Agenda item

That this Council:-

(a)       notes the record of the current Administration, which includes:

(i)         ending the weekly collection of black bins;

(ii)        ceasing the funding for the free collection of green bins and green sacks;

(iii)       further reducing funding for Sheffield’s household waste recycling centres; and

(iv)       delays in the city-wide roll out of the flexible blue bin and box offer;

(b)       believes that cutting recycling services at the same time as weekly black bin collections always amounted to a recipe for disaster;

(c)        recalls the fully-costed budget amendment put forward by the main opposition group at the Full Council meeting on 9^th March 2012, which would have retained weekly black bin collections and free green waste collections;

(d)       further recalls the decision of the current Administration not to formally bid for funding under the Department for Communities and Local Government’s scheme to save weekly bin collections, unlike Labour-controlled Wolverhampton and Liberal Democrat-controlled Cambridge;

(e)       further notes with distress reports that, prior to the change of bin collections, Sheffield had the highest reported number of complaints of fly-tipping in the country;

(f)         expresses disappointment at the complete failure of the current Administration to effectively communicate the change of collection to some local residents, despite spending £400,000 on a propaganda strategy for the policy;

(g)       regrets that due to the inept communications of the current Administration many residents have missed their first collection;

(h)        laments the shambolic miscommunication of the amnesty on additional sacks and unclosed lids, which was previously denied by members of the Administration and was not mentioned in the information leaflet distributed to households;

(i)         understands that, outside of mitigating criteria, residents can only apply for a larger bin if they compose a household of six or more individuals;

(j)         in addition, deplores the complete mishandling of Sheffield’s recycling centres, in particular, closing Blackstock Road three days a week, which has seen serious threats to road safety, as cars tail back along roads;

(k)        understands that further strikes at Sheffield’s recycling centres are anticipated, which will only serve to exacerbate the situation;

(l)         believes the current Administration’s handling of the changes within Sheffield’s waste management amounts to sheer incompetence; and

(m)      calls upon the Cabinet Member for Environment, Waste and Streetscene to offer an immediate public apology to all Sheffield residents and get a grip on the deteriorating situation.

It was moved by Councillor David Baker, seconded by Councillor Colin Ross, that this Council:-

(a)       notes the record of the current Administration, which includes:

(i)         ending the weekly collection of black bins;

(ii)        ceasing the funding for the free collection of green bins and green sacks;

(iii)       further reducing funding for Sheffield’s household waste recycling centres; and

(iv)       delays in the city-wide roll out of the flexible blue bin and box offer;

(b)       believes that cutting recycling services at the same time as weekly black bin collections always amounted to a recipe for disaster;

(c)        recalls the fully-costed budget amendment put forward by the main opposition group at the Full Council meeting on 9^th March 2012, which would have retained weekly black bin collections and free green waste collections;

(d)       further recalls the decision of the current Administration not to formally bid for funding under the Department for Communities and Local Government’s scheme to save weekly bin collections, unlike Labour-controlled Wolverhampton and Liberal Democrat-controlled Cambridge;

(e)       further notes with distress reports that, prior to the change of bin collections, Sheffield had the highest reported number of complaints of fly-tipping in the country;

(f)         expresses disappointment at the complete failure of the current Administration to effectively communicate the change of collection to some local residents, despite spending £400,000 on a propaganda strategy for the policy;

(g)       regrets that due to the inept communications of the current Administration many residents have missed their first collection;

(h)        laments the shambolic miscommunication of the amnesty on additional sacks and unclosed lids, which was previously denied by members of the Administration and was not mentioned in the information leaflet distributed to households;

(i)         understands that, outside of mitigating criteria, residents can only apply for a larger bin if they compose a household of six or more individuals;

(j)         in addition, deplores the complete mishandling of Sheffield’s recycling centres, in particular, closing Blackstock Road three days a week, which has seen serious threats to road safety, as cars tail back along roads;

(k)        understands that further strikes at Sheffield’s recycling centres are anticipated, which will only serve to exacerbate the situation;

(l)         believes the current Administration’s handling of the changes within Sheffield’s waste management amounts to sheer incompetence; and

(m)      calls upon the Cabinet Member for Environment, Waste and Streetscene to offer an immediate public apology to all Sheffield residents and get a grip on the deteriorating situation.

