Issue - meetings

To receive a report from the Director of Law and Governance detailing a petition received seeking to stop the bin collection changes. (Report No. 94)

Members are asked to note that the Petition has been submitted under the Council’s Petition scheme and, in accordance with the scheme, has been referred for debate at Council as it contains more than the requires 3124 signatures.

Under the terms of the Petition Scheme the petition organiser will be given 5 minutes to present the petition at the Council meeting.  Council will then have the opportunity to discuss the petition for a maximum period of 15 minutes.

The Council will then need to decide how to respond to the petition.  In doing this, Council may decide to take the action requested, not take the action (for reasons given during the debate) or to commission further investigation. 

Where the issue is one on which the Council Executive are required to make the final decision, the Council will decide whether to make recommendations to inform that decision.

The Lead Petitioner Seraphim Leonides spoke for 5 minutes in support of the petition, Stop the Bin Collection Changes.  He raised the following points: 

·         He thanked the members for the opportunity to address the chamber. 

·         He asked for the changes to be reversed or at least modified. 

·         The petition had followed on from the consultation which had taken place last year on the changes to the current arrangements for domestic recycling and garden waste. 

·         The options put forward were unacceptable to the majority of those who had responded to the consultation. In particular, the reduction from weekly to bi-weekly collections of general waste, retaining the smaller black bins and the imposition of the charge for collecting garden waste which residents regarded as a stealth tax. 

·         Many residents had welcomed the introduction of wheelie bins a few years ago, but most families in the opinion of the petitioners filled up the smaller black general waste bins every week.  Making these collections bi-weekly would in the petitioners’ view, increase rubbish on the street encouraging foxes, rats and other wildlife. 

·         Charging for the green waste bins would also encourage people to burn rubbish or drive to Barrowell Green which would have a negative impact on the environment. 

·         There was recognition that the Council had to make savings, but also a feeling that there should be room for compromise.

·         These proposals would they felt, bring down standards of cleanliness across the green and leafy borough.

·         There was uncertainty around any benefits in improving the clean, healthy and hygienic environment the changes may bring about. 

·         The request that the Council review the proposed changes, open a genuine dialogue with residents and look again at increasing the size of the black bin or at retaining the weekly general black bin waste collections and reducing or removing the new green waste charge. 

·         In conclusion he appreciated the opportunity to address the chamber and hoped that the members would consider his suggestions and negotiate an acceptable conclusion for the community. 

In response, Councillor Dogan, Cabinet member for Environment and Sustainability made the following points: 

·         He thanked the residents for coming along to the meeting and understood that changes could be unsettling.

·         The decision to make the changes had not been taken lightly, but the Council had to make savings.  Government had decreased Enfield’s grant by £178m since 2010.

·         The cost of waste disposal was increasing and these changes would save approximately £2m per year.

·         The changes would also enable an extra £500,000 to be put into street cleansing and to improve recycling rates, which would be good for the environment.  Increasing recycling would create extra space in the black bins.

·         Across the country 78% of councils have already moved to fortnightly collections, 4% to 3-4 weekly collections and 56% of councils charge for garden waste. 

·         Food waste would be collected weekly from November 2019. 

·         Four new permanent members of staff would be appointed.  Leaflets were being circulated to inform people what they can and can’t put in each  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6