Agenda item

That:

a)    the recommendations from the Joint Cross-Party working group attached in Appendix 1 be noted and considered prior to making a new substantive decision.

b)   the comments from Overview and Scrutiny Committee attached in Appendix 12 be noted and considered prior to making a new substantive decision.

c)    the responses from the public consultation as summarised in Appendix 2 be noted and considered prior to making a new substantive decision.

d)   a Competitive Dialogue procedure for the procurement of the Waste, Recycling and Street Cleansing contract be approved.

e)    a joint project board to include the Executive Members for Finance as well as the Executive Member covering waste, recycling and street cleansing services for both EHC and NHC be approved to monitor the progress of the procurement project and for the delegation of powers to the Head of Operations (EHC)/Director of Place (NHDC) in consultation with Project Board, in relation to amendments to the specification or service design.

f)     a Contract length of 8 years with the possibility of up to an 8 year extension be approved.

g)    the provision of customer services and contact handling being delivered by the councils be approved, and for a future report detailing how this will be delivered be provided in 2023.

h)   the introduction of a new weekly separate food waste collection service in 23L caddies for houses and in wheeled bins for flats in East Hertfordshire from 2025 be approved. The implementation date confirmation to be delegated to the Head of Operations in consultation with the Executive Member for Environmental Sustainability.

i)      To recommend to Full Council to approve the Capital and estimated revenue spend outlined in 3.16 in relation to recommendation h above.

j)      residual waste collections occurring on a three weekly collection cycle from 2025 be approved. The implementation date confirmation to be delegated to the Director of Place/Head of Operations in consultation with the project board.

k)    the standard receptacle for residual waste being 180L in size and that all new and replacement residual waste containers for houses will be 180l as soon as is reasonably practicable be approved and phased in commencing no later than from 1st April 2023 in East Hertfordshire.

l)      the transition to a standard bin colour across East and North Hertfordshire as outlined in paragraphs 3.47 to 3.56 as soon as is practicable and no later than 1^st April 2023 be approved.

m)the inclusion of plastic film in the mixed dry recycling collections from 2025 be approved and the implementation date confirmation to be delegated to the Project Board and subject to the outcomes of Resources & Waste Strategy consultation on consistency.

n)   the cessation of bring bank services for paper in East Hertfordshire as soon as is reasonably practicable and no later than the end of 2023 be approved.

o)   the cessation of bring bank services for textiles in East Hertfordshire and kerbside textiles collections in North Hertfordshire with the shared waste service proactively engaging with the charity-sector to promote alternative outlets for used textiles by the end of 2024 be approved.

p)   the cessation of kerbside battery collections in North Hertfordshire be noted. The implementation date confirmation to be delegated to the Project Board but no later than May 2025, with the shared waste service proactively promoting alternative recycling outlets.

q)   the cessation of Parish litter picking grants and for street litter bins currently maintained under this scheme to be serviced under the waste and recycling contract from 1^st April 2023 be approved.

r)     the service policy statements as outlined in Appendix 3 be approved and for these to be further updated in advance of the contract start in May 2025 and be delegated to Head of Operations/Director of Place in consultation with the Executive Members.

s)    the principle of aligning the garden waste collection charge from 2025 be agreed.

t)     the service design described in paragraphs 3.94 to 3.103 be agreed in principle, should the outcomes from the Resources and Waste Strategy Consistency consultation mandate the separate collection of fibre, subject to the constitutional requirements for decision making; and

u)   the procurement of the contract will include evaluation of options to reduce the carbon emissions of the waste service to contribute to achieving the Council’s net zero target be noted.

The Executive Member for Environmental Sustainability presented the Waste Service Contract Design report. He said the report sought to give authority to proceed with a competitive dialogue for the waste service contract which was due to expire in May 2025. The key drivers for service changes were set in the context of national resources, the waste strategy and the financial challenges exacerbated by inflationary pressures.

Councillor McAndrew said that the changes would make the service more efficient and sustainable by extending the frequency of collections for the majority of households, a transition to smaller bins and a separate weekly food waste collection.

Councillor McAndrew said that the North Herts Cabinet had agreed a further recommendation as follows “To note the procurement of the contract will include evaluation of options to reduce the carbon emissions of the waste service to contribute to achieving the Council’s net zero target” and proposed that the Executive also approve this recommendation.

Councillor Haysey thanked Officers who had worked on the report and for their time spent with Members to help them understand the complexity of the project. She said that the joint working group with North Herts proved useful and was pleased to see both council’s aligned in the recommendations.

