The Communities and Environment Overview and Scrutiny Panel of Doncaster Council met on Wednesday 18 February 2026 to discuss the results of a public consultation on waste and recycling services and to review the council's work plan and forward plan of key decisions. The meeting's agenda also included a period for public statements.

Waste and Recycling Consultation Results

The panel was scheduled to consider the results of a public consultation survey conducted between 1 December 2025 and 18 January 2026, which aimed to gather views ahead of changes to the waste and recycling kerbside collection contract. The survey, which received 3,413 responses, was designed to inform the specification for the new contract, in line with new UK Government regulations requiring the separate collection of defined categories of recyclable household waste from April 2026.

Key findings from the consultation included:

• Alternating Bin Collections: Two-thirds of respondents (66.6%) agreed with the proposal to alternate recycling bin collections on a fortnightly cycle, a measure intended to reduce council costs. Support for this change was consistently high across all demographic groups.
• Green Waste Service: The vast majority of respondents (93.2%) reported using their green bin for garden waste collection regularly. Almost half (46.5%) were aware of the option to pay for additional green bins, while a similar proportion (43.8%) were unaware but did not require the service.
• Battery Recycling: Over half of respondents (56.7%) indicated they would use the new kerbside battery recycling service, with a further 25.1% expressing intent to use it after becoming aware of it.
• Plastic Pots, Tubs, and Trays: Most respondents (84.1%) were aware that the council began accepting plastic pots, tubs, trays, and liquid food/drinks cartons for recycling in April 2025.
• Communication Preferences: Just over seven in ten respondents (70.7%) expressed interest in signing up for waste and recycling service updates via an email newsletter.
• Collection Calendar: An overwhelming majority of respondents (94.2%) found the annual printed waste and recycling collection calendar useful, with most relying on it to check collection days and bin contents.

The report noted that survey responses were dominated by older age groups, with limited representation from younger adults. The consultation results are intended to help formulate the kerbside collection contract specification, which will be included in a future Cabinet Report. The panel was asked to note and comment on the content of the report.

Overview and Scrutiny Work Plan and Forward Plan of Key Decisions

The panel was also scheduled to review the council's Overview and Scrutiny Work Plan for 2025/26 and the Council's Forward Plan of Key Decisions for the period 1 February 2026 to 31 May 2026.

The Work Plan outlines the scheduled activities for various scrutiny panels, including the Communities and Environment panel, detailing topics such as waste management, street scene overview, and potential future considerations like the South Yorkshire Joint Waste Plan and extended producer responsibility regulations.

The Forward Plan lists key decisions expected to be taken by the Cabinet, Mayor, Deputy Mayor, Portfolio Holders, or Officers within the specified four-month period. These decisions are defined as those likely to result in significant expenditure or savings, or have a significant impact on communities across two or more wards. Items scheduled for this period included the approval of the Capital Strategy and Capital Budget, Treasury Management Strategy Statement, Revenue Budget, Housing Revenue Account Budget, and the Council's Corporate Plan for 2026/27. The plan also indicated decisions regarding the Council Tax level for 2026/27 and entering into a concession contract for the Local Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure programme.