Agenda item

To receive a joint report from the Director of Environment & Director of Finance, Resources and Customer Services (No.162) setting out the background to the North London Waste Authority (NLWA), the current statutory default levy arrangements and the proposed changes pending repeal of the Refuse Disposal (Amenity) Act 1978.

The recommendations set out in the report were endorsed and recommended for approval to Council, at the Cabinet meeting held on 14 December 2011. (Key Decision – Reference No.3414)

Councillor Stafford (as Cabinet Member for Finance and Property) moved and Councillor Sitkin seconded the report of the Director of Environment and Director of Finance, Resources and Customer Services (No.162) setting out the background to the North London Waste Authority (NLWA), the current statutory default levy arrangements and the proposed changes to pending repeal of the Refuse Disposal (Amenity Act) 1978. 

NOTED

1.            The recommendations set out in the report had been endorsed by Cabinet on 14 December 2011.

2.            The concerns raised by the Opposition Group at what were felt to be the insufficient level of safeguards currently in place relating to the proposed transfer of the Household Waste & Recycling Centre at Barrowell Green. 

3.      The final decision on transfer of the Household Waste & Recycling Centre was still to be made, pending further information regarding the proposed service provision and cost apportionment.  The Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member for Finance & Property highlighted the assurances that would need to be obtained from North London Waste Authority (NLWA) prior to any transfer being agreed, as detailed in section 3.20 of the report, which it was felt did provide a sufficient level of comfort.

4.      The proposals to amend the levy, as detailed within section 3 of the report, would lead to a more proportional apportionment of costs.

In view of the concerns raised during the debate relating to the safeguards currently in place for the proposed transfer of the Household Waste and Recycling Centre, Councillor Neville moved and Councillor Lavender seconded a motion that the report be referred back to Cabinet for further consideration.  The motion for reference back was put to the vote with the following result:

For: 22

Against: 29

Abstentions: 0

The motion for reference back was not approved and Council then moved on to consider the substantive recommendations, as set out in the report:

AGREED

(1)    To approve the following resolution set out below, in order to vary the NLWA levy in respect of Household Waste and Recycling Centres only from the 2012/13 financial year.

“The London Borough of Enfield agrees that the revisions to the Joint Waste Disposal Authorities (Levies) (England) Regulations 2006 as set out at Appendix 1 should apply to the apportionment of the North London Waste Authority levy with effect from 1st April 2012 until such time as a further resolution is agreed unanimously by this Council and the six other constituent councils of the North London Waste Authority and such further resolution becomes effective, or further statutory provisions take effect and supersede the Appendix.”

(2)    To transfer a leasehold interest in the Household Waste and Recycling Centre at Barrowell Green to the NLWA on 1^st April 2012 following the repeal of the Refuse Disposal (Amenity) Act 1978 from April 2012.  This would be subject to securing assurances from the NLWA as set out in paragraph 3.20 of the report delegated to the Director Environment and Cabinet Member for Environment and (as amended by Cabinet on 14 December 2011) the Director of Finance, Resources & Customer Services and Cabinet Member for Finance & Property.

The above recommendations were put to the vote and approved with the following result:

For: 31

Against: 23

Abstentions: 0