Agenda item

This Council acknowledges that during this spring and summer the refuse service has continuously underperformed and has now dipped below any reasonable standard, taking into account and accepting the many complexities around service delivery in Leeds.

 

Council further accepts that attempts to instigate positive change through scrutiny have proved largely ineffective and that the necessary tools to drive forward improved delivery are already, broadly, in place.

 

With that in mind, Council therefore resolves to immediately form a cross-party working group to work with the service to bring about meaningful and sustainable change.

 

Council commits to working collegiately to ensure that the mechanisms that are currently in place to support improved service delivery are fully adhered to and adopted and to further ensure that the people of Leeds are obtaining the best possible service.

 

It was moved by Councillor Dobson, seconded by Councillor Dixon that this Council acknowledges that during this spring and summer the refuse service has continuously underperformed and has now dipped below any reasonable standard, taking into account and accepting the many complexities around service delivery in Leeds.

 

Council further accepts that attempts to instigate positive change through scrutiny have proved largely ineffective and that the necessary tools to drive forward improved delivery are already, broadly, in place.

 

With that in mind, Council therefore resolves to immediately form a cross-party working group to work with the service to bring about meaningful and sustainable change.

 

Council commits to working collegiately to ensure that the mechanisms that are currently in place to support improved service delivery are fully adhered to and adopted and to further ensure that the people of Leeds are obtaining the best possible service.

 

An amendment was moved by Councillor Harrington, seconded by Councillor Firth  

 

Insert the following between original paragraphs 1 and 2:

 

“Council does not believe that End of Day figures always reflect the reality on the ground in terms of all missed streets, particularly given that bins are not regarded as missed if recovered within 48 hours.”

 

Insert the following between original paragraphs 3 and 4:

 

“The working group should look to develop options that will achieve the following:

·  Improved communication with residents who report missed collections and faster notification to ward members;

·  A commitment to recover all missed bins within 24 hours;

·  Every missed collection to be recorded rather than just those that are not recovered within 48 hours;

·  Any addresses that are missed consecutively to be the subject of an action plan to identify and resolve problems.”

 

Insert the following after “best possible service”:

 

“Council calls on the administration to show greater leadership and ambition for this key service and respond to local concerns, bringing a report to Executive Board to update members on the establishment of the working group, its remit, and timetable for conducting its work.”

 

Motion would read:

 

“This Council acknowledges that during this spring and summer the refuse service has continuously underperformed and has now dipped below any reasonable standard, taking into account and accepting the many complexities around service delivery in Leeds.

 

“Council does not believe that End of Day figures always reflect the reality on the ground in terms of all missed streets, particularly given that bins are not regarded as missed if recovered within 48 hours.

 

“Council further accepts that attempts to instigate positive change through scrutiny have proved largely ineffective and that the necessary tools to drive forward improved delivery are already, broadly, in place.

 

“With that in mind, Council therefore resolves to immediately form a cross-party working group to work with the service to bring about meaningful and sustainable change.

 

“The working group should look to develop options that will achieve the following:

·  Improved communication with residents who report missed collections and faster notification to ward members;

·  A commitment to recover all missed bins within 24 hours;

·  Every missed collection to be recorded rather than just those that are not recovered within 48 hours;

·  Any addresses that are missed consecutively to be the subject of an action plan to identify and resolve problems.

 

“Council commits to working collegiately to ensure that the mechanisms that are currently in place to support improved service delivery are fully adhered to and adopted and to further ensure that the people of Leeds are obtaining the best possible service.

 

“Council calls on the administration to show greater leadership and ambition for this key service and respond to local concerns, bringing a report to Executive Board to update members on the establishment of the working group, its remit, and timetable for conducting its work.”

 

A second amendment was moved by Councillor Hart-Brooke, seconded by Councillor Golton

 

Delete paragraphs 1 and 2 and replace with:

 

This council acknowledges that recycling levels in Leeds for too many years left our city ranked poorly  compared with many other UK areas and that in the period 2011-2024 recycling levels went backwards. The council welcomes the roll out of glass collection that will boost recycling figures and will commit now to rolling out of city wide separate food waste collection and processing of food waste in a way that will give the most environmental and fiscal benefit to the city. The council also commits to reviewing working methodologies to ensure that delays and misses to collections that have increased in 2024 are minimised.

