Agenda item

At the meeting of Council on 4 November, the recommendations in the attached report were supported, along with an additional recommendation that the matter be referred to the Scrutiny Commission prior to consultation and prior to any final recommendations to Council following the consultation process.

Members received a report on the introduction of charges for green waste collection that had been referred by Council for consideration and agreement of the consultation questions. It was reported that the proposed closing date for the consultation would be 31 December and that there would be an article in the Borough Bulletin. In addition, it would be advertised via the website and social media. It was reported that the anticipated take-up for the service was around 50% and that concessions would be available.

Some members expressed concern about the costs of changing the service so people had to ‘opt in’ and pay the £30 charge, as there would be costs associated with administration, billing and collecting unused bins. It was also suggested that the cost of providing the service would not reduce proportionately to the reduction in the number of customers, as the collection lorries would still need to follow the same routes as customers would be spread across the Borough.

As an alternative to the suggested £30 charge per year for collection of green waste, a member asked about the additional charge that would need to be placed on Council Tax to enable continuation of the provision of green waste collection for every household. In response it was reported that there would need to be a 10% increase on the Borough precept, which would mean an additional £10.08 per year for the average band D property. This would enable the universal recycling service to be maintained, without the need for a separate charge. Members were reminded, however, that in order to increase the Council Tax by 10%, a referendum would be required at three different levels of costs ranging from £45,000 to £110,000, depending on the timing of the referendum. Should the referendum be successful, there would then be costs for re-billing which would cost around £66,000. It was also reiterated that the authority would not then be eligible for any freeze grant that the Government may offer.

The risk of needing the go through the same process in future, should the County Council withdraw the dry recycling credits, was highlighted by some members. Others felt that the increase in the Council Tax base at this stage would avoid the need to do so by an amount exceeding 2.0% again in the near future.

Concern was expressed by some members that, if a third option of increasing Council Tax by 10% was added to the consultation options, residents who would have opted for the £30 charge would opt for the Council Tax increase, or no increase at all, as it would seem a preferable increase, and as such it would not give a clear steer. Other members felt that the option should be given. It was moved by Councillor Lay and seconded by Councillor Bessant that a third option be included in the consultation: for a 10% increase in Council Tax. Upon being put to the vote, the motion was LOST. It was therefore

RESOLVED – the consultation as recommended with two options be endorsed.