Whereupon, it was moved by Councillor Jack Scott, seconded by Councillor Ibrar Hussain, as an amendment, that the Motion now submitted be amended by the deletion of all the words after the words “That this Council” and the substitution of the following words therefor:-

(a)       regrets that the Council has had to reduce spending by £55 million in the 2012/13 budget and that by 2015/16 the Council will have £170m less to spend than it did in 2011/12 and regrets that the main opposition group continue to fully support the level of cuts imposed on the Council by the Conservative-led Government and recognizes the devastating impact of these cuts on our economy;

(b)       further regrets that to meet this unprecedented financial gap in the budget, it has been necessary for the Council to reduce spending on waste services, noting that moving to Alternate Week Collection saves the Council approximately £2.4 million every year, ceasing funding for the green waste service saves approximately £1.5 million and reducing hours at household waste recycling centres saves approximately £500,000;

(c)        notes that the Council makes every effort to provide the best possible waste service through conducting a cross party waste review, the results of which indicated that there was scope to reduce the number of black bin collections, noting that all other local authorities in South Yorkshire and the majority in England and Wales operate Alternate Week Collections and ensuring sufficient opening hours for 29 days per week at the Household Waste Recycling Centres to offer a sustainable service, working within the severe financial constraints imposed by the Government; 

(d)       notes comments by Councillor Anders Hanson on website Lib Dem Voice, “‘I think it has now become almost impossible politically to introduce new fortnightly bin collections as both the opposition and the press will mercilessly attack anyone who does it. … However most people are happy with fortnightly collections when they get used to it.” and therefore deplores the opportunistic “merciless” campaign that the Liberal Democrat Party have conducted to scaremonger against fortnightly collections and believes this is an attempt to deflect the responsibility from the Member of Parliament for Sheffield Hallam and the Liberal Democrats who are imposing unprecedented cuts to  council services, which is inevitably impacting on the services that are provided for Sheffield people;

(e)       believes that despite teething issues, the roll out of Alternate Week Collections has been successful to date with over 99% of communication material delivered successfully, but notes a small amount were not and welcomes that Veolia have apologised in writing to those households and the Cabinet Member for Environment, Waste and Streetscene has publicly apologised for any inconvenience caused;

(f)         welcomes measures to help Sheffield people adjust to Alternate Week Collections such as the roll out of flexible choice for blue bins and boxes, allowing the collection of two sacks of side waste for the first two collections, increasing staffing in the Veolia call centre to deal with the increased volume of calls and the work of the liaison team to support Sheffield people to use the full range of facilities they are entitled to such as larger bins;

(g)       welcomes the fact that household collection recycling rates in Sheffield are now at the highest they have ever been and are still rising and believes this demonstrates that Sheffield people are adjusting to the roll out of Alternate Week Collections;

(h)        recognises that the present Administration have made several improvements to original proposals to manage  the reductions in opening hours and under the revised opening hours, Sheffield's five Household Waste Recycling Centres will be open a total of 29 days every week, with all sites open on the peak days of Friday to Monday, sites open every day of the week and summer opening times until 6pm which better suits the needs of users;

(i)         recalls that the previous Administration made the majority of the cuts to these Centres in the 2011/12 budget, and notes that in their 2012/13 budget amendments, neither opposition group proposed to reverse any savings to Household Waste Recycling Centres which would be required to re-consider reductions in opening hours and believes that the late involvement of the main opposition group after the revised opening hours have already been implemented is nothing more than blatant political opportunism;

(j)         further remembers that  the Leader of the main opposition group was previously the Cabinet Member who oversaw the most shambolic mismanagement of the waste service the City has known through the introduction of blue boxes to recycle paper which angered many local people and welcomes that the present Administration are now resolving this issue across the City; and

(k)        reiterates its regret for all cuts to waste services, however, recognises that they are ultimately a consequence of the Liberal Democrat Party’s, led by the Member of Parliament for Sheffield Hallam, decision to support a Conservative-led Government which is heavily cutting Sheffield’s budget at the same time as some of the wealthiest councils in the Conservative heartlands receive almost no cuts at all and regrets that the Liberal Democrat Party both locally and nationally continue to refuse to stand up for Sheffield and attempt to score cheap points.

Motion to move to next business

RESOLVED: On the Motion of Councillor Penny Baker, seconded by Councillor David Baker that (in accordance with Council Procedure Rule 17.3) the Council does now move to the next item of business

On being put to the vote, the amendment was carried.

(NOTE: 1. Councillors Jillian Creasy and Robert Murphy voted for paragraphs (a), (f), (g) and (h), against paragraph (i), and abstained on paragraphs (b), (c), (d), (e), (j) and (k) of the above amendment and asked for this to be recorded.)

