6
AGENDA ITEM NO. 8
REPORT TO: Executive Board
REPORT NO: CEnO/02/05
DATE: 7 June 2005
LEAD OFFICER: Phil Walton, Strategic Director
Chief Environment Officer
CONTACT OFFICER: Geoff Clegg (Ext 7065)
Harmesh Darbhanga (Ext 2725)
SUBJECT: Waste Strategy Grant
WARD: N/A
1. PURPOSE OF THE REPORT
1.1 To inform Members of the Sustainable Waste Management Grant for 2005/06 together with the indicative allocations for 2006/07 and 2007/08 and to consider the use of the additional funding for 2006/07 and 2007/08.
1.2 To seek Members’ approval to apply for additional funding for recycling activities from the Welsh Assembly Government in 2005/06.
2. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
2.1 The Welsh Assembly Government (WAG) informed Local Authorities on the 12 April 2005, regarding the level of Sustainable Waste Management Grant that will be made available for the financial year 2005-06 and provided indicative allocations for 2006/07 and 2007/08. The grant is provided to assist Local Authorities to meet stringent targets for recycling, composting and diversion of bio-degradable waste from landfill.
2.2 The letter sets out the detailed arrangements of the brokerage amounts for authorities in 2004/05 and 2005/06. Furthermore, it details additional resources for 2006/07 and 2007/08 of an additional £25 million for waste spread over two years. The indicative additional allocations for Wrexham County Borough Council are £447,934 in 2006/07 and £570,097 in 2007/08.
2.3 The Welsh Assembly Government, is conscious of the fact that some Authorities in Wales, will not be able to spend the additional grant money, and consequently are likely to lose their share of the additional £5 million allocated for 2005/06. Resources released in this way will be reallocated on “Challenge Basis”, to those Authorities that can demonstrate how they can spend more than their share of the additional £5 million. To receive this share of funds Local Authorities are required to submit their Business Plan to the Welsh Assembly Government by 30 June 2005 for consideration on challenge basis should resources become available.
3. RECOMMENDATIONS
3.1 That the Chief Environment Officer be authorised to submit a Business Plan to the Welsh Assembly Government under the challenge bid basis for additional funding to extend the ‘Recycle with Michael’ Scheme, subject to ongoing funding being made available from the Welsh Assembly Government.
3.2 That the Chief Environment Officer be authorised to extend the ‘Recycle with Michael’ scheme for 2006/07 and 2007/08 with monies made available from the Welsh Assembly Government Specific Grant Allocation.
REASONS FOR RECOMMENDATIONS
The scheme supports one of the major corporate priorities of the Council to “Increase Recycling and Reduce Landfill” as in keeping with the Council’s Waste Strategy approved by Members in 2004.
John Bradbury
Chief Environment Officer
4. BACKGROUND INFORMATION
4.1 In July 2002, the Council trialed a 6,000 household scheme, under which dry recyclables and green waste were collected directly from householders. This was under the auspices of the ‘Recycle with Michael’ scheme.
4.2 The trial proved to be very successful and Members agreed to extend the scheme throughout the Borough via the Council’s Waste Strategy document 2004.
4.3 Further monies were received from the Welsh Assembly Government via the Sustainable Waste Management Grant, which allowed the Authority to extend the scheme to a further 18,000 properties. This then brought the total number of householders on the scheme to 24,000 (44% of householders).
4.4 During this period, Wrexham’s recycling rate increased from 3% to 16%. Members will be aware that the reason for introducing the recycling scheme was to ensure that the Council attempts to met the Government’s recycling targets and meets the targets set by the Waste and Emissions Trade Act 2003 (see Appendix 1).
4.5 Under the Waste and Emissions Trading Act 2003, the Council has been set strict targets by the Welsh Assembly Government to limit the amount of biodegradable municipal waste (BMW) that is sent to landfill. In 2003/04 Wrexham sent to landfill 73,650 tonnes, of which 47,873 tonnes was BMW. The table below shows the target set for Wrexham by the Welsh Assembly Government: -
Year / Oct 2004/05 / 2005/06 / 2006/07 / 2007/08 / 2008/09 / 2009/10Total landfill allowance of BMW / 26,942 / 49,674 / 45,465 / 41,256 / 37,047 / 32,837
Any biodegradable waste taken to landfill above the target set will result in the Authority paying £200 per tonne. Members will therefore appreciate that the Authority needs to ensure that the current kerbside scheme is extended throughout the rest of the Borough.
5. CONSULTATION
5.1 Members will also be aware that before the Council’s Waste Strategy document was finalised, the Council consulted with all residents. Appendix 2 attached, outlines what the public said.
6. SCRUTINY COMMITTEE COMMENTS
N/A
7. IMPLICATIONS
7.1 Policy Framework The recommendations of this report supports the following aspects of the Policy Framework:
Corporate Priority: Increase recycling and reduce landfill
The increase in properties covered by a kerbside collection of recyclable waste will have a measurable impact on our ability to increase recycling and reduce landfill, thereby hopefully achieving statutory targets.
Corporate Priority: Improve Customer contact and enable the Council to understand their needs and wants
Consultations have indicated that the majority of residents would prefer to have recyclable waste collected from their kerbside.
