Cabinet Member Report
Date:
Subject:
22 November 2007
Purchase of Recycling Vehicles – Release of Capital
Funds to increase the household recycling rate.
Summary
This report outlines a proposal to purchase four recycling vehicles required to extend
and improve household recycling services in Westminster.
Four additional recycling vehicles are required for the provision of convenient recycling
services on Council housing estates, in mansion blocks, at Micro Recycling Centres
and through doorstep services. Currently 80% of residents have access to a doorstep
recycling service or equivalent; the proposed purchase will allow services to be
extended to all residents in Westminster.
The report seeks Cabinet Member approval for the release of £440,000 of capital
expenditure from the externally sourced Waste Performance and Efficiency Grant
(DEFRA) to allow the delivery and expansion of recycling services, pursuant to
Regulation B8 of the Council's Financial Regulations (FR B8)
This is a Key Decision under the Local Authorities (Executive Arrangements) (Access
to Information) (England) Regulations 2000
Recommendations
That the Cabinet Member for Street Environment be requested to give approval under
FR B8 for the release of £440,000 from the approved capital programme to allow the
purchase of four recycling vehicles.
Cabinet Member:
Date:
Classification:
Title of Report:
Report of:
Wards involved:
Cabinet Member for Street Environment
22 November 2007
For General Release
Purchase of Recycling Vehicles – Release of Capital
Funds to increase the household recycling rate.
The Director of Environment and Leisure
All
Policy context:
The Departmental Business Plan for 2007/8 has a
household waste recycling target of 22%. The City
Council’s 2006/7 household waste recycling rate was
20.4%. The National Waste Strategy aims to achieve a
national 40% household recycling rate by 2010.
Financial summary:
It is recommended that £440,000 of externally sourced
capital funding (Waste Performance and Efficiency
Grant) is released for the purchase of four recycling
vehicles.
Report Author:
P Robson
Contact details
Telephone 020 7641 7026
probson@westminster.gov.uk
1.
Background Information
1.1 The National Household Waste Recycling Target for 2010 is currently set at
40%. The City Council has set itself a household waste recycling target of 30%
for 2010. Currently the in year to date the recycling rate stands at 22.0%.
Therefore, to achieve the local target, significant work is required to introduce
new recycling services in Westminster and improve existing collections.
1.2
The City Council currently provides a doorstep collection service or equivalent
(BVPI 91) to 80% of residential properties in Westminster. The Household
Waste Recycling Act 2005 establishes a requirement on all local authorities to
provide a doorstep recycling service or equivalent to all residents by 2010.
Currently the household waste recycling vehicles are operating at full capacity
and therefore to collect recyclables from the remaining 20% of residential
properties additional vehicle capacity is required.
1.3 The funding would provide four recycling vehicles one from doorstep, micro
recycling centres and mansion blocks in the north. The second would collect
from doorstep properties, micro recycling centres and mansion blocks in the
south. All the vehicles would collect dry recyclables (paper, cardboard, glass
bottles and jars, tins, cans and plastic bottles). The third vehicle would collect
household recyclables from the West End, St James’s and Marylebone High
Street wards. The fourth vehicle will empty additional micro recycling centres
bins mainly in the north of the city. The provision of these vehicles would allow
all residential properties to have a doorstep collection service or equivalent.
1.4 The Waste Performance and Efficiency Grant (WPEG) was a 3 year targeted
grant between 2005/6 and 2007/8. All English local authorities benefited
sharing £45m in 2005/06, £105m in 2006/07 and £110m in 2007/08. The grant
funding was allocated according to a formula designed to reflect individual local
authorities' need to spend on waste. There was no bidding process and no
prescription on usage.
1.5 This is the last year of the WPEG grant. The London borough’s element of this
funding (£19m in 2008/9) is being transferred to the London Waste and
Recycling Fund for distribution to support an increase in recycling performance
across the capital.
2.
Detail
2.1
Funding is sought from the Waste Performance and Efficiency Grant for the
purchase of four additional household waste recycling vehicles to allow the
introduction of doorstep recycling services to all 118,000 households in
Westminster. Currently 81% of households have access to a doorstep
recycling service or equivalent (a near entry bin is provided to high rise
properties).
3.
Financial Implications
3.1
Capital funding, totalling £647,000 is provided externally to the City Council
from the DEFRA Waste Performance and Efficiency Grant. The release of
£440,000 of this funding is sought to allow purchase of four recycling vehicles.
3.2
The Director of Finance has confirmed that £647,000 external funding from
the Waste Performance and Efficiency Grant has been received by the City
Council.
4.
4.1
5.
5.1
6.
6.1
7.
7.1
8.
8.1
9.
9.1
Legal Implications
There are no legal implications associated with this report.
Staffing Implications
There are no staffing implications associated with this report.
Business Plan Implications
The proposed purchase of four additional vehicles would allow growth of the
recycling service to allow achievement of a 30% household waste recycling
rate, the Departmental Business Plan Target in 2010. The household waste
recycling rate is currently 22%.
Outstanding Issues
There are no outstanding issues associated with this report.
Consultation
There are no consultation issues associated with this report.
Crime and Disorder Act 1998
There are no crime and disorder act issues associated with this report.
10.
Reason(s) for Decision(s)
10.1
This report gives background information and requests that the Cabinet
Member for Street Environment approves the drawdown of monies in the
sum of £440,000 from the approved capital programme 2007/08, pursuant
to Regulation B8 of the Council's Financial Regulations for the purchase of
four recycling vehicles to allow growth of the recycling service to increase
the rate of recycling..
If you have any queries about this report or wish to inspect one of the background
papers please contact P Robson on 020 7641 7026, email
probson@westminster.gov.uk.
Background Papers
Household Waste Recycling Act 2003
For completion by Cabinet Member
Declaration of Interest

I have no interest to declare in respect of this report
Signed ……………………………. Date ………………………………
NAME:

I have to declare an interest
State nature of interest ……..……………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………..
Signed ……………………………. Date …………………………………
NAME:
(N.B: If you have an interest you should seek advice as to whether it is appropriate to
make a decision in relation to this matter.)
For the reasons set out above, I agree the recommendation(s) in the report entitled
Purchase of Recycling Vehicles – Release of Capital Funds to increase the
household recycling rate and reject any alternative options which are referred to but
not recommended.
Signed ………………………………………………
Cabinet Member for Street Environment
Date …………………………………………………
If you have any additional comment which you would want actioned in connection with
your decision you should discuss this with the report author and then set out your
comment below before the report and this pro-forma is returned to the Secretariat for
processing.
Additional comment: …………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………….
………………………………………………………………………………………….
NOTE: If you do not wish to approve the recommendations, or wish to make an
alternative decision, it is important that you consult the report author, the Director of
Legal & Administrative Services, the Director of Finance & Resources and, if there are
staffing implications, the Head of Human Resources (or their representatives) so that
(1) you can be made aware of any further relevant considerations that you should take
into account before making the decision and (2) your reasons for the decision can be
properly identified and recorded, as required by law.
Note to Cabinet Member: Your decision will now be published and copied to the
Members of the relevant Overview & Scrutiny Committee. If the decision falls
within the criteria for call-in, it will not be implemented until five working days
have elapsed for any call-in request to be received.