Archived decisions

Contact: Adrian Lee, ext 7004

1. Summary

1.1 This report sets out progress on the development of the strategy for the household waste recycling centre (HWRC) service and seeks endorsement of a vision for the service. This follows the report considered on 17 April 2002 and the two workshops held by the working group in June and July of this year.

2. Background

2.1 There is a need to review the County Council's HWRC service. Its purpose would be to:

(i) establish a strategy for the service;

(ii) use the strategy framework as a basis for guiding development of the management contracts for the service;

(iii) provide a framework for the service to play its part in meeting the County Council's Best Value Performance Indicator (BVPI) standards for recycling household waste;

(iv) enable the service to play its part in delivering the Project Integra Joint Interim Municipal Waste Management Strategy; and

(v) establish the role of the HWRC service in the wider context of the County Council's Natural Resources Initiative.

2.2 A report was presented to this Committee on 17 April 2002 and the Committee agreed to form a working group to examine the issues in more detail and oversee the preparation of a draft strategy for public consultation in spring 2003.

2.3 The working group has had two workshop sessions to date to consider a vision for the service, the barriers to and opportunities for achieving the vision and the actions and partnerships necessary to deliver improvement. The Chairs of District Councils and Unitary Authority Environment Policy Review Committees or their equivalent were invited to the second workshop.

3. The Vision

3.1 There was general agreement at the workshops that the HWRC service should provide its customers with an excellent service which at least:

(i) is accessible and user friendly;

(ii) has helpful staff, adequate capacity and is efficient;

(iii) deals with a wide range of materials and maximises recycling opportunities;

(iv) provides an educational role for recycling and a seamless service within Project Integra;

(v) where feasible, includes provision for commercial and construction waste, on a charged basis; and

(vi) has sustainability as an operating principle, linked to the Natural Resources Initiative.

4. Developing the Vision

4.1 The workshops concluded that there are a number of issues to be addressed in delivering a service to meet this vision.

Accessibility

4.2 The service is popular with residents. A survey commissioned by the County Council in April 2002 indicated that over 75% of Hampshire residents had used the service in the last two years which, in itself, creates problems. Whilst most users (94%) are "fairly satisfied" or "very satisfied" with the service the main concerns relate to congestion. A number of options are available to address this problem:

(i) construct more sites;

(ii) improve servicing of sites to minimise delays (may involve expansion/construction of split level sites); or

(iii) seek other methods of delivering the service; eg through kerbside collections, particularly green waste, or smaller local HWRCs operated to receive recyclables only.

4.3 On the issue of accessibility, policies need to be inclusive. Of those people interviewed in the recent survey who had not used an HWRC in the last two years, the most quoted reason for not using them was lack of access to transport. Alternative provision of the service is important to this group.

Maintaining High Recycling

4.4 If the County Council is to achieve its statutory BVPI standards, recycling levels at the HWRC service need to be maintained through:

(i) maximising the opportunities for the public to have access to recycling facilities, be they fixed sites or collections;

(ii) continuing to harness and develop opportunities for reuse and recycling of materials in order to promote recycling as a viable and sustainable choice. This should preferably be through local processes and businesses, to support the local economy; and

(iii) seeking to restrict the free deposit of waste types which the County Council has no legal obligation to accept.

Customer Orientated Approach

4.5 As a front line service of the County Council, the service will need to be responsive to general customer needs, consistent with costs and the need for higher recycling. Much of this can be achieved through better communications and awareness and contract provisions geared to providing specific policies and standards of customer care.

Integration

4.6 One of the keys to the success of Project Integra in Hampshire is its integrated approach to the management of household waste. This principle extends to HWRC services. Policies and service delivery must be consistent with other services within Project Integra to avoid inconsistency and potential abuse of the system. Equally, in terms of customer care, the public should expect the same service across Project Integra and be able to access information about the services from a single point of reference.

Innovation

4.7 The service needs to adapt to new demands of high recycling and public needs, and an environment of sustainable solutions. Innovation will be required to achieve this in areas such as:

(i) the technology used at HWRCs and for servicing arrangements, for instance including computer scheduling of vehicle movements;

(ii) the means of providing the service and the agencies who provide them. This will include the need for local authorities to work more closely within Project Integra, and will involve other partners, including the private sector; and

(iii) looking to partnerships within the commercial waste sector.

