The Somerset Waste Board has opted to introduce a maximum 2 charge for residents to use its four household waste recycling centres facing closure as opposed to 2.50 as originally proposed.
The fee, which came into effect yesterday (April 4), is intended to help the countywide waste body the Somerset Waste Partnership to continue to operate recycling centres at Crewkerne, Coleford, Dulverton and Middlezoy.
The four sites had emerged as prime candidates for closure in November 2010 as part of the county councils drive to achieve 43 million in budgetary savings for the 2011/12 financial year (see letsrecycle.com story).
It had been anticipated that the Somerset Waste Board would ratify the introduction of a 2.50 charge at the four sites as a cost-saving measure. This would be enacted alongside the introduction of charges for specific waste substances and a reduction in opening hours (see letsrecycle.com story).
And, while the charges for specific waste streams and limits on opening hours were approved, it was agreed at a Somerset Waste Board meeting on March 25 that a lower 2 charge would be introduced. The remaining 14 household waste and recycling centres in the region will remain free of charge.
The Somerset Waste Board is a joint committee which has two representatives from each of the six local authorities catered for by the Somerset Waste Partnership
Subsidy
Following the Waste Board meeting, Crewkerne town council opted to subsidise operations at its recycling centre and instead only levy a 1.20 charge per use on residents.
The council is undertaking the measure as a provisional basis and intends to assess local residents response to the lesser charge. Local media reports claim that the town council has used around 10,000 to subsidise this measure.
A spokesman for the Somerset Waste Partnership which represents the county council and five district and borough councils confirmed that the councils would not be introducing a 2.50 charge as planned and that Crewkerne had independently opted to introduce the lower rate.
Crewkerne town council has decided to subsidise the charge to the tune of 1, making it 1.20 when VAT is taken into account, he said. The scheme will be introduced for the next three to four months on a provisional basis, after which time it will be reviewed.
It is understood that the introduction of the charge at the four sites will help Somerset county council to achieve 1.9 million worth of savings in its environmental services budget.
In order for the charge to be introduced, the four sites had to be reclassified as community recycling centres to prevent a legal clash with the county councils obligation to provide an area for residents to dispose of household waste free of charge under the Environmental Protection Act 1990.
Kerbside
Also at the Somerset Waste Board meeting, it was agreed that the managing director of the Somerset Waste Partnership Steve Read should be authorised to conclude negotiations with the Waste Partnerships collection contractor May Gurney regarding a contract extension.
Mr Read was authorised to conclude negotiations with the services firm over a seven-year extension to its existing contract which covers waste and recycling kerbside collections and extend the deal to 2021. This is dependent on a savings target of 515,000 per year being met.
Register for free to comment