Basingstoke & Dean Borough Council
Councillors:
54
Wards:
18
Committees:
22
Meetings (2025):
67
Meetings (2024):
72
Meeting
Cabinet - Basingstoke & Dean
Meeting Times
Scheduled Time
Start:
Tuesday, 30th July 2024
6:30 PM
Tuesday, 30th July 2024
6:30 PM
End:
Tuesday, 30th July 2024
9:30 PM
Tuesday, 30th July 2024
9:30 PM
Meeting Status
Status:
New
New
Date:
30 Jul 2024
30 Jul 2024
Location:
Committee Rooms 1 & 2 - Deanes
Committee Rooms 1 & 2 - Deanes
Webcast:
Available
Available
Meeting Attendees
Committee Member
Cabinet Member for Major Projects and Regeneration
Committee Member
Co-Leader and Cabinet Member for Finance and Property
Committee Member
Cabinet Member for Strategic Planning and Infrastructure
Committee Member
Cabinet Member for Communities, Partnerships and Inclusion
Committee Member
Cabinet Member for Sports, Leisure and Culture
Chair
Leader
Committee Member
Cabinet Member for Residents’ Services and Housing
Committee Member
Cabinet Member for Climate and Ecological Emergency
Guest
Leader of the Conservative Group
Agenda
1
Apologies for absence
Minutes
Apologies were received from Councillor McKay.
2
Declarations of interest
Minutes
There were no declarations of interest.
3
Urgent matters
To consider any items of business, other than those shown on this agenda and which, by reason of special circumstances to be stated at the meeting, in the opinion of the Chairman, should be considered at the meeting as a matter of urgency.
Minutes
There were no urgent items.
4
Waste Service Review Programme (WSRP) - Outline Business Case
This report provides details of the introduction of a new weekly food waste collection service, which will allow residents to take more out of their grey bin while Hampshire County Council (HCC) progresses plans for new and better waste sorting facilities.
The report also seeks approval to extend the existing waste collection contract with Serco and remodel the service in order to meet the council’s statutory duty as a waste collection authority.
Recommendation from the Cabinet Member for Residents’ Services and Housing
The report also seeks approval to extend the existing waste collection contract with Serco and remodel the service in order to meet the council’s statutory duty as a waste collection authority.
Recommendation from the Cabinet Member for Residents’ Services and Housing
Attachments:
- Document Waste Report 22 Jul 2024
- Document Appendix 1 - Outline Business Case EXEMPT 22 Jul 2024
Minutes
The Cabinet Member for Residents’ Services and Housing presented a report which set out details of a new weekly food waste collection service which would allow residents to take more out of their grey bin whilst Hampshire County Council (HCC) progressed plans for new and better waste sorting facilities. The report also sought approval to extend the existing waste collection contract with Serco and remodel the service in order to meet the council’s statutory duty as a waste collection authority. The proposed changes would ensure the council could meet its statutory obligations in respect of food waste under the Environment Act 2021.
The Cabinet Member for Residents’ Services and Housing provided a summary of the key points in the report:
· Changes to HCC’s Material Recovery Facility (MRF) infrastructure would enable a wider range of materials to be collected and sorted for recycling, further reducing the items placed in grey bins.
· 132 local authorities had already implemented a food waste service.
· To meet household waste targets set out in the Environmental Improvement Plan 2023 and legally binding household waste and recycling performance targets set out in the Environment Act 2021, the council needed to act to encourage residents to significantly reduce waste and increase the level of recyclable material.
· Each property would require a 23-litre food waste kerbside container and one 5-litre kitchen container. A one year supply of food waste liners would be provided to residents to encourage take up of the food waste service.
· Food waste would be processed at an Anaerobic Digestion (AD) facility which would produce a nutrient-rich liquid fertiliser and greener energy in the form of a Biogas, a natural alternative to fossil fuels.
· Work was being undertaken to design a collection model appropriate for flats and shared bins stores.
