(Cabinet Member with Special Responsibility Councillor Brookes)
Cabinet received a report from the Director for Communities and the Environment to request that Cabinet took an early decision, outside of fee and charges timeline, to agree future fees for green waste subscription. The decision needed to be taken early as the subscription service runs in line with the calendar year and would commence prior to budget council in February 2021.
The options, options analysis, including risk assessment and officer preferred option, were set out in the report as follows:
Option 1: Freeze the charge at £40.00 for the next 2 subscription years
Advantages: Maintains the existing level of charge for users of the service. Provides a comparable basis for income forecasts in 2021/22. Offers residents a service that equates to £1.81 per collection.
Disadvantages: Income forecasts are of course based on estimates. If subscription numbers lower this will have a negative impact on the budget.
Risks: Service users choose not to subscribe to the service.
Option 2: Recommend a different level of charge (e.g. increase by inflation)
Advantages: Inflationary increases of 3% would budget for an additional £26,800 in revenue.
Disadvantages: No guarantee of achieving the additional figure if charges are increased.
Risks: Residents may choose not to subscribe due to increase which could lead to reduction in income May lead to increases in fly tipping.
The officer preferred option is Option1 on the basis that the current over achievement in income of £46,500 would cover any inflation rises and will assist in protecting subscriber numbers and income levels.
Councillor Brookes proposed, seconded by Councillor Hamilton-Cox:-
“That the recommendation, as set out in the report, be approved.”
Councillors then voted:-
Resolved unanimously:
(1) That Cabinet authorises the officer’s recommendation to freeze green waste subscription charges at £40.00 for a period of two years. This will be for the 2021/22 and 2022/23 financial years.
Officer responsible for effecting the decision:
Director for Communities and the Environment
Reasons for making the decision:
Freezing the subscription charges for the next two financial years should protect the retention of subscription numbers and income management. The decision is consistent with Council priorities with regard to a Sustainable district and Happy and Healthy Communities and with the Council’s target to become carbon neutral by 2030.