Agenda item

To answer questions asked after notice in accordance with the provisions contained in paragraph 10.3 of the Council Procedure Rules of the Constitution on any matter in relation to which the Council has powers or duties or which affects the District:

(a)               to the Chairman of the Council;

(b)               to the Leader of the Council;

(c)               to the Chairman of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee or

(d)               to any Member of the Cabinet;.

Council Procedure rule 10.4 provides that answers to questions under notice may take the form of:

(a)       direct oral answer;

(b)       where the desired information is in a publication of the Council or other published work, a reference to that publication; or

(c)       where the reply cannot conveniently be given orally, a written answer circulated later to the questioner.

Answers to questions falling within (a) and (b) above will be made available to the member asking the question one hour before the meeting. Answers to questions falling within (c) above will be circulated to all councillors.

Attached is a question to the Environment Portfolio Holder. Other questions, if any, will follow.

(a)        Collections of Residual Waste

By Councillor Murray to Councillor Sartin, Environmental Portfolio Holder

“(1)      Does the Portfolio Holder consider it acceptable for there not to be weekly collections for residuals (black wheelie bins) during the summer months;

(2)        What advice would she give to young families who are finding it extremely difficult to hygienically keep soiled nappies for 13 days between collections during the hot summer months (particularly in households with more than one youngster in nappies); and

(3)        What steps does she intend to take in order to help solve this problem for the rest of the summer weeks and in future years, particularly bearing in mind the current Government’s recent statement in favour of the weekly collection of residuals”.

Response read by Councillor Mrs Sartin, Environment Portfolio Holder

“I recognise that some residents may have concerns regarding the fortnightly collection of residual waste through the summer period.  However, the new service, which commenced last September, provides a year round weekly collection of all putrescible matter and garden waste, which is an improvement on the previous arrangements.  Provided residents make full use of this weekly collection, they should have no difficulties regarding smells, flies, maggots etc.

Moving on to the issue of soiled nappies, these should not be placed directly into a wheeled bin irrespective of the frequency of collection.  They should be contained in a plastic bag tied off or perhaps more conveniently in “nappy sacks” which are readily available in supermarkets and pharmacy chains.  These can be purchased for as little as £0.50 for a hundred or more, and the bags can be properly sealed and are also scented.  Alternatively, flushable liners can be used with disposable nappies which capture the solids and can be disposed of by flushing down the toilet.

It also remains possible for families to use traditional cloth type nappies thereby avoiding the use of disposable ones.  Around 8 million disposable nappies are thrown away every year, with most of these ending up in landfill, where it can take 100s of years for them to rot away.  This means that the current generations’ disposable nappies will still be around when their great grand children are born!  The cost to local communities through landfill charges and taxes is in the region of £70 million per annum.  The old type of terry towelling nappies are no more, replaced by easy to use cotton based nappies, and research has shown that, even allowing for the energy costs of washing etc, over time these are cheaper to use than disposables.  Details can be found at The Real Nappy Information Service (www.goreal.org.uk ).  Further details can also be found on the Essex County Council website in the waste and recycling section.

Taking the above into account I can see no reason to alter the current collection arrangements. The provision of a weekly residual collection during the summer would add significantly to the costs of the waste collection service at a time when we are being required to make savings. Since the start of the summer we have received some calls about the absence of a weekly collection. These have numbered less than one hundred.  In the main these have been because the callers have not realised that the new service, which provides for a weekly collection of all putrescible waste, does not provide a weekly residual collection during the summer months.  Of these only a few have specifically mentioned disposable nappies and the callers have been given the advice as set out above. Where a family has a number of children in nappies and there is a capacity issue with the standard 180 litre residual bin, and subject to an assessment, a larger capacity wheeled bin can be provided.  I can therefore see no reason to change the existing collection arrangements, which are currently producing recycling rates in excess of 60%, just to deal with nappies”.

Councillor Murray advised that he did not wish to ask a supplementary question arising out of the original question or the response.