Corporate Priority: Improve Health and Wellbeing, integrating sustainability
Many of the environmental impacts of managing waste, such as reduction of air quality or the production of greenhouse gasses, also have an impact on health. The proposed method of kerbside collections, together with plans for collection and disposal to be carried out as closely as possible to the point of waste production (Proximity Principle), will result in a decrease in the amount of waste sent to landfill and a consequent decrease in the negative effects on health which waste disposal through landfill creates. Recycling more waste also achieves greater sustainability at is reduces the use of non-renewable resources.
7.2 Budget The current funding for the Kerbside Recycling Scheme, which covers approximately 24,000 properties for 2005/06 comprises the Sustainable Waste Management Grant of £857,752, Recycling Income of £45,610 and savings from Landfill Diversion of £147,590. This provides total funding of £1,050,952.
With Members’ approval, Officers will apply for further funding under the Challenge Bid basis to extend the ‘Recycle with Michael’ scheme to cover a further 6,000 properties. This will cost approximately £316,000 in the first year of implementation with ongoing costs of approximately £140,000 per annum. Members will appreciate that the success of this application will depend on the Welsh Assembly Government giving assurances of the continuation of the ongoing running costs.
The Welsh Assembly Government is making available an additional £447,934 to this Authority, which will allow this Council to add an extra round covering approximately 6,000 properties for 2006/07. The ongoing costs of this scheme will be similar ie £140,000 per annum. Members will appreciate that the Waste Management Grant Scheme has been operating now since 2001/02 and that this element does not form part of the Council’s budget.
Furthermore, the Welsh Assembly Government is also making available an additional £570,097 in 2007/08 to this Authority which will allow this Council to add an extra round covering approximately 6,000 properties in 2007/08. The ongoing cost of this scheme will be £142,000 per annum. Once again, this element does not form part of the Council’s budget. Although it is unlikely, the Welsh Assembly Government could withdraw this grant at any time.
7.3 Legal N/A
7.4 Staffing Should the Authority be successful in obtaining the appropriate revenue to sustain the ‘Recycle with Michael’ scheme it could lead to the introduction of approximately 12 new members of staff over the next 3 years.
7.5 Other N/A
8. EVALUATION OF OPTIONS
N/A
BACKGROUND PAPERS / LOCATION / WEBSITE INFO.1. None
Appendix 1
Recycling Targets (Welsh Assembly Government Wise About Waste):-
By 2003/04 achieve at least 15% recycling/composting of municipal waste with a minimum of 5 % recycling and 5% composting.
By 2006/07 achieve at least 25% recycling/composting of municipal waste with a minimum of 10% recycling and 10% composting.
By 2009/10 and beyond achieve at least 40% recycling/composting of municipal waste with a minimum of 15% recycling and 15% composting.
Landfill Directive:-
A target limiting the amount of Biodegradable Municipal Waste (BMW) landfilled by each local authority in any given year
By 2010 to reduce the amount of BMW going to landfill to 75% of that produced in 1995
By 2013 to reduce the amount of BMW going to landfill to 50% of the 1995 figure
By 2020 to reduce the amount of BMW going to landfill to 35% of the 1995 figure.
Waste and Emissions Trading Act 2003:-
The above Act provides for limits on the amount of Biodegradable Municipal Waste that can be landfilled in each of the years leading up to the implementation of the Landfill Directive in 2010. Under the legislation the Council can landfill the following amounts of BMW. The Council is liable to a penalty at the rate of £200 per tonne in respect of any BMW landfilled in excess of the allowance.
Year / 6 monthsOct 2004 to Mar 2005
(tonnes) / 2005/06
(tonnes) / 2006/07
(tonnes) / 2007/08
(tonnes) / 2008/09
(tonnes) / 2009/10
(tonnes)
Total landfill allowance of Bio-degradable Municipal Waste (BMW) / 26,942 / 49,674 / 45,465 / 41,256 / 37,047 / 32,837
2004/05
Total amount of waste of Municipal Waste collected by the Council. / 85,042
tonnes
Total amount of waste collected by the Council that was landfilled, including both biodegradable waste and non-biodegradable waste. / 67,008
tonnes
Total amount of biodegradable waste that was landfilled. This equals the total amount of biodegradable material in the waste stream, assumed by the Welsh Assembly to be 61% of the total amount collected, less the amount recycled or composted. / 42,622
tonnes
Increase in total amount of Municipal Waste collected by the Council in 2004/05 compared with the previous year / 1.7%
Appendix 2
DEALING WITH OUR RUBBISH
What the public said:-
q 95% said that they would be prepared to separate recyclables from other rubbish.
q 89% said that they would be prepared to separate garden waste for composting from other rubbish.
q 93% said that Council should raise awareness about recycling and waste minimisation.
q 89% thought the Council should improve its Civic Amenity Sites.
q 72% wanted recycling facilities located near their homes.
q 94% thought that the Council should collect recyclables from home.
q 69% agreed with the Council’s strategy to produce energy through a thermal treatment process such as a modern incinerator or a pyrolysis and gasification system before any rubbish is sent to landfill.