Issue - meetings

To consider the attached report of the Director of Environment and Corporate Assets.

The Director of Environment and Corporate Assets presented the report on the Recycling Reward Scheme.

Members were advised that, in conjunction with Shepway District Council, the Council had successfully bid to the Department for Communities and Local Government for funding to support recycling reward schemes. The intention was to reward and promote positive behaviour so that it would increase the overall recycling rates in Dover and Shepway. The Council currently recycled 44% of its waste against a target of 50% for England by 2020.

The joint award to Dover and Shepway of £720,486 was the third highest out of a total fund of £11 million. It was also a one-off fund with no on-going budget pressures.

The Director of Environment and Corporate Assets advised that there had been discussions with two private providers of recycling reward schemes (Greenredeem and Local Green Points) who would set the scheme up and administer it and they believed it would be possible to finance a scheme using the grant from winter 2016/17 to spring 2021.  

The Director of Environment and Corporate Assets advised that a further report would be submitted to Cabinet setting out more details on the delivery of the recycling reward scheme.

In response to questions from Members over how the success of the scheme would be measured, it was stated that participation would be monitored and there would be a survey as part of the scoping for the new waste contract due in 2021.

Councillor M Rose proposed that some of the funding be kept in reserve for use by Members to support recycling schemes in their wards.

Acknowledging that the funding was not ring-fenced, the consensus of opinion amongst Members was that it should be spent on delivering a recycling reward scheme in keeping with the bid made to the Department for Communities and Local Government. The question of administering the scheme in-house was discussed by Members as a way minimising administrative costs and maximising delivery.

RESOLVED:  (a)   That, subject to (b) – (d), it be recommended to the Cabinet that Decision CAB104 be endorsed as follows:

(i)         That the implementation of a recycling reward scheme, to be funded from funding awarded to the Council by the Department for Communities and Local Government, be approved.

(ii)        That the Director of Environment and Corporate Assets be authorised to procure a provider to administer and host the scheme.

(iii)       That a report be brought back to Cabinet in February/March 2017 with further details of the proposed scheme.

(b) That it be requested that the report with further details of the proposed scheme be the subject of pre-decision scrutiny.

(c)   That serious consideration be given to administering the funding in-house.

(d)   That a sum of money be held in reserve for use by councillors to use in support of recycling schemes in their wards.

To consider the attached report of the Director of Environment and Corporate Assets.

Responsibility: Portfolio Holder for Environment, Waste and Planning

It was agreed:

(a)  That the implementation of a recycling reward scheme, to be funded from funding awarded to the Council by the Department for Communities and Local Government, be approved.

(b)  That the Director of Environment and Corporate Assets be authorised to procure a provider to administer and host the scheme.

(c)  That a report be brought back to Cabinet in February/March 2017 with further details of the scheme.