Councillor Buckmaster said that some residents may react to the proposed three weekly collections for residual waste but hoped that residents would understand the decision when the weekly food waste collections were explained to them. He said that across the Herts Waste Partnership, 43% of the contents of the residual bins was food waste which would be collected separately.

Councillor McAndrew said that behavioural change would be crucial in enabling and encouraging residents.

Councillor Pope referred to the possible county wide waste scheme. He asked how this would affect the waste contract if implemented. 

Councillor McAndrew said the Herts Waste Partnership had been encouraging the districts and boroughs to come together to create a county wide waste scheme. He said that it was a long process and not all councils were yet to be convinced of the benefits.

Councillor Buckmaster said there were very complex and unique issues preventing a whole shared service. He said there were some areas that could allow for closer co-operation and a study had been commissioned to look at these areas.

Councillor McAndrew assured Councillor Pope that work was ongoing in the background but was taking a long time.

Councillor McAndrew proposed and Councillor Goodeve seconded a motion supporting the recommendations in the report and the additional recommendation U. On being put to the meeting and a vote taken, the motion was declared CARRIED.

RESOLVED - That:

a)          the recommendations from the Joint Cross-Party working group attached in Appendix 1 be noted and considered prior to making a new substantive decision.

b)          the comments from Overview and Scrutiny Committee attached in Appendix 12 be noted and considered prior to making a new substantive decision.

c)           the responses from the public consultation as summarised in Appendix 2 be noted and considered prior to making a new substantive decision.

d)          a Competitive Dialogue procedure for the procurement of the Waste, Recycling and Street Cleansing contract be approved.

e)          a joint project board to include the Executive Members for Finance as well as the Executive Member covering waste, recycling and street cleansing services for both EHC and NHC be approved to monitor the progress of the procurement project and for the delegation of powers to the Head of Operations (EHC)/Director of Place (NHDC) in consultation with Project Board, in relation to amendments to the specification or service design.

f)            a Contract length of 8 years with the possibility of up to an 8 year extension be approved.

g)          the provision of customer services and contact handling being delivered by the councils be approved, and for a future report detailing how this will be delivered be provided in 2023.

h)          the introduction of a new weekly separate food waste collection service in 23L caddies for houses and in wheeled bins for flats in East Hertfordshire from 2025 be approved. The implementation date confirmation to be delegated to the Head of Operations in consultation with the Executive Member for Environmental Sustainability.

i)            To recommend to Full Council to approve the Capital and estimated revenue spend outlined in 3.16 in relation to recommendation h above.

j)            residual waste collections occurring on a three weekly collection cycle from 2025 be approved. The implementation date confirmation to be delegated to the Director of Place/Head of Operations in consultation with the project board.

k)          the standard receptacle for residual waste being 180L in size and that all new and replacement residual waste containers for houses will be 180l as soon as is reasonably practicable be approved and phased in commencing no later than from 1st April 2023 in East Hertfordshire.

l)            the transition to a standard bin colour across East and North Hertfordshire as outlined in paragraphs 3.47 to 3.56 as soon as is practicable and no later than 1^st April 2023 be approved.

m)       the inclusion of plastic film in the mixed dry recycling collections from 2025 be approved and the implementation date confirmation to be delegated to the Project Board and subject to the outcomes of Resources & Waste Strategy consultation on consistency.

n)          the cessation of bring bank services for paper in East Hertfordshire as soon as is reasonably practicable and no later than the end of 2023 be approved.

o)          the cessation of bring bank services for textiles in East Hertfordshire and kerbside textiles collections in North Hertfordshire with the shared waste service proactively engaging with the charity-sector to promote alternative outlets for used textiles by the end of 2024 be approved.

p)          the cessation of kerbside battery collections in North Hertfordshire be noted. The implementation date confirmation to be delegated to the Project Board but no later than May 2025, with the shared waste service proactively promoting alternative recycling outlets.

q)          the cessation of Parish litter picking grants and for street litter bins currently maintained under this scheme to be serviced under the waste and recycling contract from 1^st April 2023 be approved.

r)           the service policy statements as outlined in Appendix 3 be approved and for these to be further updated in advance of the contract start in May 2025 and be delegated to Head of Operations/Director of Place in consultation with the Executive Members.

s)           the principle of aligning the garden waste collection charge from 2025 be agreed.

t)            the service design described in paragraphs 3.94 to 3.103 be agreed in principle, should the outcomes from the Resources and Waste Strategy Consistency consultation mandate the separate collection of fibre, subject to the constitutional requirements for decision making; and

u)          the procurement of the contract will include evaluation of options to reduce the carbon emissions of the waste service to contribute to achieving the Council’s net zero target be noted.