Agenda item

[To provide an update on the key risks the Council faces and how it can gain assurance that these risks are being mitigated]

Mike Butler, Lead Officer, Waste was in attendance to discuss risk 32 – Waste Management Services. He gave an update on action being taken to manage the risk. In doing so he reported that the budget for the service was £12.05 million and there were agreed mechanisms to deliver the service to the budget.

Councillor Mary Bateman commented that she had visited the proposed waste recycling super-site and had a one-to-one discussion with employees on the plans.  She was impressed with the amount of effort and diligence that had gone into bringing the waste service in house.  She informed the Committee that she had received assurance that the proposed changes to the waste and recycling service would be phased in and that bins would be emptied effectively and efficiently. She suggested that every member of the Council should visit the site because the service would impact on all wards.

In response to questions and comments the Lead Officer Waste reported that: 

·           The mechanisms to deliver the changes to the household waste and recycling collections involved approximately 40 council employees from across the organisation.  A phased approach was being taken on the move to alternate week collections for general waste and that he was confident the Council had the right plans to deliver the changes to the service.

·           The super waste and recycling site was still in the early stages, but Councillors could see the vision for the new site.

·           The garden waste collection service would end and in February 2019 when a 42-week subscription garden waste service would commence. There would be an annual charge of £35 and £17.50 for concessions. Other options would be available to residents, for example home composting or they could take the garden waste to a recycling centre where the Council would take it off them for free.

·           Staff transferred from the previous contractor to the Council under their existing contract terms. The 170-staff who transferred to the Council are working well. Where the Council proposes to introduce changes to terms and conditions staff would be consulted.

·           On the delivery of large bins when the fortnightly general waste collection commences, the Council suggest that whilst 60% of residents have two or less bins they could use their 140-litre bin. If residents feel they need a larger bin there was a garden waste bin they already own and they could let the Council know which one they intend to use for their general waste through the aid of a sticker to be issued to households.

·           The food waste caddy service was costly and not successful. The Council therefore decided to terminate the service. As part of the Council’s Waste Strategy it is aware of the amount of food waste in the general waste. The Council needs to affect what goes into the waste collection vehicles before it is put into the waste bins.

·           There would be a communication strategy to residents regarding recycling their 140-litre bin for household waste.

·           Next year the Council would have a program to drive recycling to 50% by March 2020. The Council would engage with all communities to help them address the problems that are preventing them from recycling more of their waste.

·           Regarding commercial waste, there are 6500 businesses in the city, 2000 of which are the Council’s customers. The Council does not work with the larger organisations because they are on national contracts. The Council provides a service to the vast majority of the city’s schools and small businesses.

·           Collection of garden waste is not a statutory service. If households do not wish to pay to have their garden waste collected by the Council, they could home compost or take it to their local recycling centre. If they want the Council to collect the garden waste, they would have to pay the annual or concessionary charge.

·           An education programme for residents regarding recycling and the correct use of bins would be undertaken.

Hayley Reid, Senior Auditor presented the rest of the report on the key risks the Council faced and how the Committee could gain assurance that the risks were being mitigated.

Councillor Philip Bateman MBE commented that in twelve months’ seven of the city’s-maintained nursery schools might lose their government funding.  He queried why this was not considered a risk for inclusion in the School Improvement risk.  The Senior Auditor reported that she had met with the School Improvement Officer who felt that it was not a risk that needed to be included in the strategic risk register at this moment but would revisit this at their next meeting.

The Chair asked for an update on the transfer of the Council’s Emergency Planning and Business Continuity functions to West Midlands Fire and Rescue Authority (Risk 8 - Business Continuity).  The Senior Auditor reported that the transfer was still going ahead but a date had yet to be set for when it would happen. Currently the Emergency Planning and Business Continuity functions were still being managed in house.  An audit review of the area was scheduled in the Audit Plan at the end of the financial year.

Resolved:

1.    That the latest summary of the Council’s strategic risk register at appendix 1 to the report be noted.

2.    That the change in the target date for risk 24 - Maximising Benefits from West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA), to take into account the ongoing work reviewing the arrangements in place to ensure the Council capitalises on opportunities from WMCA be noted.

3.    That the main sources of assurance available to the Council against its strategic risks at appendix 2 to the report be noted.

4.    That an appropriate officer be invited to the next meeting to report on funding for the Council’s maintained nurseries.