Agenda item

The report outlines the work to date on the review of the Council’s Clean and Green service and the recommendations which were deferred by Council on the 16^th March 2023.

The Director of Community and Environmental Services introduced a report outlining the work to date on the review of the Council’s Clean and Green service and the recommendations which were deferred by Council on the 16 March 2023.

It was noted that on 26^th November 2020 the Council approved a review of its clean and Green Service, including the outlined scope and formation of a Project Team and an Elected Member Sub-Group. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent independent review of the waste collection service, several members of the Project Team were reassigned to leading on the Council’s response to these issues, resulting in delays in the completion of this review.

On 16th March 2023, a report outlining the findings and recommendations of the review was presented to Members. Prior to the meeting, the former Leaders Advisory Group (LAG) agreed that only recommendation 1,3 and 6 be considered, as they were viewed to be either time sensitive or offer an opportunity to address current capacity pressures, these recommendations were approved. The remaining recommendations were deferred and had been included in the recommendations of this report, as the former LAG believed new Members were best placed to decide on the future impact of the service.

The recommendations as set out in the report were moved by Councillor Peter O’Brien and seconded by Councillor Boothroyd with the addition of recommendation 2:

2.    That the Council confirms its policy of not utilising glyphosate in its weed control and vegetation management activities, other than in respect of the control of invasive species.

And the following amendment to recommendation 4:

4.    That officers discuss the feasibility of using alternative weed control methods on land included on the highways contract in the Derbyshire Dales with Derbyshire County Council, with the objective of eliminating the use of products and materials containing glyphosate and that an update be provided to Members.

The recommendations were then each voted on independently, the details of these votes are as follows:

Recommendation 1 – Unanimous

Recommendation 2 – 19 For, 8 Against, 1 Abstention

Recommendation 3 – Unanimous

Recommendation 4 – 19 For, 8 Against, 1 Abstention

Recommendation 5 - Unanimous

Following the voting, it was therefore

RESOLVED

1.    That a Supplementary revenue budget of £41,100 is approved for 2023/24, financed from the general reserve, and that £61,658 is included in the next update of the Medium-Term Financial Plan to reflect the subsequent ongoing costs for the introduction of two additional staff for the Burials and Play Area Maintenance team.

2.    That the Council confirms its policy of not utilising glyphosate in its weed control and vegetation management activities, other than in respect of the control of invasive species.

3.    That the proposed service standards and frequencies set out in Appendix C are introduced as outlined in the proposed timetable (Table 2.58).

4.    That officers discuss the feasibility of using alternative weed control methods on land included on the highways contract in the Derbyshire Dales with Derbyshire County Council, with the objective of elimination the use of products and materials containing glyphosate and that an update be provided to Members.

5.    That the Project Group, along with a Members Sub-Group, remain in place for the first year of implementation to monitor performance and consider options for future benchmarking.

The Chair declared the motion CARRIED.