Agenda item

The Environmental Services Manager presented a report on the subject of the replacement of the Council’s refuse vehicle fleet and pressures relating to wheeled bins used by the authority.

Cabinet was reminded that at a previous meeting, Members had received an update on the pressures on the vehicle fleet used for the delivery of the waste service and the Council’s capital programme had been reprofiled in response to this.  Officers had subsequently identified issues with the bins used by the Council.  The authority had a diamond bin system whereby the bins were lifted to dispose of waste.  The Council was the only authority to retain this system as all other local authorities had ceased to use this following a tragic accident in Coventry involving the lifting mechanism.  Consequently, there were no vehicles available to purchase that were suitable for lifting this type of bin.

The Council could continue to use the existing bins and maintain the existing vehicle fleet.  However, the vehicles used by the authority were aging and this created challenges, including financial challenges in the long-term.  Therefore, Officers were proposing that the authority’s bins needed to be replaced with industry standard comb bins.  There were two different sizes of comb bin available to use which Cabinet was invited to consider. 

The report was being considered in a context in which the Government was introducing extended producer responsibilities, whereby manufacturers would be taxed on packaging.  The funds arising from this tax would be allocated to public services and Bromsgrove District Council was due to receive £1.04 million initially, with annual contributions anticipated.  However, Members were asked to note that the level of funding received from this source was likely to decline over time as manufacturers made changes to their packaging in order to reduce their tax liabilities.

During consideration of this item, the Chairman of the Overview and Scrutiny Board, Councillor P. McDonald, was invited to address Cabinet on behalf of the Board on this subject.  Members were advised that the Board had pre-scrutinised the report at a meeting held on 6^th January 2025.  The Board had noted that in the report it had been suggested that provision of smaller bins would help to encourage an increase in recycling rates in the District.  However, the Board had had concerns about the impact that this might have in the local community and therefore had recommended that the Council should invest in the larger bins.

Members subsequently discussed the proposals detailed in the report and in so doing commented on the following matters:

·             The procurement of new vehicles alongside new bins.  It was confirmed that these would be owned by the Council.

·             The typographical errors that had been identified in the report, including the figure in the second recommendation which should have been recorded as £2.2 million.

·             The hard work of the Waste Collection Service team.

·             The historic decision that had been taken by the Council to invest in diamond bins, which had been considered to be cutting edge at the time.

·             The length of time that the diamond bins had been used, for over 20 years.  Officers expressed hopes that the replacement comb bins could be utilised for a similar amount of time in order to achieve value for money.

·             The amount of funding that Redditch Borough Council was due to receive for extended producer responsibilities.  Officers confirmed that this figure was likely to be circa £200,000 lower than for Bromsgrove District Council due to the lower number of households.

·             The numbers of green, grey and brown bins used by households in the District.  Officers advised that there were approximately 43,000 households in the District and roughly this number of green and grey bins per household.  In addition, there were approximately 20,000 brown bins, as not all residents opted to receive the garden waste collection service.

·             The bins that would be provided to households on request prior to investment in the new bins.  Cabinet was advised that there were occasions when residents requested replacement bins and, as diamond bins were no longer available, comb bins had already started to be provided to these households.

·             The potential for the availability of smaller bins to be promoted to residents, whilst providing the larger bins as a standard.  In particular, Members commented that single person households might prefer to use smaller bins.

·             The communications that would be issued alongside replacement of the bins.  Officers explained that funding was proposed in the MTFP to allocate to communications in respect of this matter.

RESOLVED

1)          The Council agrees to replace all “Diamond” lift bins in use across the Residual, Recycling, and Garden Waste services in Bromsgrove District during the 2025/26 financial year with industry standard “Comb” lift bins.

2)          To endorse the proposal to replace all the Council’s existing “Diamond” wheeled bins with industry standard “Comb” 240ltr wheeled bins.

RECOMMENDED that

1)          The Council allocates £2.2 million Capital funding in the Medium-Term Financial Plan for the 2025/26 financial year for the purchase and distribution of these bins.