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Agenda item

Report of the Head of Highways, Capital Development & Waste (HCW/16/33) on proposals for sharing  financial savings through collaborative working with District Councils to reduce treatment and disposal costs, attached.     

Electoral Division(s): All

Minutes:

(Councillors Connett, Julian and Westlake attended in accordance with Standing Order 25(2) and spoke to this item).

 

The Cabinet considered the Report of the Head of Highways, Capital Development & Waste (HCW/16/33) on proposals for sharing  financial savings through collaborative working with District Councils to reduce treatment and disposal costs. 

 

The Head of Service’s Report acknowledged that it  was widely acknowledged that working in partnership in two tier authorities could deliver significant benefits including reduced treatment and disposal costs for a Waste Disposal Authority.  Both Somerset and Dorset had formed very successful waste partnerships which had delivered an improved single waste service across their areas.  Efforts had been made over the previous three years to develop a similar single waste authority for Devon and while this had not yet come to fruition those discussions had nonetheless revealed that significant savings could be delivered by both Waste Disposal and Waste Collection Authorities working together.  Approval was therefore sought, in principle, to develop a shared savings mechanism between the County Council (as Waste Disposal Authority) and District Councils (as a Waste Collection Authority) so that  where any significant waste collection service change resulted g in a net saving to the County Council (as the WDA) those savings would be shared with the District Council (as WCA).

 

Members noted that the County Council Waste Management service had delivered over £5m worth of savings over the previous five years, through retendering of contracts and the introduction of charging for non-household DIY type waste at recycling centres and  through restrictions on vehicles, opening hours and use by non-Devon residents; acknowledging also that further savings could only be achieved by working even more closely with District Councils.

 

The Head of Service’s Report also incorporated an Impact Assessment relating to the possible impacts of the proposal, which had been circulated previously for the attention of Members at this meeting in order that as part of its determination of the next steps in the process the Cabinet might have full regard to the responsibilities placed upon it to exercise its Public Sector Equality Duty, under s149 of the Equality Act 2010, where relevant and no unmanageable impacts had been identified.

 

The matter having been debated and the options and/or alternatives and other relevant factors (e.g. financial, environmental, risk management, equality and legal considerations and Public Health impact) set out in the Head of Service’s Report and/or referred to above having been considered:

 

It was MOVED by Councillor Croad, SECONDED by Councillor Clatworthy, and

 

RESOLVED

 

(a) that approval, in principle, be given to supporting the development of a shared savings mechanism whereby a District Council (a Waste Collection Authority), working in collaboration with the County Council (the Waste Disposal Authority) to deliver a significant waste collection service change which leads to a reduction in overall costs for the County Council, shall benefit from any net savings generated;

 

(b) that a formal Agreement setting out the obligations of both parties be prepared and the County Solicitor be authorised to execute all necessary documents required to give effect to any such agreement;

 

(c) that the Head of Highways, Capital Development and Waste be authorised to agree the details of both the sharing of savings mechanism and terms of agreement, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Community & Environmental Services, the County Treasurer and the County Solicitor.

 

 [NB: The Impact Assessment referred to above is available at:  http://new.devon.gov.uk/cma.htm]

Supporting documents:


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