Agenda item

Received a report and presentation from the Corporate Director of Customer Services on the Borough’s Municipal Waste Management Strategy for the period 2005/06 to 2019/20, which included the East London Waste Authority’s Joint Strategy for the whole ELWA area.

Discussed and noted a number of matters relating to the Borough’s Strategy, which included the following:

a)  A Best Value Inspection of the Borough’s waste services is to be carried out by the Audit Commission in May 2006;

b)  The Strategy includes a fully costed Action Plan;

c)  The dual collection of black, general refuse bags and orange, recycling bags, which are also known as ‘survival’ bags because of their durability when compacted, will be the subject of extensive publicity to ensure that residents are aware of the benefits of the dual collection scheme;

d)  The new Green Waste Sunday Collection registration scheme, introduced last month, will be publicised in the next edition of the Citizen magazine and via the “Cleaner, Greener, Safer” feature in partnership with the Barking and Dagenham Recorder newspaper;

e)  The sum of £53,000 is currently provided for in 2006/07 for publicity associated with the “Cleaner, Greener, Safer” campaign, and extra funding will be allocated to meet additional requirements;

f)  Barking and Dagenham’s recycling rate is projected to be the highest in London within three years time, once Shanks East London’s Biological Materials Recycling Facilities (Bio-MRFs) at Frog Island, Rainham and Jenkins Lane, Barking are fully operational;

g)  An Implementation Group, led by the Council’s Head of Enforcement and Environment and with support from officers from various Council departments and key partners including Shanks East London and ELWA, will be responsible for the delivery of the Strategy;

h)  The Implementation Group will oversee and update the Strategy’s Risk Management Plan to ensure that service objectives continue to be relevant and achievable;

i)  The ongoing plans to educate residents, both current and new, of the need to be responsible for their rubbish and the importance of participating in the project;

j)  The introduction by the Council of a Planning Advice Note, aimed at developers and architects, which sets out the waste management aspirations for new developments in the Borough;

k)  Community engagement and participation are key principles of the Strategy, with services adapted to meet customer needs;

l)  Possible plans to stage a public open-day at the new Bio-MRF at Frog Island to increase the community’s awareness of the new waste management services being provided in the local community;

m)  A report will be presented to the next meeting of the Executive seeking the sign-off of the Street Scene Review, the actions from which have either been fully implemented / completed or have been incorporated into the Waste Strategy.

Agreed, in order to assist the Council to achieve its Community Priorities of ‘Making Barking and Dagenham Cleaner, Greener and Safer’ and ‘Raising General Pride in the Borough’, to:

(i)  Adopt the Barking and Dagenham Municipal Waste Management Strategy 2005/06 to 2019/20 as appended to the report; and

(ii)  Adopt ELWA’s Joint Municipal Waste Management Strategy as set out in Annex H to the report.