· Weekly collection of food waste addressed health and safety concerns regarding issues such as smell and animals attracted to bins.
· BDBC was one of a few local authorities that did not have a different weekly collection waste service. Over 300 local authorities had successfully introduced different weekly collections. The new collection model would make a significant contribution to cutting carbon and reducing waste to meet the Council Plan priorities.
· The current recycling rate for BDBC needed to improve as the authority currently sat within the bottom of all councils with a rate of 29%. The target of 65% by 2035 could only be achieved by reducing the volume of waste put in grey bins, to meet mandatory tonnage rates, and introducing mandatory food waste collections.
· A significant communication programme would be delivered to ensure councillors and residents understood the phased changes to the simpler waste collection model.
Visiting speakers were invited to address the meeting.
HCC Councillor Stephen Reid referred to the proposals for the change to the collection and disposal of waste and felt that the report under consideration was incomplete. Regarding the disposal of food waste processed at an AD facility he considered that the report failed to detail how much digestor capacity would be needed and whether there was spare capacity, whether proposed sites had been identified and what impact there would be regarding hgv traffic to the chosen sites. He further referred to problems such as odour pollution and hgv traffic through residential areas. He suggested that information on how the digestion of waste would be dealt with, should be published before a decision was taken on the collection of waste.
Martin Biermann expressed disappointment at the length of time it had taken to reach the proposals under consideration. He referred to the climate emergency resolution which demanded urgent action to increase the level of recycling in the borough and welcomed the proposals to free up the bins. He questioned how pet waste would be dealt with and requested more information regarding the food caddies.
Rowan Harding, Chair of Greener Basingstoke, stated they had been campaigning for better recycling rates and lower waste rates for a long period of time. She added that Greener Basingstoke had always requested fortnightly bin collections and food waste collections and there was clear evidence that they significantly increased recycling and reduced wastage rates. She questioned whether the timeline to introduce the proposals could be bought forward. Greener Basingstoke were fully supportive of the proposals set out in the report and offered to assist with communication to residents through their volunteer groups and future events they organise.
Mr Levee, a local resident and local wildlife group member provided statistics on the volume of food waste in the UK and highlighted the borough’s low recycling rate. He referred to the throwaway culture and the impact on the environment. He welcomed the incentive around the green compost converter but recognised it was not an option due to space and cost for everyone. He further highlighted that an average household threw eight meals a week away which could not continue, waste reduction was the most important goal. He referred to the importance of an educational communications programme particularly in relation to involving children, to support the new waste management service. He was supportive of the proposals set out in the report and requested all councillors to support and communicate the changes in their wards. He also requested the council to urge HCC to quickly introduce the new scheme for plastic waste collection and recycling.
The Leader of the Council read a statement on behalf of Gill Smallman, the Chair of Natural Basingstoke. Natural Basingstoke fully supported the proposal to introduce separate kerbside weekly collections for food waste which would enable it to be recycled to produce greener energy. Disappointment was expressed regarding BDBC’s recycling rate putting them at the bottom of the recycling table and concern was raised regarding the volume of food waste in grey bins disposed of by incineration which contributed to the emissions impacting the climate. The proposals were a welcome step forward consistent with the council’s climate change emergency declaration supporting both waste reduction and a transition to green energy. The proposal was commended for aiming to address potential barriers to support uptake by residents such as weekly collections to minimise the impact of smells and attraction of animals to waste bins, suitable collection model for shared bin stores and effective communications programme to residents. It was hoped that councillors recognised the importance of the change as a key step to respond to climate change.