5. Key Topic Areas

5.1 Four key topic areas were identified in the workshops. Many of the issues identified above extend beyond the County Council's role and include District Council/Unitary Authority functions, the waste industry and the wider business community. The review of the service will need to be based upon principles in the following topic areas.

Economic issues

5.2 The need to develop markets for reusable resources provides significant employment opportunities for Hampshire. There is a need to explore new markets for materials, attract processors and manufacturers into the county and develop a positive attitude towards waste recycling and reprocessing. Whilst this can have clear benefits for resource recycling, it can also have significant employment and economic benefits.

5.3 Businesses in this sector need to be encouraged as part of the wider development of economic strategy, and be involved in the appropriate land use plans and strategies. Research needs to be undertaken to quantify the potential implications for employment and the economy in Hampshire. This will also need to consider how schemes can operate within the higher land and labour costs prevalent in the county.

5.4 The issues will also need to be taken up with the business community through business forums, including the Natural Resources Initiative.

Land Use Planning Issues

5.5 Delivery of the vision will require many more sites across the county to be allocated and used for waste collection and reprocessing purposes. Some large sites will be needed where processes have to achieve economies of scale. Other sites will need to be more local in nature to provide sustainable routes for recycling.

5.6 With this in mind, public perceptions that waste recycling and reprocessing sites are undesirable and unnecessary need to be addressed.

5.7 Planning policy also needs to consider how the emphasis of strategy planning can shift from allocation of sites for extraction of virgin materials to allocation of sites suitable for waste management and reprocessing. Policy should also seek opportunities to make such land available in association with new development or to seek contributions from new development for its provision. Many of these ideas will need close working between authorities in the county, the development industry and the waste industry.

5.8 Improved public awareness of the factors driving the need for change will be required and this is considered in the following section.

Marketing Issues

5.9 Public understanding of the role of the service is vital to its success. There are significant opportunities to develop public understanding and involvement in the process of recycling, and market research suggests a willingness by the public to be involved.

5.10 The first step in this process is a stronger branding and identity for the recycling centre service, with more information available about its performance in achieving recycling, about the reuse and recycling of materials and how the public can assist, both in minimising waste and recycling activities.

5.11 The second step is to foster greater involvement by community groups, again both in the understanding of resource and recycling issues and in delivery of local recycling schemes. The third step is closer working with charities and voluntary groups to ensure that existing work is coordinated and performance maximised, but also to develop involvement in new schemes where appropriate.

Operational and Financial Issues

5.12 A number of proposals and options have been discussed to improve the service and meet customer expectations. Potentially these could result in considerable additional costs to the County Council, for new HWRCs or improved servicing. Against that, increased recycling can bring increased income from the sale of materials and reduce liability for landfill tax. Modelling of options and proposals needs to be undertaken to understand their net costs.

5.13 Similarly, operational issues need to be considered, including contractual implications, licensing requirements and health and safety.

6. The Way Forward

6.1 It is suggested that actions focus on the four topic areas set out in Section 5 above. This will enable:

(i) more detailed consideration of the costs and benefits of particular proposals and their practical implications;

(ii) dialogue to be commenced with partners who may be involved in the delivery of these proposals;

(iii) further research to be undertaken where necessary; and

(iv) operational policies to be developed.

6.2 It is suggested that the working group continue to be involved in this process, and that workshops on each of the topic areas be arranged. These workshops should include outside representatives relevant to the topic discussed.

6.3 It is also suggested that proposals be drawn together by the end of this year for further consideration by this Committee, with a view to publishing a draft HWRC strategy for public consultation in spring 2003.

Recommendation

That the Executive Member for Environment be advised that:

(i) this Committee endorses the vision set out in Section 3 of this report and the outcomes of the workshops set out in Sections 4 and 5; and

(ii) officers continue to develop the household waste recycling centre strategy, including specific development options to improve the household waste recycling centre service and report back with costs, benefits and operational implications of improvement proposals.

7293/AWL