Issue - meetings

To consider and endorse, or make recommendations to the Cabinet Member for Planning, Highways, Transport to approve KCC entering into an Inter Authority Agreement (IAA) with TMBC and TWBC to increase levels of recycling and reduce disposal costs for KCC. To encourage improvement, savings will be equally shared between respective Collection and Disposal Authorities as performance payments. This is to be the policy approach in all new Waste Partnership Agreements with Collection Authorities.

David Beaver (Head of Waste and Business Services) and Nichola Wood (Waste Business Partnership Manager) were in attendance for this item.

1. Mr Payne introduced the report which sought approval from the Committee for Kent County Council to enter into an Inter-Authority Agreement (IAA) with Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council (TMBC) and Tunbridge Wells Borough Council (TWBC) to increase levels of kerbside recycling and reduce the cost of waste disposal through the incentivisation of performance payments.

2. Mr Beaver said that Kent County Council had worked with all west Kent District and Borough authorities to promote the newly commissioned kerbside model of waste collection. Both Sevenoaks and Dartford had made the decision not to enter into an Inter-Authority Agreement, however, Gravesham Borough Council, following the adoption of the new collection model in 2014 had seen an improvement in their recycling figures from 32% in 2015/2016 to 39% in 2017/2018, which produced a significant saving in their waste disposal costs. Mr Beaver said that the Inter-Authority Agreement would reward Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council and Tunbridge Wells Borough Council for increasing recycling rates and reducing residual waste as this would in turn reduce disposal costs for Kent County Council.

3. In response to concerns regarding the disposal of garden waste, Mr Beaver said that the charging of this was not part of the decision and that it was the responsibility of the Borough Council’s to determine the rates.

4. Members commended the work of the officers and the efforts made by the Borough Councils to adopt a new and economically improved model of kerbside waste disposal.

5. RESOLVED that the proposed decision to:

(a)  approve Kent County Council entering into an Inter Authority Agreement (IAA) with TMBC and TWBC, to increase levels of recycling and reduce disposal costs for Kent County Council; and

(b)  equally share savings between respective Collection and Disposal Authorities as performance payments, as part of the policy approach in all new Waste Partnership Agreements with CollectionAuthorities

be endorsed.