Issue - meetings

Cabinet Member: Environment

Forward Plan Ref: 2018/094

Contact: Katie Read, Senior Policy Officer Tel: 07584 909530

Report by Assistant Chief Executive (CA9).

The Performance Scrutiny Committee has led a deep dive into Oxfordshire's falling household recycling rates and deteriorating performance outlook to understand the underlying reasons for this and to commend remedial action.

The recommendations arising from the deep dive were considered and endorsed by the Committee on 24 May 2018 with minor amendments. These recommendations are outlined in the report for Cabinet to consider and respond to.

The Cabinet is RECOMMENDED to:

(a)          Consider the recommendations of the Performance Scrutiny Committee for the Council;

(b)          Agree which recommendations the Cabinet will accept; and

(c)          Ask the Director for Planning and Place, in consultation with the Cabinet member for Environment to prepare a response for the next meeting of the Performance Scrutiny Committee.

Cabinet agreed to:

(a)          Consider and note the recommendations of the Performance Scrutiny Committee for the Council;

(b)Agree which recommendations the Cabinet will accept; and

(b)       Ask the Director for Planning and Place, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Environment to prepare a response for the next meeting of the Performance Scrutiny Committee based on the comments made.

The Performance Scrutiny Committee had led a deep dive into Oxfordshire's falling household recycling rates and deteriorating performance outlook to understand the underlying reasons for this and to commend remedial action.

Cabinet considered and responded to a report detailing the recommendations arising from the deep dive which were considered and endorsed by the Performance Scrutiny Committee on 24 May 2018.

Councillor Brighouse, Chairman of Performance Scrutiny Committee, explained that the review was a result of discussions at the Committee into the need to understand better the downturn in performance. Responding to a question from Councillor Heathcoat Councillor Brighouse stated that they had not been a cross party working group and any member of the Committee could have taken part. All the recommendations had come back to the main Committee. The report was excellent and had been discussed at length by the Committee.

Councillor Leffman presented the recommendations, thanking Rachel Burns for her work. She stressed that by doing more there were savings of £3m to be made and commented that there were things that could be done at very little cost. Good practice could be shared and more could be done to support District Councils. She welcomed the recent Council motion on single use plastics and commended the report to Cabinet

Councillor Constance, Cabinet Member for Environment, responded by commenting on the work of the Oxfordshire Environmental Partnership and explaining the context behind the current performance figures.

Councillor Leffman responded to a question on the usefulness of recycling targets compared to efforts to reduce single use items explaining that targets were a useful thing to do.

Looking at each of the recommendations in turn Councillor Constance commented as follows:

(a)     Councillor Constance could not agree this recommendation as the Oxfordshire Environment Partnership had succeeded the Oxfordshire Waste Partnership and they had agreed the target of 65% by 2025. Councillor Bartholomew added that if we were successful in reducing the use of single use items in the future recycling rates could fall. He could not support what seemed to be an arbitrary figure.

(b)     Councillor Constance agreed the recommendation.

(c)     Recommendation supported.

(d)     Recommendation supported.

(e)     Recommendation supported.

(f)       These materials were already part of the 65% target.

(g)     The Oxfordshire Environment partnership had already done this.

(h)     Cabinet noted that this was not within their powers.

RESOLVED: to:

(a)          consider and note the recommendations of the Performance Scrutiny Committee for the Council; and

(b)          ask the Director for Planning and Place, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Environment to prepare a response for the next meeting of the Performance Scrutiny Committee  based on the comments made.