 

The amended White Paper will read:

 

This council acknowledges that recycling levels in Leeds for too many years left our city ranked poorly  compared with many other UK areas and that in the period 2011-2024 recycling levels went backwards. The council welcomes the roll out of glass collection that will boost recycling figures and will commit now to rolling out of city wide separate food waste collection and processing of food waste in a way that will give the most environmental and fiscal benefit to the city. The council also commits to reviewing working methodologies to ensure that delays and misses to collections that have increased in 2024 are minimised.

 

With that in mind, Council therefore resolves to immediately form a cross-party working group to work with the service to bring about meaningful and sustainable change.

 

Council commits to working collegiately to ensure that the mechanisms that are currently in place to support improved service delivery are fully adhered to and adopted and to further ensure that the people of Leeds are obtaining the best possible service.

 

A third amendment was moved by Councillor Rafique, seconded by Councillor Tudor

 

Delete all after “This Council” and replace with:

 

“…. is grateful to all staff in the refuse service who work hard for the benefit of the residents of Leeds and notes that during spring and summer this year, over 10.5 million household bins have been emptied across Leeds.

 

Council welcomes the recent introduction of city-wide kerbside glass collections in green bins, which will be more convenient for residents, have a positive impact on the environment, and provide the Council with a sustainable income stream. Council further welcomes the 30% increase in green bin contents that refuse staff have successfully collected.

 

Council also welcomes the fact that, together with the introduction of plastic pots, tubs and trays in 2020, Leeds has delivered, ahead of schedule, the national Simpler Recycling requirement to collect and recycle glass, plastics, metals, paper and card from all households by 2026 and achieved this without the need for more coloured bins or complexities for residents.

 

Council notes that in spring 2024 a further 10,000 households in Leeds started to receive fortnightly recycling collections for the first time and that a further 20,000 households will shortly see weekly recycling collections introduced.

 

Council further welcomes that Leeds residents continue to receive a free garden waste collection, which is by far the largest garden waste collection service in the UK with over 220,000 homes using brown bins, with over 23,000 tonnes of garden waste collected and turned into compost over this spring and summer, which is over 2,000 tonnes more than in previous years.

 

Council requests that a report comes to a future Executive Board meeting on how the service can be further improved to benefit the residents of Leeds.”

 

The amendments in the name of Councillor Harrington and Councillor Hart-Brooke were declared lost the amendment in the name of Councillor Rafique was carried and upon being put to the vote it was

 

RESOLVED – That this Council is grateful to all staff in the refuse service who work hard for the benefit of the residents of Leeds and notes that during spring and summer this year, over 10.5 million household bins have been emptied across Leeds.

 

Council welcomes the recent introduction of city-wide kerbside glass collections in green bins, which will be more convenient for residents, have a positive impact on the environment, and provide the Council with a sustainable income stream. Council further welcomes the 30% increase in green bin contents that refuse staff have successfully collected.

 

Council also welcomes the fact that, together with the introduction of plastic pots, tubs and trays in 2020, Leeds has delivered, ahead of schedule, the national Simpler Recycling requirement to collect and recycle glass, plastics, metals, paper and card from all households by 2026 and achieved this without the need for more coloured bins or complexities for residents.

 

Council notes that in spring 2024 a further 10,000 households in Leeds started to receive fortnightly recycling collections for the first time and that a further 20,000 households will shortly see weekly recycling collections introduced.

 

Council further welcomes that Leeds residents continue to receive a free garden waste collection, which is by far the largest garden waste collection service in the UK with over 220,000 homes using brown bins, with over 23,000 tonnes of garden waste collected and turned into compost over this spring and summer, which is over 2,000 tonnes more than in previous years.

 

Council requests that a report comes to a future Executive Board meeting on how the service can be further improved to benefit the residents of Leeds.