Decision Maker: Waste & Street Scene Policy Committee

Outcome: Recommendations Approved

Is Key Decision?: Yes

Is Callable In?: No

Date of Decision: February 14, 2025

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.