PART I – ITEMS RESOLVED BY CABINET
There were no items resolved by Cabinet in this report.
PART II – RECOMMENDATIONS TO COUNCIL
Item 1 – Waste Strategy Implementation – Revised Timeline and Financial Appraisal
Cllr Blunden introduced the item and moved the recommendations from the Cabinet meeting. Cllr S Davies seconded the motion.
RESOLVED:
That the Council agree that:-
(a) Officers proceed to take the necessary decisions to implement the service changes for refuse collection, recycling and food waste collections as set out in Section 5 of the Cabinet report, in readiness for commencement of the new service in Spring 2025;
(b) The budget requirements as set out in section 7 of the Cabinet report are approved, noting that these are included in the Council’s Medium Term Financial Plan. Council notes in particular the anticipated service roll out costs for 2025/26 at £1.4 million, with a likely offset of £0.8 - £1.2 million through the receipt of EPR funding, and the additional budget requirement for transitional costs, increasing from £1.224 million to £1.825 million;
(c) Officers continue procurement processes to secure the necessary vehicles, wheeled bins, food caddies and other containers, including ancillary services in order to deliver the new service; and
(d) Officers continue to work with Hampshire County Council and other Hampshire partners to identify the best long-term solution to recycling collections and processing to meet the Government requirements and return to Cabinet for a final decision.
Item 2 – Housing Revenue Account Budget and the Housing Sector Capital Expenditure Programme 2024/25
Cllr S Davies introduced the item and moved the recommendations from the Cabinet meeting. Cllr Cleary seconded the motion.
The recommendations were put to a recorded vote, the outcome of which was as follows:-
Voting for:- Cllrs Alvey, Armstrong, Blunden, Brand, Clark, Clarke, Cleary, Craze, Crisell, Cullen, J Davies, S Davies, Dowd, Dunning, Glass, Harrison, Hartmann, Hawkins, Haywood, Heron, Linford, Mballa, McCarthy, Millar, Murray, O’Sullivan, Osborne, Parker, Penman, Penny, Poole, Rackham, Reid, Reilly, Richards, Rickman, Sleep, Thierry, Tipp, Tungate, A Wade, M Wade, Ward, Woods, Young.
Voting against:- None.
Abstaining:- None.
The recommendations were carried unanimously, 45 in favour, 0 against, 0 abstaining.
RESOLVED:
That Council approve the HRA budget and housing public sector capital expenditure programme for 2024/25, as follows:-
(a) That from 01 April 2024, an increase in rents of 7.7% from the 2023/24 weekly rent level, in accordance with Government guidelines, be agreed;
(b) That from 01 April 2024, an increase in garage rents of 15% from the 2023/24 weekly rent level be agreed;
(c) That from 01 April 2024, an increase in shared ownership property rents of 9.4% from the 2023/24 weekly rent level, in accordance with Government guidelines of RPI +0.5%, be agreed, and that the weekly rent of one additional property sold under previous legislation be increased by 7.7%;
(d) That from 01 April 2024 the new disaggregated approach to Service charges, which will reflect transparent and up to date annual charges for all eligible communal and domestic charges incurred by the Council, be agreed;
(e) That the HRA budget, as set out in Appendix 1 of the Cabinet report, be agreed; and
(f) That a Housing Capital Programme to 2026/27, as set out in Appendix 4 of the Cabinet report, be agreed.
Item 3 – Medium Term Financial Plan and Annual Budget
2024/25
The Chairman used his discretion to allow the Leader of the Council and the Leaders of the Opposition Groups only to exceed the time limit for making budget speeches. He highlighted his intention to attempt to facilitate one budget debate on the recommendations from Cabinet and any single alternative proposal, also at his discretion. However, should more than one amendment be tabled, he indicated that these would be dealt with one at a time, for clarity.
The Leader of the Council made a statement on the budget as proposed in the report of the Cabinet dated 21 February 2024, a copy of which is attached to these minutes.
The Leader of the Liberal Democrat Group made a statement and moved an amendment in the form of an alternative budget. Cllr Clark seconded the amendment. A copy of the alternative budget was circulated to all Members as a supplementary agenda item and a copy of the statement made is attached to these minutes.
The Council debated the Cabinet’s budget proposals together with the alternative budget.
The alternative budget was put to a recorded vote, the outcome of which was as follows:-
Voting for:- Cllrs Brand, Clark, Cullen, J Davies, Dowd, Harrison, Haywood, Linford, Mballa, McCarthy, Millar, Osborne, Rackham, Reilly, A Wade, M Wade and Woods.
Voting against:- Cllrs Alvey, Blunden, Clarke, Cleary, Craze, Crisell, S Davies, Dunning, Glass, Hartmann, Hawkins, Heron, Murray, O’Sullivan, Penman, Penny, Poole, Reid, Rickman, Sleep, Thierry, Tipp, Tungate, Ward and Young.
Abstaining:- Cllrs Armstrong, Parker and Richards.
The amendment and alternative budget was lost, 17 in favour, 25 against, 3 abstaining.
The substantive motion of the budget as outlined in the report of the Cabinet dated 21 February 2024 was put to a recorded vote, the outcome of which was as follows:-
Voting for:- Cllrs Alvey, Blunden, Clarke, Cleary, Craze, Crisell, S Davies, Dunning, Glass, Hartmann, Hawkins, Heron, Murray, O’Sullivan, Penman, Penny, Poole, Reid, Richards, Rickman, Sleep, Thierry, Tipp, Tungate, Ward and Young.
