Agenda and minutes

To approve as a correct record the Minutes of the Overview and Scrutiny Panel (Customers and Partnerships) meeting held on 5th November 2020.

The Minutes of the meeting held on 5th November were approved as a correct record by the Panel.

To receive from Members declarations as to disclosable pecuniary and other interests in relation to any Agenda item.

No declarations of interest were received.

A copy of the current Notice of Key Executive Decisions is attached. Members are invited to note the Plan and to comment as appropriate on any items contained therein.

The Panel received and noted the current Notice of Key Executive Decisions (a copy of which is appended in the Minute Book) which had been prepared by the Executive Leader for the period 1st December 2020 to 31st March 2021.

Having noted that the Digital Strategy did not appear on the Notice of Key Executive Decisions, the Panel was informed that once the overarching strategy had been reviewed, the Digital Strategy would proceed through the governance process.

The Waste Minimisation Strategy is to be presented to the Panel.

Consideration was given to a report by the Operations Manager for Waste and Recycling (a copy of which is appended in the Minute Book) in which the Waste Minimisation Strategy was presented to the Panel. In introducing the report, the Executive Councillor for Operations and Environment informed Members that there had been significant improvement in the waste service and that the main targets for the service were to achieve a reuse and recycling rate of 60% and to keep the contamination rate below 7%.

Councillor Smith questioned the focus on the contamination target of 7%, particularly as the current rate of contamination in the District was favourable when compared to the national average. In response, it was confirmed that the types of contamination that Officers have witnessed were entirely avoidable and with the appropriate measures and communications campaign, it was anticipated that the rate would decrease.

Following a query from Councillor Giles regarding the most common contamination materials found in the recycling bins throughout Huntingdonshire, it was confirmed that the most common were: textiles, black bags, food waste and sanitary products.

A question was asked by Councillor Wilson about commercial waste. In response, it was confirmed that the Strategy focussed solely upon domestic waste which, since the beginning of lockdown in March, had increased as residents adjusted to life at home.

The types of materials that the Council collected for recycling was raised by Councillor Smith. It was noted that the Council collected a significant number of different materials for recycling and that, if all recycling facilities were utilised, then residents would be able to recycle additional materials.

The Chairman asked whether there was tension between waste minimisation and alternative ways of disposing of waste such as waste incineration. Members were informed that the District Council was the collection authority and not the disposal authority. The disposal authority, Cambridgeshire County Council, currently had a lengthy and expensive waste disposal contract with a contractor, therefore discussions on alternative options in the disposing of waste were presently financially prohibitive.

In discussing the 60% reuse and recycle target, the Chairman asked what step, or steps, would need to be taken in order to exceed the target. In response, it was confirmed that the next significant step that had the greatest potential to increase recycling rates, would be the introduction of separate food waste collection. This was a service the Council may have to provide as it was expected that separate food waste collections were to be mandatory throughout England next year. Members were reassured that Officers had modelled the introduction of separate food waste collections within the District and consequently the Council was aware of the approximate costs of introducing and running the service. Further to this, Members were informed that food waste was the Council’s biggest contaminate and had been previously found in the recycling and general waste bins.

In addition to the discussion on food waste contamination, Members were informed that, in addition to food waste contaminating the recycling bins, up  ...  view the full minutes text for item 29.

The Overview and Scrutiny Work Programme is to be presented to the Panel.

With the aid of a report by the Democratic Services Officer (Scrutiny) (a copy of which is appended in the Minute Book) the Overview and Scrutiny Work Programme was considered by the Panel.