Councillor Dillow was supportive of weekly food waste collection as a key step forward to increase recycling figures for the borough which would benefit the community and promote more sustainable waste management practices. He raised concern that the proposal to reduce the grey bin collection from weekly to fortnightly had not been highlighted in any election material and no alternative options had been presented for public consideration. He supported the initiative by HCC to broaden the range of plastics and items that could be recycled in kerbside bins which would significantly enhance recycling efforts and suggested the current schedule of fortnightly green bin collections may be insufficient leading to overflowing bins. He requested that Cabinet consider increasing the green bin schedule to weekly. He further asked how long the council would commit to providing free extra green bins to accommodate the increased volume of recyclables should the schedule remain fortnightly, how the council would mitigate the issue of lack of space that may affect residents and what steps were being taken to address the concerns of residents unhappy with the proposed change and the effect on elderly residents and those with mobility issues.
Councillor Vaux welcomed HCC’s introduction of a broader range of recycling options. Referring to the proposal to extend the current contract with Serco concern was raised regarding the specification as residents had not been consulted for their view of the service. The introduction of food waste collections and broadening recycling to include food and beverage containers was supported however the reduction to fortnightly grey and green bin collections was considered a reduction in service and a challenge for many households to reduce the amount of kerbside waste. Concern was also raised regarding the proposal not to increase the frequency of green bins even though the there would be a significant increase in the range of materials that could be recycled. Whilst a second green bin was an option, storage for additional bins could be an issue particularly in communal bin stores resulting in recycling material being put in grey bins once the green bin was full. Cabinet were requested to consider increasing the collection of green recycling bins to weekly and to increase the range of kerbside recycling to include textiles and small electrical goods. Concern was expressed regarding the constraints of communal bin areas for residents and it was hoped that resident engagement would form a major aspect in the project to design an appropriate collection model. It was also requested that should grey bin collections change to fortnightly, consideration be given to identifying a way to ensure the disposal of nappies and incontinence products in a timely and hygienic way.
Councillor Minas-Bound requested an explanation for what he considered the biggest service cut in the council’s history. He added that residents had neither voted for the service change nor been consulted on it and felt it was a blatant disregard for democracy. He highlighted that the proposed cuts had not been outlined in any election literature for the May election and could be seen as a decision behind closed doors. He felt that it was a bypass of democracy with only a short reference in the report buried under the introduction of food waste. He added that the introduction of food waste had been discussed and consulted on over a period of two years but the service change on general waste had only been publicised a week ago in the report under consideration without any options analysis. He suggested this was a politically motivated decision, not a democratic decision. He demanded a comprehensive consultation with residents including a current evaluation of the service, proposed changes, alternative options, an assessment of the impact on all residents, considerations around the environment, a cost analysis, public health considerations and feedback mechanism to evaluate the service. He suggested the autumn edition of Basingstoke and Deane Today as an opportunity to consult with all residents. He asked why the service change had not been shared prior to the cabinet meeting.
The Cabinet Member for Residents’ Services and Housing responded to the points raised.
Confirmation was provided that there was sufficient capacity to process food waste at an AD facility. A written response would be provided detailing the disposal of pet waste.
It was explained that for food waste, residents would be provided with a small caddy suitable for the kitchen worktop which they would empty into a larger bin which would be put out for kerbside collection.
The positive comments in support of the proposed changes were welcomed. Comments regarding the low recycling rate for the borough and the importance of supporting residents in the change to reduce waste and recycle more, through a communications and change management strategy, was acknowledged. Offers of support to communicate to residents through voluntary groups was also welcomed.
The mandatory requirement to introduce food waste was reiterated. It was explained that introducing the change earlier than the deadline would give time to procure vehicles and food waste caddies before the demand in supply chains increased and would give residents more time to adjust to the changes.
It was recognised that with the expected increase in recycling material some residents may require an additional green bin or larger green bin which would be available to residents free of charge. A change in schedule from fortnightly to weekly green bin collections had cost implications and was not an option under consideration.
It was explained that extending the contract with Serco would provide stability and confidence to residents at a time when there would be significant changes to waste collection. A pilot project in Hart was also highlighted in relation to the collection of small electrical items. It was intended to extend the pilot project to Basingstoke.
The issues of waste collection experienced by residents in flatted areas and using communal bins stores was recognised. It was explained that a piece of work being funded by government, was being undertaken to identify those areas and rate them to identify how and what changes could be implemented. An example could be that an area may have two weekly collections.