Voting against:- Cllrs Brand, Clark, Cullen, J Davies, Dowd, Harrison, Haywood, Linford, Mballa, McCarthy, Millar, Osborne, Rackham, Reilly, A Wade, M Wade and Woods.
Abstaining:- Cllrs Armstrong and Parker.
The substantive motion and budget as outlined in the report of the Cabinet dated 21 February 2024 was carried, 26 in favour, 17 against, 2 abstaining.
RESOLVED:
That Council agree that:-
(a) The updated MTFP and financial strategy, as set out in the Cabinet report and throughout appendices 1-3, are approved;
(b) There is a General Fund Net Budget Requirement in 2024/25 of £24,513,250, as set out in appendices 5a - d to the Cabinet report;
(c) The New Forest District Council Band D Council Tax for 2024/25 shall be £199.79;
(d) The Council approves the formal determination (appendix 6), as required by the Levelling up and Regeneration Act 2023, to apply Council Tax premiums to dwellings occupied periodically and long-term empty dwellings, for implementation from 1 April 2025;
(e) The General Fund Capital Programme for 2024/25 of £16.579 million, as set out in appendix 7 to the Cabinet report be approved; and
(f) The proposed fees and charges as included at appendix 8 to the Cabinet report be approved.
RESOLVED:
Cabinet recommended to Council that:
i) Officers proceed to take the necessary decisions to implement the service changes for refuse collection, recycling and food waste collections as set out in Section 5 of the Cabinet report, in readiness for commencement of the new service in Spring 2025;
ii) The budget requirements as set out in section 7 of the Cabinet report are approved, noting that these are included in the Council’s Medium Term Financial Plan. Council notes in particular the anticipated service roll out costs for 2025/26 at £1.4 million, with a likely offset of £0.8 - £1.2 million through the receipt of EPR funding, and the additional budget requirement for transitional costs, increasing from £1.224 million to £1.825 million;
iii) Officers continue procurement processes to secure the necessary vehicles, wheeled bins, food caddies and other containers, including ancillary services in order to deliver the new service; and
iv) Officers continue to work with Hampshire County Council and other Hampshire partners to identify the best long-term solution to recycling collections and processing to meet the Government requirements and return to Cabinet for a final decision.
KEY DECISION:
Report to Cabinet and Council
PORTFOLIO:
Environment and Sustainability
ALTERNATIVE OPTIONS CONSIDERED/REJECTED:
As set out in report.
DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST:
None
DISCUSSION:
The Portfolio Holder for Environment and Sustainability introduced the report. He was pleased that financial information had been received from Government in October 2023 and January 2024 which enabled the Council to further develop plans for transforming the waste service. The Council had secured Capital funding from Government and refined the roll out plan for the new waste service. Further information was awaited information from Government in relation to funding.
The Council could now proceed with the changes to the waste service, which would increase recycling and reduce waste. It was recognised that the service changes were a key Council priority and would manage waste in a more sustainable way.
The Assistant Director – Place Operations outlined the report and highlighted that an update had been provided to Cabinet in December 2023 detailing the position at county and national level in relation to future funding and the legislation regarding the arrangements for the management of waste.
Since December last year, DEFRA had announced the capital funding arrangements in relation to the food waste collection service. The Council had written to DEFRA responding to this, expressing concern about the funding and timing of the roll out arrangements. Modelling work was underway with partners across Hampshire to determine the final position for the recycling services for all authorities across Hampshire.
It was confirmed that the proposed waste service would deliver most of what had been proposed in the agreed Waste Strategy, approved in July 2022. This included the introduction of wheeled bins with a 180 litre bin for residual waste and a 240 litre bin for recycling and these were to be collected on alternate weeks. There was also to be a weekly food waste collection service as required by Government. Glass collections, however would remain a separate collection service which would be collected every 4 weeks in a 55 litre box. There was still some uncertainly about glass collections in the longer term.
The District Council had appealed to DEFRA regarding some of the NFDC requirements for funding which were felt to have been missed. The Government had also provided more information on the intention to provide transition costs for 2024/25 and ongoing revenue costs for 2026 onwards.
It was expected that the Council would receive funding to support the waste service through the Extended Producer Responsibility scheme and it was noted that more information would be available later in the year.
It was highlighted that within the financial implications of the report, glass collection costs were shown separately as this element might be included within the collection of other recycling materials at a later date. If this was introduced, there would be a financial saving.
Finally, the Assistant Director Place Operations recognised this was a major service change and resources had been put in place to ensure it would be successful and to achieve performance improvements.
A non-executive member questioned how the proposed changes would be communicated to all residents and the timeline for the Communication Strategy. The Assistant Director Place Operations reported that a draft Communication Strategy was being developed and that elements of it would be communicated to local residents in the near future. It was confirmed that a range of communication methods would be used for this fundamental service change, including physical information being sent to householders. There would be a phased approach ahead of the service change. It was confirmed that the funding had been allocated to deliver this.
Other non-executive members welcomed the report and recognised the importance of good communication in relation to the service changes, in particular for those residents who would not receive the core service. The issue of glass collections in the open forest was highlighted to be a problem whereby live stock had access to the glass containers within the recycling boxes. It was suggested that consideration could be given to how this could be resolved, possibly with the provision of a lid for the boxes in the open forest. Another member also highlighted the issues of boxes breaking and being heavy to carry to the kerbside.
The Leader acknowledged the positive work involved in the report presented to Cabinet and welcomed the clarity received from Government to date. She spoke about the Waste Strategy group and expressed her thanks to the Place Operations Strategy and Performance Manager and the members who had been involved in the Task and Finish Group which had considered the waste proposals.