The Environmental Scrutiny Committee of Cardiff Council met on Monday 13 July 2026 to discuss a proposed road user payment scheme and receive an update on waste, street scene, and environmental services. The committee also reviewed its annual report, work programme, and correspondence.

Road User Payment Scheme

The committee considered an outline business case for a road user payment scheme, with a preferred option of a workplace parking levy. Councillor Deirdre De'Ath, Cabinet Member for Climate Change, Strategic Planning and Transport, explained that the scheme is intended to generate additional income to fund transformative transport measures, citing the success of Nottingham's workplace parking levy in funding its tram system and bus improvements. The levy is projected to raise between £8 and £12 million annually, with a road user charging scheme potentially generating up to £24 million.

Concerns were raised by councillors regarding the potential for Welsh Government funding to be reduced if the council generates its own income, the impact on bus patronage which remains below pre-COVID levels, and the fairness of the proposed scheme. Councillor Mike Ash-Edwards declared a personal interest as a non-executive director of Cardiff Bus and questioned whether a workplace parking levy would sufficiently address congestion compared to a road user congestion charge. Councillor Bob Derbyshire expressed reservations about the timid nature of the proposed levy, suggesting it might not be sufficient to achieve the desired changes and that other cities had moved away from similar schemes. Councillor Helen Lloyd-Jones questioned if the levy would adequately address pollution aspects and suggested a phased approach, starting with the levy and potentially moving to a road user charge later if needed.

Officers assured the committee that the income generated would be ring-fenced for transport improvements, with a primary focus on transforming bus services. They also committed to extensive public and business consultation to ensure fairness and to explore potential exemptions. The committee expressed a strong desire to be involved in the ongoing development of the scheme.

Waste, Street Scene and Environmental Services

Councillor Ed Stubbs, the newly appointed Cabinet Member for Waste, Street Scene and Environmental Services, presented a monitoring report on the portfolio. He highlighted Cardiff's achievement as the best recycling core city in the UK, with a current recycling rate of 64% and an ambition to reach the Welsh Government's 70% target by 2025. Graeme Harris, Director of Frontline Services, presented details on the service's strategic priorities, performance, challenges, and future developments.

Key challenges identified included demand pressures on cleansing, waste, and enforcement functions, market volatility affecting the disposal of materials like textiles, and financial pressures from rising operational costs, including fuel and disposal costs. Future developments include the implementation of a new recycling strategy, a litter and fly-tipping strategy, and continued digital transformation.

Councillor Derbyshire raised concerns about street cleanliness, specifically the effectiveness of sweepers following bin collections and the role of enforcement officers in tackling litter, particularly in the city centre. Councillor Andrea Gibson questioned the accuracy of the digital system for tracking waste collections. Councillor Helen Lloyd-Jones raised concerns about rubbish in parks, particularly after events, and the management of hedging and brambles. Councillor Ash-Edwards highlighted the issue of trade waste contributing to litter in the city centre and the need for increased enforcement and publicity of penalties. Councillor Carr inquired about the ambition for cross-directorate working and the use of AI and data analysis in tackling environmental issues. Martha Lewis, the Youth Council representative, asked about plans to improve accessibility for cycling and trains, and whether climate change impacts on waste collection infrastructure were being addressed.

Councillor Stubbs and Mr. Harris assured the committee that efforts were underway to improve street cleansing, with a new cleansing restructure in place and new bins being rolled out in the city centre. They acknowledged the challenges of enforcement and committed to making it a priority. They also discussed the need to adapt waste collection strategies in light of increasing heatwaves and climate change impacts, and the importance of cross-directorate working to address environmental issues holistically.

Committee Business

Natalie Stork, Principal Scrutiny Officer, provided updates on the Scrutiny Annual Report 2025/26, the work programme planning process, and correspondence. The committee was asked to review the draft annual report for submission to Full Council and to consider potential items for the 2026/27 work programme, with a focus on thematic work and embedding diversity. An update was also given on outstanding correspondence, with responses awaited on the Transport White Paper and the Phase 1a Cardiff to Newport Sustainable Transport Corridor.

Way Forward

The committee reviewed the discussions on the road user payment scheme and waste, street scene, and environmental services, and agreed to formulate comments and observations to be passed to the relevant Cabinet Members. The committee also noted the proposed dates for future meetings.

The meeting was chaired remotely by Councillor Owen Jones, with Councillor Derbyshire agreeing to take over as chair if technical issues arose. Apologies were received from Councillors Parry, Gibson, Carr, and Waldron. Councillor Michael Edwards declared a personal interest as a non-executive director of Cardiff Bus, and Councillor Carr declared an interest as Chair of the Cardiff National Park City initiative. The minutes of the previous meeting on 9 June 2026 were approved.