It was not considered that a fortnightly collection of bins containing nappies or incontinence products was a health and safety risk. Many other authorities already carried introduced fortnightly collections and the disposal of those types of products had not caused an issue.
It was clarified that the proposed changes were not a cut in service. It was reiterated that the changes were required to respond to the requirements of the Environment Act. The introduction of food waste collections and improving recycling rates had been included in the previous Administrations Council Plan so the changes required had been known about by the previous administration but not shared more widely. Given the timescale to implement changes to comply with the requirements of the Environment act, all options had been considered. Significant changes to waste collection were required to meet the mandatory requirements to introduce food waste, collect more recyclable plastics and reduce waste tonnage.
Assurance was given that the council would support residents through the changes and there were options such as an extra bin for large families.
Cabinet thanked the speakers for their contributions and discussed the proposals.
During discussion, the issues highlighted concerning the AD facility were recognised. It was reiterated that the borough would work closely with HCC regarding the disposal of food waste.
It was highlighted that food suppliers would be required under the Environment Act to reduce the packaging around food. A deposit return scheme for single use drinks containers would also be introduced in 2027. These factors would reduce the volume of recyclable material residents would be required to place in green recycling bins. The Environment Act would affect behaviour change across everybody.
It was emphasised that the proposed changes were not a cut in service to residents but a change in service which would encourage residents to consider their food waste and change their behaviour to reduce waste. In the future the number of bins being emptied and the cost to the council would be the same as now but the recycling rate was anticipated to significantly increase to reach the performance targets set by the Environment Act. Better outcomes would be delivered for the environment.
The phased approach to the changes were welcomed to assist residents to transition to the changes required to increase recycling and tackle climate change. Greener energy from anaerobic digestion of food waste was also welcomed, however it was commented that it was important not to add to carbon emissions as a result of the food waste vehicle movements. It was highlighted that carbon dioxide emissions from the incineration of waste needed to be reduced.
It was commented that communication and education were key to behaviour change and the phased transition would assist in educating people. Recognition of how much food was thrown away on an average week should encourage people to be more careful and efficient in terms of their use of food resulting in a reduction of food waste.
Officers and the Cabinet Member for Residents’ Services and Housing were thanked for their hard work to progress the proposals. It was highlighted that the proposals under consideration were already working across many parts of the country. It was emphasised that in order to reach the targets set out by the Environment Act, everybody would need to work together.
The Leader of the Council expressed disappointment and responded to the comments made by Councillor Minas-Bound.
Cabinet agreed the recommendations set out in the report.
Resolved: That Cabinet
1) Approve the extension and variation of the joint contract with Hart District Council with Serco for the collection of waste for a further eight years from October 2025.
2) Agree that weekly waste and fortnightly recycling collections together with a new weekly food waste collection service will commence in October 2025 and that a simpler weekly collections model will commence from 30 September 2026.
3) Recommend to Council on 17 October 2024 that they approve an increase in the budget allocation in the current medium-term financial strategy of £2.73M during 2025/26 to 2027/28 to reflect the additional costs of the new contract with Serco from October 2025 as shown in the table at 11.5 of the report.
4) Delegate authority to the Director of Resident Services, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Resident Services and Housing and Head of Law and Governance to negotiate, prepare and, subject to Council approving the budget on 17 October 2024, to enter into final documentation to complete the extension and variation of the contract.
The Cabinet Member for Residents’ Services and Housing provided a summary of the key points in the report:
· Changes to HCC’s Material Recovery Facility (MRF) infrastructure would enable a wider range of materials to be collected and sorted for recycling, further reducing the items placed in grey bins.
· 132 local authorities had already implemented a food waste service.
· To meet household waste targets set out in the Environmental Improvement Plan 2023 and legally binding household waste and recycling performance targets set out in the Environment Act 2021, the council needed to act to encourage residents to significantly reduce waste and increase the level of recyclable material.
