Agenda item

Sonika Sidhu (Senior Adviser) introduced the report to the board and facilitate discussion on the four questions highlighted in the item.

Discussion

The LGA's position on consistency across waste and recycling services

The discussion between board members ranged across many areas including;

·            The need to preserve a place-based localism when considering standardisation.

·            The importance of clarity for consumers in waste services.

·            Increased responsibility for collection and disposal on the part of the producers.

·            The possibility of standardisation improving local authority performance.

·            The need for any rationalisation process to take place over the longer term.

·            The importance of considering both collection and dispersal in the standardisation process.

·            The role of the LGA in supporting best-practice, cooperation and innovation and feeding back local authority views to the WRAP review.

How to take forward the approach to producer responsibility

Cllr Martin Tett asked the board for direction on the LGA's future lobbying work around encouraging producers to contribute towards the costs associated with the collection and dispersal of their product packaging, particularly around asking producers to cover 50% of the associated costs.

Members agreed that a continuing dialogue was required with manufactures and retailers on how to incentivise reductions in waste.

If the LGA should investigate future options for how waste and recycling services could be funded including our position on landfill tax

The board agreed that officers should investigate a range of future funding options, including the LGA's position on landfill tax, for future consideration by the board.

Are members satisfied with the LGA’s current approach to flooding

Cllr Martin Tett opened the discussion on the LGA's approach to flooding.

The board highlighted a range of concerns, including;

·         The need for the LGA to be vocal about the role of local authorities in managing flooding, including preparation, during acute events and during recovery.

·         The complexity of the relationship between local authorities and emergency agencies, and the need to streamline interaction between different actors.

·         The need for the LGA to be alert to the consequences of temporary measures taken in response to acute events.

·         The impact of the use of historic water management infrastructure, and the cost of maintenance.

·         The need to adjust investment and funding arrangements in order to encourage co-funding, reduce the free rider effect, rebalance the funding formula and incentivise prevention.

·         The importance of considering 'water-catchment areas' as a more effective form of organisation and prioritising "upstream thinking".

Board members also asked for officers to direct them on the value of conducting another review into the relationship between local authorities, emergency agencies and different methods of integration. Members also asked officers for their direction on the impact of changes in the approach of the Environment Agency.

Summary

Cllr Martin Tett summarised the board's position on consistency across waste and recycling services as being that decisions should be taken as locally as possible, but that councils were keen to encourage best-practice sharing, cooperation and innovation. Were standardisation to occur, central government should be expected to cover the cost to authorities.

On progressing the LGA’s standpoint on producer responsibility, Cllr Martin Tett summarised the board's position as advocating a change from a minimum requirement of 50% of costs to paid by the producers, to an 'aspirational target'. This was to be used to facilitate further discussions with the industry.

Finally, on flooding Cllr Martin Tett summarised the board's discussion as highlighting;

·         The importance of effective cooperation across authority and agency boundaries.

·         The importance of water catchment areas in addressing flooding

·         The need to make adjustments to the funding of costs associated with flooding.

·         The importance of sharing best-practice.

·         The importance of upstream thinking.

·         The need to consider stakeholder communities.

·         The need for the LGA to highlight the negative impact of flooding on local economies, and to lobby land-owners nationally to adopt better prevention measures.

Decisions

The board;

1.    Directed officers on LGA positions regarding waste services.

2.    Directed the development of a local authorities waste and recycling review.

3.    Recommended that the 50% target for costs paid by produced to be changed from a ‘floor’ to an ‘aspiration’.

4.    Directed officers on LGA positions concerning flooding.

Action

Officers to progress work on priority areas in line with the views expressed by members during discussion.