After a right of reply from Councillor David Baker, the original Motion, as amended, was then put as a Substantive Motion in the following form and carried:-

RESOLVED:  That this Council

(a)       regrets that the Council has had to reduce spending by £55 million in the 2012/13 budget and that by 2015/16 the Council will have £170m less to spend than it did in 2011/12 and regrets that the main opposition group continue to fully support the level of cuts imposed on the Council by the Conservative-led Government and recognizes the devastating impact of these cuts on our economy;

(b)       further regrets that to meet this unprecedented financial gap in the budget, it has been necessary for the Council to reduce spending on waste services, noting that moving to Alternate Week Collection saves the Council approximately £2.4 million every year, ceasing funding for the green waste service saves approximately £1.5 million and reducing hours at household waste recycling centres saves approximately £500,000;

(c)        notes that the Council makes every effort to provide the best possible waste service through conducting a cross party waste review, the results of which indicated that there was scope to reduce the number of black bin collections, noting that all other local authorities in South Yorkshire and the majority in England and Wales operate Alternate Week Collections and ensuring sufficient opening hours for 29 days per week at the Household Waste Recycling Centres to offer a sustainable service, working within the severe financial constraints imposed by the Government; 

(d)       notes comments by Councillor Anders Hanson on website Lib Dem Voice, “‘I think it has now become almost impossible politically to introduce new fortnightly bin collections as both the opposition and the press will mercilessly attack anyone who does it. … However most people are happy with fortnightly collections when they get used to it.” And therefore deplores the opportunistic “merciless” campaign that the Liberal Democrat Party have conducted to scaremonger against fortnightly collections and believes this is an attempt to deflect the responsibility from the Member of Parliament for Sheffield Hallam and the Liberal Democrats who are imposing unprecedented cuts to  council services, which is inevitably impacting on the services that are provided for Sheffield people;

(e)       believes that despite teething issues, the roll out of Alternate Week Collections has been successful to date with over 99% of communication material delivered successfully, but notes a small amount were not and welcomes that Veolia have apologised in writing to those households and the Cabinet Member for Environment, Waste and Streetscene has publicly apologised for any inconvenience caused;

(f)         welcomes measures to help Sheffield people adjust to Alternate Week Collections such as the roll out of flexible choice for blue bins and boxes, allowing the collection of two sacks of side waste for the first two collections, increasing staffing in the Veolia call centre to deal with the increased volume of calls and the work of the liaison team to support Sheffield people to use the full range of facilities they are entitled to such as larger bins;

(g)       welcomes the fact that household collection recycling rates in Sheffield are now at the highest they have ever been and are still rising and believes this demonstrates that Sheffield people are adjusting to the roll out of Alternate Week Collections;

(h)        recognises that the present Administration have made several improvements to original proposals to manage  the reductions in opening hours and under the revised opening hours, Sheffield’s five Household Waste Recycling Centres will be open a total of 29 days every week, with all sites open on the peak days of Friday to Monday, sites open every day of the week and summer opening times until 6pm which better suits the needs of users;

(i)         recalls that the previous Administration made the majority of the cuts to these Centres in the 2011/12 budget, and notes that in their 2012/13 budget amendments, neither opposition group proposed to reverse any savings to Household Waste Recycling Centres which would be required to re-consider reductions in opening hours and believes that the late involvement of the main opposition group after the revised opening hours have already been implemented is nothing more than blatant political opportunism;

(j)         further remembers that  the Leader of the main opposition group was previously the Cabinet Member who oversaw the most shambolic mismanagement of the waste service the City has known through the introduction of blue boxes to recycle paper which angered many local people and welcomes that the present Administration are now resolving this issue across the City; and

(k)        reiterates its regret for all cuts to waste services, however, recognises that they are ultimately a consequence of the Liberal Democrat Party’s, led by the Member of Parliament for Sheffield Hallam, decision to support a Conservative-led Government which is heavily cutting Sheffield’s budget at the same time as some of the wealthiest councils in the Conservative heartlands receive almost no cuts at all and regrets that the Liberal Democrat Party both locally and nationally continue to refuse to stand up for Sheffield and attempt to score cheap points.

(NOTE: Councillors Jillian Creasy and Roberts Murphy voted for paragraphs (a), (f), (g) and (h), against paragraph (i), and abstained on paragraphs (b), (c), (d), (e), (j) and (k) of the above Motion and asked for this to be recorded.)