To receive an update from the Portfolio Holder for Operational Services.

The Chairman welcomed Councillor Martin Foster, the Portfolio Holder for Operational Services and Victoria Burgess, Assistant Director - Neighbourhoods to provide Members with an update on waste service considerations for the 2024/2025 budget setting process.

Members received a presentation highlighting the context and strategic pull over the next few years, referencing the Lincolnshire Waste Partnership’s (LWP) Joint Waste Strategy and the Environment Act 2021’s impact on the Council’s budget (a copy is attached at Appendix C to the Minutes).

N.B. Councillor Claire Arnold returned to the Meeting at 11.18am

The Chairman thanked the Assistant Director - Neighbourhoods for her presentation and invited Members to put their comments and questions forward.

·       The Portfolio Holder for Operational Services commented that there was a lot of uncertainty with ongoing revenue costs needing to be in place year on year.  There was an effective team with good officers and the Council was on track to meet and address challenges in future years.

• In relation to financial burdens, a Member queried if the funding of £295 million was a national figure and whether it was on a first come first serve basis.  In response, the Assistant Director - Neighbourhoods advised that it was a national figure and that money was allocated using a funding formula and that the special circumstances of the area was taken into consideration.   The Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) was providing a lot of research and support to DEFRA.  WRAP’s work with the SELP had indicated what the costs could be and it was hoped it would assist with placing the Council in a good position. 

• A Member queried if new vehicles were bought outright or leased to include parts and maintenance.  The Assistant Director - Neighbourhoods advised that vehicles were bought outright under contract as a capital purchase as this was more cost effective.  The Council also performed their own maintenance on the vehicles.

• A Member commented that despite the funding made available to the Council, there was going to be an additional cost to collect waste in rural areas, especially where tourism had created further need.  It was further highlighted that policy makers were out of touch with the real world and there was likely to be opposition from the public to having additional food waste bins.  It was queried how the Council would overcome the implications for this area.  The Chairman advised that it was a recognised and longstanding challenge to obtain facts about delivering services in sparsely populated areas.

• A Member commented on the uncertainty of the Council meeting the unknown needs and necessities for collecting waste and provided an example of how waste collection systems in other countries differed.

• A Member stated their recognition for the difficult job waste services performed and commented that food waste collection was not a new concept in other areas of this country.  In response, the Assistant Director - Neighbourhoods advised that the focus was on England alone and that waste minimisation should be the main focus, achieved by engaging and educating people.  While DEFRA has advised against moving to three and four weekly residual waste collections, they had not required anything specific on waste minimisation.  However, through Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) producers should reduce their packaging.

• A Member requested the information was shared with the wider public.  The Chairman confirmed that it was already part of the ongoing education that the Operational Services team was looking at.  The Assistant Director - Neighbourhoods advised that a link could be provided on the Council’s website and that more certainty on the impact of the Environment Act 2021 was needed before providing messages to the public.  There was also feedback to DEFRA to examine the need for wider national communication on the changes.

No further comments or questions were received.

In closing, the Portfolio Holder for Operational Services provided an update on car parking, advising that revenues were down this year due to various factors including a poor summer.  Economic downturn issues meant that the Executive Board had decided not to increase fees and charges for 2024/25.  A wider piece of work was to be revisited within the next 12 months to assess the charges; however, charges had not increased since 2017 and a further review would continue.

N.B. Councillor Robert Watson left the Meeting at 11.56am.