Agenda item

(To receive a report from Sean Kent, Group Manager Environmental Services, which provides key performance information relevant to the work of the Committee)

Consideration was given to a report which provided key performance information which was relevant to the work of the Environmental Scrutiny Committee.

Members were advised that the Lincolnshire Waste Partnership had met the previous day and its focus had been on the Waste Strategy and the targets which the authority would be setting in relation to recycling.  If the Incinerator Bottom Ash (IBA) produced by the Energy from Waste facility could be classified as recycling, then performance would move back towards target.  However, it was reported that some of the targets were contextual measures.

Officers reported that they were pleased with the recycling at Household Waste Recycling Centres (HWRC's) as around 75% of the waste being brought to these centres was either recycled or re-used.  The County Council now owned and operated 9 HWRC's.

In relation to complaints and compliments, it was reported that number of complaints received this quarter had halved.  It was also reported that the number of compliments had increased, and it was thought that this was mainly due to being a frontline service.

Members were provided with the opportunity to ask questions to the officers present in relation to the information contained within the report and some of the points raised during discussion included the following:

·         Members commended Sean Kent and his team for all the work they had done with this Committee.

·         It was suggested that fly tipping and the amount of green waste in the residual waste stream should be examined by the new council.

·         One of the key issues was unintended consequences, for example, East Lindsey District Council had recently increased their green waste charge, and so some residents were putting it into the residual waste bin instead of paying for green waste collection.  The effect of this would be that the calorific value of the Energy from Waste (EfW) would reduce if there was too much green waste in the mix.  This would result in a need to burn oil to keep the EfW at the right temperature.  The County Council would be working with the districts through the Joint Municipal Waste Management Strategy (JMWMS) on this, as well as other, issues.

·         It was noted that the HWRC at Boston was not county council owned, and was open longer hours.  It was queried whether it was thought that waste was being taken to Boston instead of other sites as it was open longer, therefore reducing the amount collected by County owned sites.  It was acknowledged that this was likely.

·         It was queried whether the County Council was lobbying manufacturers and retailers to reduce the amount of packaging used.  Members were advised that the authority did not have the resources that it used to, and it had carried out this activity in the past.  However, there was also the issue that the customer wanted the products they purchased to be well packaged.

·         In relation to opening times at HWRC's, it was queried whether it was worth experimenting with the summer and winter opening times again to try and combat fly tipping, for example with longer hours in summer months.  Members were advised that most people used HWRC's between 9am and 4pm on a Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday, and the current policy was working well.  However, there were certain areas with longer hours where local issues had been identified.

·         It was queried whether people could be encouraged more by supermarkets to leave any excess packaging in the store, as has been common practice in German supermarkets for several years.

·         It was noted that there were fewer plastic bags around since the introduction of charges for bags in stores.

·         It was commented that the opening of the East West Link road had greatly improved access to the HWRC on Great Northern Terrace.

The Chairman thanked Sean Kent and his team on behalf of the Committee for all their work with the Committee over the last four years.

RESOLVED

            That the comments made in relation to the performance information be noted.