· Each property would require a 23-litre food waste kerbside container and one 5-litre kitchen container. A one year supply of food waste liners would be provided to residents to encourage take up of the food waste service.
· Food waste would be processed at an Anaerobic Digestion (AD) facility which would produce a nutrient-rich liquid fertiliser and greener energy in the form of a Biogas, a natural alternative to fossil fuels.
· Work was being undertaken to design a collection model appropriate for flats and shared bins stores.
· Weekly collection of food waste addressed health and safety concerns regarding issues such as smell and animals attracted to bins.
· BDBC was one of a few local authorities that did not have a different weekly collection waste service. Over 300 local authorities had successfully introduced different weekly collections. The new collection model would make a significant contribution to cutting carbon and reducing waste to meet the Council Plan priorities.
· The current recycling rate for BDBC needed to improve as the authority currently sat within the bottom of all councils with a rate of 29%. The target of 65% by 2035 could only be achieved by reducing the volume of waste put in grey bins, to meet mandatory tonnage rates, and introducing mandatory food waste collections.
· A significant communication programme would be delivered to ensure councillors and residents understood the phased changes to the simpler waste collection model.
Visiting speakers were invited to address the meeting.
HCC Councillor Stephen Reid referred to the proposals for the change to the collection and disposal of waste and felt that the report under consideration was incomplete. Regarding the disposal of food waste processed at an AD facility he considered that the report failed to detail how much digestor capacity would be needed and whether there was spare capacity, whether proposed sites had been identified and what impact there would be regarding hgv traffic to the chosen sites. He further referred to problems such as odour pollution and hgv traffic through residential areas. He suggested that information on how the digestion of waste would be dealt with, should be published before a decision was taken on the collection of waste.
Martin Biermann expressed disappointment at the length of time it had taken to reach the proposals under consideration. He referred to the climate emergency resolution which demanded urgent action to increase the level of recycling in the borough and welcomed the proposals to free up the bins. He questioned how pet waste would be dealt with and requested more information regarding the food caddies.
Rowan Harding, Chair of Greener Basingstoke, stated they had been campaigning for better recycling rates and lower waste rates for a long period of time. She added that Greener Basingstoke had always requested fortnightly bin collections and food waste collections and there was clear evidence that they significantly increased recycling and reduced wastage rates. She questioned whether the timeline to introduce the proposals could be bought forward. Greener Basingstoke were fully supportive of the proposals set out in the report and offered to assist with communication to residents through their volunteer groups and future events they organise.
Mr Levee, a local resident and local wildlife group member provided statistics on the volume of food waste in the UK and highlighted the borough’s low recycling rate. He referred to the throwaway culture and the impact on the environment. He welcomed the incentive around the green compost converter but recognised it was not an option due to space and cost for everyone. He further highlighted that an average household threw eight meals a week away which could not continue, waste reduction was the most important goal. He referred to the importance of an educational communications programme particularly in relation to involving children, to support the new waste management service. He was supportive of the proposals set out in the report and requested all councillors to support and communicate the changes in their wards. He also requested the council to urge HCC to quickly introduce the new scheme for plastic waste collection and recycling.
The Leader of the Council read a statement on behalf of Gill Smallman, the Chair of Natural Basingstoke. Natural Basingstoke fully supported the proposal to introduce separate kerbside weekly collections for food waste which would enable it to be recycled to produce greener energy. Disappointment was expressed regarding BDBC’s recycling rate putting them at the bottom of the recycling table and concern was raised regarding the volume of food waste in grey bins disposed of by incineration which contributed to the emissions impacting the climate. The proposals were a welcome step forward consistent with the council’s climate change emergency declaration supporting both waste reduction and a transition to green energy. The proposal was commended for aiming to address potential barriers to support uptake by residents such as weekly collections to minimise the impact of smells and attraction of animals to waste bins, suitable collection model for shared bin stores and effective communications programme to residents. It was hoped that councillors recognised the importance of the change as a key step to respond to climate change.
