Agenda item

(a)  Joint Report of the Director of Transformation and Partnerships and the Corporate Director of Regeneration and Local Services

(b)  Presentation by Jo Blackie, Contracts Team Manager, Regeneration and Local Services

The Committee considered the Joint Report of the Director of Transformation and Partnerships and Corporate Director of Regeneration and Local Services that provided Members with details of progress made in relation to the Waste Programme and to outline some of the future work in waste management across the county (for copy of report, see file of minutes).

The Refuse and Recycling Manager and Waste Contract Team Manager gave a presentation that reviewed progress to date with waste programme; outline current work underway and highlight longer term waste management issues (for copy of presentation, see file of minutes). Mr Patrickson had asked the Officers attending to pass on his thanks to the committee as he had moved to another position in the authority.

The Chairman asked the officers to convey the committee’s thanks to Mr Patrickson for his support to the committee. The Chair then thanked the officers for an excellent presentation.

Councillor Jopling asked what the procedure was for dealing with contaminated bins.

Officers responded that they would initially place a sticker on the contaminated bin asking for the contamination to be removed; once the contamination was removed they would empty the bin. There was a three stage approach, involving three letters being sent to the resident. However if the contamination continued then they would finally remove the bin, but they tried to educate to stop contamination in the first instance.

Mr Bolton referred to recycling playing a part in the reduction of landfill however the authority used to receive income for plastics going to recycling but the amount paid has dropped significantly resulting in the authority having to pay for them to be recycled. What were the costs and does it currently generate an income.

Officers responded that the recycling of plastics was now exported to other countries and that the market fluctuated. They did receive an income but now it currently costs the council to recycle plastics however the current contact allowed the cost per tonnage to go up and down to reflect the market conditions.

Councillor Clare commended the team for their excellent work and then referred to the confusion about what to do with specific types of waste such as a fridge and suggested that a guide needed to be produced for residents identifying how specific waste should be dealt with including detail of key contacts. Councillor Clare continued by asking if the company O’Brien Waste Recycling Solutions being taken over would impact on the council’s contract. He concluded by highlighting the value for members of attending the SUEZ visit which is included in the future work programme.

Officers advised that there would be no impact on Durham County Council’s contract with O’Brien’s and that the management team at O’Brien’s Waste Recycling Solutions would remain in place.

The Chairman commented that both the presentation and report highlighted that a number of the waste programme contracts were to be reviewed and suggested that a further progress report and/or presentation be provided to the committee particularly in relation to contract reviews and re-procurement.

Officers responded that some of the current contacts would terminate in 2018 and that work on reviewing the contracts would start in February/March 2018 and that a progress report could certainly be provided to the committee later in 2018.

The Chairman continued by highlighting that fly-tipping was an issue which featured in the quarterly performance reports and asked if further information on fly-tipping could be provided to the committee. Members were advised that the Neighbourhood Protection Manager was looking into this and a report would be brought to the November meeting of the committee as part of an overview on Environmental Campaigns.

The Chairman suggested a special meeting be arranged to focus on fly-tipping and that this meeting is added to the work programme for 2017/18.

Resolved: (i) That the contents of the report be noted.

(ii) That the Environment and Sustainable Communities Overview and Scrutiny Committee at a future meeting receive a report detailing progress of the waste programme including detail of the review of waste contracts and re-procurement.

(iii) That a Special meeting of Environment and Sustainable Communities Overview and Scrutiny Committee be included in the 2017/18 work programme focusing on fly-tipping and Household Waste Recycling Centres.