisure, confirmed that a report was presented at the previous Committee Meeting which detailed the progression of a kerbside collection service provided through the Council’s existing waste and recycling collection contractor, for recycling and the introduction of a collection of textiles and small WEEE, for resale in partnership with a charity.

A Member enquired if there is any relationship with this work and that of the Sustainability Strategy and the Sustainability and Climate Change Advisory Panel.

The Assistant Chief Executive explained that sustainability is embedded in all the Council’s work. She highlighted that the expansion of the garden waste service and the implementation of a food waste collection will further improve the sustainability of the Council’s Services.

The Member believed that there should be an interrogation of how the Council connects it strategies together and sought reassurances that officers are actively managing the links between the strategies, to ensure they complement each other.

The Assistant Chief Executive stated that the Council is well aware and highlighted the need to be aware of the economic development strategy which is also embedded in all the Council’s work. She added that the Council works corporately across all workstreams to ensure they are cognisant of one another. Performance indictors on sustainability are reviewed by the Scrutiny Committee for leader finance and performance and other such work that the Council is involved in.

A Member noted that it is almost impossible to obtain clean recycling from flats. She understood that a piece of work was carried out to address the issue however she has not heard of any recent work taking place. She enquired what the Council is doing to address the issue of contaminated recycling in flats.

The Business Unit Leader for Waste, Landscapes & Leisure explained that the Council offers a Champion Scheme which is currently active and available for members to join. She encouraged Members to promote the scheme. WSCC employ waste prevention advisors and suggested that they contact them in order to become a Champion.

The Member questioned whether it would be possible to use Mid Sussex Matters to feature photographs of rubbish at landfill disposal sites to further publicise the reality of what occurs with waste. She encouraged all councillors, especially new councillors to visit to view the Mechanical Biological Treatment plant in Horsham.

The Divisional Leader for Commercial Services and Contracts stated that there is a regularly dedicated communications budget between Mid Sussex District Council and WSCC and a range of targeted campaigns are run every year. He did however understand that there is always room for improvement in communication.

The Chairman suggested that the Member pursue any further questions relating to communication outside of the meeting.

A Member referenced Paragraph 29, P.25 and noted that if a serious service performance failure were to occur then the Council would be able to make financial deductions from the contractor. She enquired whether the deduction is equivalent to the 1% the contractor receives if they exceed their performance targets.

The Divisional Leader for Commercial Services and Contracts replied that there are separate mechanisms within the contract that enable the Council to assess the level of time depending on the significance of the service failure. He added that there are more severe consequences for not providing a service as specified than the 1% award.

The Cabinet Member for Environment and Service Delivery added that he has posted on social media to encourage the public to visit the Mechanical Biological Treatment Plant. He outlined that those who engaged with the information are usually members of the public who already actively participate in recycling s and the challenge was to convert the more ‘hard to reach’ residents; however, he committed to working with the team to encourage greater participation in recycling.

The Chairman noted that no Member wished to speak so moved to the recommendation to note the contents of the report which was agreed unanimously.

RESOLVED

The Committee noted the contents of the report.