Agenda item

Cabinet Member: Environment

Forward Plan Ref: 2015/105

Contact: Robin Rogers, Strategic Infrastructure & Planning Resources Manager Tel: 01865 815719/01865 815653

Report by Director for Environment & Economy (CA8).

Oxfordshire currently operates seven Household Waste Recycling Centres (HWRCs).  The sites accept approximately 45,000 tonnes of household residual and recyclable material each year with an average recycling rate of around 70%.

A set of issues are impacting on the long term viability of the current network:

·       Population growth and change;

·       Specific planning, structural and operational issues at individual sites;

·       The restriction on capacity at existing sites to maximise recycling rates;

·       An anticipated increase in costs of the operating contract associated with supply and demand pressures in the global recycling market;

·       An anticipated increase in waste resulting from economic and household growth;

·       Income reductions from the sustained pressures on overall council budgets;

·       Additional cost pressures from the requirement to fund unavoidable capital investments.

Taken as a whole, a comprehensive new approach is required to help the council manage the revenue costs of operating the service, prioritise capital investment, provide agreed context for partnership and commercial arrangements and provide a sound basis for describing specific capacity requirements in support of negotiations to secure developer funding contributions to expand sites where population growth will increase usage.

In July 2015 Cabinet received a report proposing to consult the public on revised principles for the provision of HWRC capacity.

This report sets out the results of the consultation alongside an analysis of financial and service pressures. It goes on to propose a revised approach to developing the HWRC network in the medium to long term.

The Cabinet is RECOMMENDED to:

(a)            approve the Household Waste Recycling Centre Strategy as set out from paragraph 57; and

(b)            authorise the Director for Environment and Economy in consultation with the Cabinet Member for the HWRC service to bring forward implementation plans for decision within agreed delegations.

In July 2015 Cabinet had received a report proposing to consult the public on revised principles for the provision of Household Waste Recycling Centre (HWRC) capacity.

Cabinet had before them a report setting out the results of the consultation alongside an analysis of financial and service pressures. The report sought approval to a revised approach to developing the HWRC network in the medium to long term.

Councillor George Reynolds, local councillor for Wroxton & Hook Norton, referred to the high level of concern expressed to him by residents over the proposals. In the north of the County there was real concern about the lack of facilities. He felt that rather than a rationalisation to 3 facilities there was a need for 4 or 5 to ensure proper access. Although supporting the recommendation he hoped the Council would look carefully at facilities north of Oxford.

Councillor Steve Curran, Shadow Cabinet Member for Environment, highlighted the results of the consultation and noted the legal requirement to provide recycling centres for everybody at reasonable times. He commented on the good things in the report notably paragraph 66. Referring to opening times he commented that 5 pm was a particularly difficult time to visit a recycling centre given traffic congestion. He hoped that opening hours would take into account the problems of queuing traffic. He queried some of the figures relating to green waste and hoped that they could be maintained. With regard to recommendation (b) he would wish to see such decisions come back to Cabinet.

Councillor Rose, Deputy Leader, in moving the recommendations stressed that it was important to get a strategy in place in order to be able to get developer contributions. Cabinet was being asked to agree the strategy and it was not about what was closing. There was a need for flexibility going forward that the strategy provided.

Bev Hindle, Deputy Director, Strategy Infrastructure Planning, introduced the contents of the report. With regard to recommendation (b) he stated that there were a range of decisions to be taken and wherever appropriate they would come to either the Cabinet member or Cabinet. Robin Rogers, Environment & Economy outlined the consultation responses.

During discussion, Cabinet Members in supporting the strategy, made the following points:

1)     A Cabinet Member noted that Oakley Wood was one of the most used sites despite its rural location.

2)    The Leader cautioned against making any decisions based solely on the numbers of respondents and stressed that it was about providing quality and the best service for all residents.

3)    There was support for looking at reduced opening hours as an alternative to closure.

4)    In noting the judgement of officers that the proposals would not lead to increased fly-tipping from members of the public Cabinet referred to the need to look at communication with the public that would assure the public that this was the case.

5)    The importance of working with District Council was stressed. The Leader referred to the good work of the District Councils.

6)    Cabinet would hope to see a range of solutions coming forward to suit the needs of particular sites.

7)    In response to a query about who went to recycling facilities and why Bev Hindle replied that data was collected and would increase so that assumptions about use could be challenged.

8)    Bev Hindle responding to a request that when developing the strategy the equivalent strategies of neighbouring authorities be taken into account agreed that this was important as was the need to consider growth.

RESOLVED to:

(a)          approve the Household Waste Recycling Centre Strategy as set out from paragraph 57; and

(b)          authorise the Director for Environment and Economy in consultation with the Cabinet Member for the HWRC service to bring forward implementation plans for decision within agreed delegations.