Issue - meetings

(a)       That Members of the Committee note the report and the progress made within the service since the service review in March, 2012;

(b)       That the Committee be supplied with financial information for the service outlining savings; and

(c)        That the Committee notes the positive achievements of a near 60% recycling rate.

The Chair advised the Committee that the following item referred to the Review of the Council’s Waste Collection Service and not the Review of the Council’s Waste Strategy as stated in the agenda.

                        The Cabinet Member for Public Protection, Waste and Recycling introduced the report to update Members on the progress made within the waste collection service, six months after the service review.

            The Cabinet Member for Public Protection, Waste and Recycling said that there had been initial problems after roll out in November 2011 and that service levels had improved on a month to month basis.  The issue of missed collections was the main concern of residents and this equated to 20-30 missed collections per 100,000 collections. It was hoped that performance would be further improved with the introduction of an electronic notification service to confirm that waste collections had been made.  This would be rolled out in January after an initial pilot with assisted collection rounds.  The Cabinet Member for Public Protection, Waste & Recycling said that in Quarter 1, Flintshire had achieved a recycling rate of just under 60% which was the second highest rate of recycling for a Welsh Local Authority during the period.

            The Head of Streetscene said that of the 30 recommendations highlighted in the Action Plan, all but three were on target.  There was an ongoing review into the use of sticker notifications on bins, the side waste issue was ongoing and negotiations were ongoing with the software supplier of a queue notification service on the telephone contact centre.  New weighted blue and white bags for recyclables were now available and had received good feedback. 

   The Cabinet Member for Public Protection, Waste and Recycling reported that a new service had been introduced for flats which involved a smaller “scatter” vehicle.  Saturday collections have been piloted and would be expanded following consultation and subject to availability of vehicles and funding.  Side waste continued to be an issue and officers would visit and advise residents who persistently left side waste.  The managed weekly collection service was anticipated to deliver a further £245,000 of efficiencies in 2012-13. The existing Household Recycling Centres are to remain

Councillor H. D. Hutchinson thanked the Cabinet Member and Officers for their report.  He asked if there had been any new refuse crews in the Buckley area as he had received reports that the service levels had dropped.  Councillor Hutchinson voiced concern at the crew’s practice of leaving food bin lids open after they had been emptied.  The Head of Streetscene said that operatives would be reminded about the need to leave bins tidily with the lids shut.  He said that he was not aware of a new team in the Buckley area and added that new members would be introduced one at a time into established rounds.  He advised members to contact him or Harvey Mitchell if they became aware of any issues.

Councillor C.A. Thomas said that collections could be missed in rural areas if the operatives were given house  ...  view the full minutes text for item 31