Purpose

This report will recommend an increase to the
bulky waste collection charge, to reflect the increase in
collection costs associated with persistant organic pollutants
(POPS) in soft furnishings.

Content

9.1.1

Members of the committee
considered a report of the Executive Director Neighbourhood
Services proposing to amend the prices charged to service users of
the Bulky Waste Collection Services operated through the
Council’s Integrated Waste Management Contract with
Veolia.

 

 

9.2

RESOLVED
UNANIMOUSLY: That the Waste and Street
Scene Policy Committee
approves the proposal
to add the additional cost of bulky waste collection provision
across all bulky waste collections.

 

 

9.3

Reasons for Decision

 

 

9.3.1

The unbudgeted costs of the
Council funding the additional vehcile
and associated resources would place a significant strain onto the
waste management budget both now and in future years

 

 

9.3.2

The proposal to place the
additional costs into all service users maintains the existing
position that service users pay for the costs of this services
provision.

 

 

9.3.3

The opportunity to dispose of
bulky waste items including POP’s qualifying items for free
remains available through the Household Waste Recycling
Centres.

 

 

9.4

Alternatives Considered and Rejected

 

 

9.4.1

Alternative Option 1: The Council pays
directly for the additional vehicle and resources

 

 

9.4.2

The Council could accept as its
own financial burden this additional vehicle and relevant resource
costs each year and add it into the existing payment mechanism with
Veolia.

 

 

9.4.3

As this is unbudgeted there
would be an additional liability on the waste management budget of
£146,000 a year (current years pricing).

 

 

9.4.4

This would differ from the
current model for delivering the bulky waste service and
effectively introduce a Council subsidy to the service that
currently doesn’t exist.

 

 

9.4.5

Alternative Option 2: To charge
service users a specific collection charge for POPS
items

 

 

9.4.6

An additional charge of
£14.35 could be introduced where people need to dispose of an
item falling within the POPS requirements. This would see service
users with POPS items charged an additional rate for a collection
that included POPS on top of the normal banded rate.

 

 

9.4.7

As an example, someone with 3
items to dispose of including a qualifying POPS item would be
charged £29.60 + £14.35

 

 

9.4.8

This cost has been calculated
taking the average number of collections a month that contain POPS
waste (1,018) and dividing the Monthly service cost for the
additional vehicle and resources (£12,174) across those
collections.