Agenda and minutes

To approve as a correct record the Minutes of the meeting held on 24 October 2019.

The Minutes (copies of which had been circulated) of the meeting held on 24 October 2019 were approved as a correct record.

Councillors and officers to declare any interests which they have in any of the items on the agenda for the meeting.

Councillors and officers were invited to declare any interests which they had in any of the items on the agenda for the meeting.

No declarations were made.

The attached information provides three graphs showing waste collection performance to the end of October 2019 following a request form members at the last meeting of the Panel.

Members are requested to note that the volume of complaints in relation to missed bin collections in October 2019 has fallen below October 2018 levels.

The Panel is requested to note the provided information.

A representative of the Corporate Director for Place Management & Regeneration submitted a briefing note (copies of which had been circulated) providing an update on waste collection performance to the end of October 2019 following a request from the Panel at its last meeting.

It was noted that the volume of complaints in relation to missed bin collections in October 2019 had now fallen below the level for the same reporting period in October 2018.

RESOLVED – That the briefing note be noted.

To consider a report of the Corporate Director for Place Management & Regeneration.

The report details a proposal for trialling alternative methods to provide residents with additional waste and recycling capacity.

The Panel is recommended to comment on and note the report.

Officer contact: Adam Forbes on 0161 474 3680 or email: adam.forbes@stockport.gov.uk

A representative of the Corporate Director for Place Management & Regeneration submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) detailing a proposal for trialling alternative methods to provide residents with additional waste and recycling capacity, specifically, to provide eligible properties with a larger 240 litre bin in preference to the existing two 140 litre bins.

The report stated that waste collection crews would then only empty one bin per property and that the new large receptacles would be electronically linked to a specific property.  The trial would provide for an easily distinguishable bin which would also reduce the number of individual collections and in addition to reducing non-recyclable waste capacity leading to further disposal savings.

The Chair opened debate on the proposed trial by expressing both his and the Conservative Group’s opposition to the proposals contained within the report and proposed that the Panel support this position.

The following comments were then made/ issues raised:-

·         Concern was expressed in relation to the proposal to electronically ‘tag’ the new 240 litre bins.

·         It was suggested that the proposal would disproportionately impact those groups most at risk.

·         Consideration should be given to increasing the budgetary resource available to TLC for the domestic waste collection service rather than seeking to punish householders.

·         The Cabinet Member for Sustainable Stockport had previously given a commitment to the Council Meeting that it would not tag bins, and this proposal ran counter to that.

·         It was queried whether households in need of additional non-recyclable waste capacity would be able to manage with the proposed reduction of 40 litres in the size of the new larger single bin compared with the 280 litres available with the current two small bin system.

RESOLVED – (3 for) That the Cabinet Member for Sustainable Stockport be informed that this Scrutiny Review Panel opposes the proposed approach to the reduction in the number of additional and excess black bins identified in the report and that the Cabinet Member be requested to instruct officers to undertake further work to identify an alternative approach that should be submitted to the relevant Scrutiny Committee for its consideration prior to its approval and introduction.

To agree the date for the next meeting of the Panel.

That the Deputy Chief Executive, in consultation with the Chair, be requested to make arrangements for the next meeting of the Panel.