Councillor Dillow was supportive of weekly food waste collection as a key step forward to increase recycling figures for the borough which would benefit the community and promote more sustainable waste management practices. He raised concern that the proposal to reduce the grey bin collection from weekly to fortnightly had not been highlighted in any election material and no alternative options had been presented for public consideration. He supported the initiative by HCC to broaden the range of plastics and items that could be recycled in kerbside bins which would significantly enhance recycling efforts and suggested the current schedule of fortnightly green bin collections may be insufficient leading to overflowing bins. He requested that Cabinet consider increasing the green bin schedule to weekly. He further asked how long the council would commit to providing free extra green bins to accommodate the increased volume of recyclables should the schedule remain fortnightly, how the council would mitigate the issue of lack of space that may affect residents and what steps were being taken to address the concerns of residents unhappy with the proposed change and the effect on elderly residents and those with mobility issues.
Councillor Vaux welcomed HCC’s introduction of a broader range of recycling options. Referring to the proposal to extend the current contract with Serco concern was raised regarding the specification as residents had not been consulted for their view of the service. The introduction of food waste collections and broadening recycling to include food and beverage containers was supported however the reduction to fortnightly grey and green bin collections was considered a reduction in service and a challenge for many households to reduce the amount of kerbside waste. Concern was also raised regarding the proposal not to increase the frequency of green bins even though the there would be a significant increase in the range of materials that could be recycled. Whilst a second green bin was an option, storage for additional bins could be an issue particularly in communal bin stores resulting in recycling material being put in grey bins once the green bin was full. Cabinet were requested to consider increasing the collection of green recycling bins to weekly and to increase the range of kerbside recycling to include textiles and small electrical goods. Concern was expressed regarding the constraints of communal bin areas for residents and it was hoped that resident engagement would form a major aspect in the project to design an appropriate collection model. It was also requested that should grey bin collections change to fortnightly, consideration be given to identifying a way to ensure the disposal of nappies and incontinence products in a timely and hygienic way.
Councillor Minas-Bound requested an explanation for what he considered the biggest service cut in the council’s history. He added that residents had neither voted for the service change nor been consulted on it and felt it was a blatant disregard for democracy. He highlighted that the proposed cuts had not been outlined in any election literature for the May election and could be seen as a decision behind closed doors. He felt that it was a bypass of democracy with only a short reference in the report buried under the introduction of food waste. He added that the introduction of food waste had been discussed and consulted on over a period of two years but the service change on general waste had only been publicised a week ago in the report under consideration without any options analysis. He suggested this was a politically motivated decision, not a democratic decision. He demanded a comprehensive consultation with residents including a current evaluation of the service, proposed changes, alternative options, an assessment of the impact on all residents, considerations around the environment, a cost analysis, public health considerations and feedback mechanism to evaluate the service. He suggested the autumn edition of Basingstoke and Deane Today as an opportunity to consult with all residents. He asked why the service change had not been shared prior to the cabinet meeting.
The Cabinet Member for Residents’ Services and Housing responded to the points raised.
Confirmation was provided that there was sufficient capacity to process food waste at an AD facility. A written response would be provided detailing the disposal of pet waste.
It was explained that for food waste, residents would be provided with a small caddy suitable for the kitchen worktop which they would empty into a larger bin which would be put out for kerbside collection.
The positive comments in support of the proposed changes were welcomed. Comments regarding the low recycling rate for the borough and the importance of supporting residents in the change to reduce waste and recycle more, through a communications and change management strategy, was acknowledged. Offers of support to communicate to residents through voluntary groups was also welcomed.
The mandatory requirement to introduce food waste was reiterated. It was explained that introducing the change earlier than the deadline would give time to procure vehicles and food waste caddies before the demand in supply chains increased and would give residents more time to adjust to the changes.
