Agenda item

Garden waste collections are currently provided to residents free of charge.  Brown bins are collected between the months of March and November.  The introduction of a £30 charge to households as an opt-in garden waste collection service was approved by full Council at its budget setting meeting on 15 February 2024.  The report seeks Cabinet approval of the Terms and Condition for the garden waste collection service.

Cabinet considered a report seeking approval for the Terms and Conditions for the Garden Waste Collection Service.  

Inflation, housing growth and sustainable waste management commitments, including the new government 'Simpler Recycling’ reforms, were increasing contract costs and creating additional pressure on the Authority’s delivery of its waste collection services.

As part of the 2024-2028 Financial Planning and Budget Process, the Authority analysed financial and performance data and identified key areas of demand on waste budgets going forwards.

As a result of that process, the introduction of a charge of £30 for garden waste collections was approved by full Council on 15 February 2024 at the budget-setting meeting. Currently, a brown bin for garden waste is provided to residents and was collected free of charge by the Authority.  Brown bins were collected between the months of March and November, and collections stopped between December to February.  From March 2025, the same service would be provided, but only to those residents who subscribed to the service for £30 per annum.  The introduction of a charge brings the Authority into line with other waste collection authorities around the region who charged for the collection of garden waste, although the proposed fee of £30 was the lowest across the seven North East local authorities. 

Officers had established a working group comprising representatives from across the Authority to deliver the project, including a communication and marketing campaign, the reorganisation of collection rounds, development of payment methods and a set of Terms and Conditions for the new subscription service. The Terms and Conditions were appended to the Report and covered key areas such as service description, application and payment process, refunds and information on which materials were eligible for collection.

It was forecast that approximately 22,000 households would subscribe for the chargeable garden waste collection service, which would generate a gross income of £0.660m per annum.

A communication plan was in place to support the introduction of the subscription service. This would include briefings for Members, promotional materials, letters to residents, information in the Our North Tyneside Magazine and social media, and community engagement events across the borough and throughout summer 2024.  A “Frequently asked questions” document had been prepared and would be added to the Authority’s website and would be updated regularly to enable customer queries to be answered efficiently and effectively.

It was intended that letters to residents would be distributed in July 2024 shortly after approval of the Terms and Conditions and residents would be given until the end of November 2024 to subscribe to the garden waste collection service.

Cabinet considered the following decision options: To approve the recommendations set out in paragraph 1.2 of the report, or alternatively, to not agree the recommendations.

Resolved that (1) the draft Terms and Conditions for the Garden Waste Collection Service, attached as an Appendix and as set out in section 1.5 of the report, be approved;

(2) the Director of Environment to keep under review the Terms and Conditions for the garden waste collection service and if considered appropriate, following consultation with the Cabinet members for Climate Emergency and the Environment, the Director of Resources and the Head of Law, be authorised to vary the Terms and Conditions for the garden waste collection service, including (but not limited to) the level of charge for the provision of the garden waste collection service.

(Reasons for Decision:  The Terms and Conditions support the decision to introduce a charge for the collection of garden waste and inform residents of the details of the service.)