It was recognised that with the expected increase in recycling material some residents may require an additional green bin or larger green bin which would be available to residents free of charge. A change in schedule from fortnightly to weekly green bin collections had cost implications and was not an option under consideration.
It was explained that extending the contract with Serco would provide stability and confidence to residents at a time when there would be significant changes to waste collection. A pilot project in Hart was also highlighted in relation to the collection of small electrical items. It was intended to extend the pilot project to Basingstoke.
The issues of waste collection experienced by residents in flatted areas and using communal bins stores was recognised. It was explained that a piece of work being funded by government, was being undertaken to identify those areas and rate them to identify how and what changes could be implemented. An example could be that an area may have two weekly collections.
It was not considered that a fortnightly collection of bins containing nappies or incontinence products was a health and safety risk. Many other authorities already carried introduced fortnightly collections and the disposal of those types of products had not caused an issue.
It was clarified that the proposed changes were not a cut in service. It was reiterated that the changes were required to respond to the requirements of the Environment Act. The introduction of food waste collections and improving recycling rates had been included in the previous Administrations Council Plan so the changes required had been known about by the previous administration but not shared more widely. Given the timescale to implement changes to comply with the requirements of the Environment act, all options had been considered. Significant changes to waste collection were required to meet the mandatory requirements to introduce food waste, collect more recyclable plastics and reduce waste tonnage.
Assurance was given that the council would support residents through the changes and there were options such as an extra bin for large families.
Cabinet thanked the speakers for their contributions and discussed the proposals.
During discussion, the issues highlighted concerning the AD facility were recognised. It was reiterated that the borough would work closely with HCC regarding the disposal of food waste.
It was highlighted that food suppliers would be required under the Environment Act to reduce the packaging around food. A deposit return scheme for single use drinks containers would also be introduced in 2027. These factors would reduce the volume of recyclable material residents would be required to place in green recycling bins. The Environment Act would affect behaviour change across everybody.
It was emphasised that the proposed changes were not a cut in service to residents but a change in service which would encourage residents to consider their food waste and change their behaviour to reduce waste. In the future the number of bins being emptied and the cost to the council would be the same as now but the recycling rate was anticipated to significantly increase to reach the performance targets set by the Environment Act. Better outcomes would be delivered for the environment.
The phased approach to the changes were welcomed to assist residents to transition to the changes required to increase recycling and tackle climate change. Greener energy from anaerobic digestion of food waste was also welcomed, however it was commented that it was important not to add to carbon emissions as a result of the food waste vehicle movements. It was highlighted that carbon dioxide emissions from the incineration of waste needed to be reduced.
It was commented that communication and education were key to behaviour change and the phased transition would assist in educating people. Recognition of how much food was thrown away on an average week should encourage people to be more careful and efficient in terms of their use of food resulting in a reduction of food waste.
Officers and the Cabinet Member for Residents’ Services and Housing were thanked for their hard work to progress the proposals. It was highlighted that the proposals under consideration were already working across many parts of the country. It was emphasised that in order to reach the targets set out by the Environment Act, everybody would need to work together.
The Leader of the Council expressed disappointment and responded to the comments made by Councillor Minas-Bound.
Cabinet agreed the recommendations set out in the report.
Resolved: That Cabinet
1) Approve the extension and variation of the joint contract with Hart District Council with Serco for the collection of waste for a further eight years from October 2025.
2) Agree that weekly waste and fortnightly recycling collections together with a new weekly food waste collection service will commence in October 2025 and that a simpler weekly collections model will commence from 30 September 2026.
3) Recommend to Council on 17 October 2024 that they approve an increase in the budget allocation in the current medium-term financial strategy of £2.73M during 2025/26 to 2027/28 to reflect the additional costs of the new contract with Serco from October 2025 as shown in the table at 11.5 of the report.
4) Delegate authority to the Director of Resident Services, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Resident Services and Housing and Head of Law and Governance to negotiate, prepare and, subject to Council approving the budget on 17 October 2024, to enter into final documentation to complete the extension and variation of the contract.
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