Hillingdon Council Cabinet Member and Officer Decisions
Housing Revenue Account Works to Stock Programme 2022/2023: Warm Safe Dry Workstream – Provision for 300 Food Waste Housing Units for residents living in council owned communal flats to enable recycling of food waste - RELEASE NO: 36
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Democratic Services Location: Phase II Ext: 0692 DDI: 01895 250692 CMD No: 733 To: COUNCILLOR MARTIN GODDARD CABINET MEMBER FOR FINANCE COUNCILLOR EDDIE LAVERY CABINET MEMBER FOR RESIDENTS’ SERVICES COUNCILLOR JONATHAN BIANCO CABINET MEMBER FOR PROPERTY, HIGHWAYS AND TRANSPORT c.c. All Members of th e Residents’ Services Select Committee c.c. Anna Humphries – Place Directorate c.c. Perry Scott – Corporate Director of Place Date: 20 March 2023 Non-Key Decision request Form D CAPITAL RELEASE REPORT (February 2023) DEPARTMENT: Waste/ Place SERVICE AREA/ PROGRAMME: Housing Revenue Account Works to Stock Programme 2022/ 2023: Warm Safe Dry Workstream – Provision for 300 Food Waste Housing Units for residents living in Council-owned communal flats to enable recycling of food waste. RELEASE NO: 36 Dear Cabinet Member Attached is a report requesting that a decision be made by you as an individual Cabinet Member. Democratic Services confirm that this is not a key decision, as such, the Local Authorities (Executive Arrangements) (Meetings and Access to Information) (England) Regulations 2012 notice period does not apply. You should take a decision on or after Tuesday 28 March 2023 in order to meet Constitutional requirements about publication of decisions that are to be made. You may wish to discuss the report with the Corporate Director before it is made. Please indicate your decision on the duplicate memo supplied, and return it to me when you hav e made your decision. I will then arrange for the formal notice of decision to be published. Ryan Dell Democratic Services Officer Title of Report: Housing Revenue Account Works to Stock Programme 2022/ 2023: Warm Safe Dry Workstream – Provision for 300 Food Waste Housing Units for residents living in Council-owned communal flats to enable recycling of food waste. RELEASE NO: 36 Decision made: Reasons for your decision: (e.g. as stated in report) Alternatives considered and rejected: (e.g. as stated in report) Signed ……………………………………………………… Date……………………. Cabinet Member for Finance / Cabinet Member for Residents ’ Services / Cabinet Member for Property, Highways and Transport Capital Release Report – 20 March 2023 Page 1 Part I - Public CAPITAL RELEASE REPORT (February 2023) DEPARTMENT: Waste/ Place SERVICE AREA/ PROGRAMME: Housing Revenue Account Works to Stock Programme 2022/ 2023: Warm Safe Dry Workstream – Provision for 300 Food Waste Housing Units for residents living in Council-owned communal flats to enable recycling of food waste. RELEASE NO: 36 Cabinet Members Councillor Martin Goddard Councillor Eddie Lavery Councillor Jonathan Bianco Cabinet Portfolios Cabinet Member for Finance Cabinet Member for Residents’ Services Cabinet Member for Property, Highways and Transport Officer Contact Anna Humphries – Place Directorate Papers with report Appendix A with capital release requests for approval HEADLINES Summary To seek Cabinet Member approval for the release of capital funds. On 28 December 2022 Cabinet Members accepted the tender from Glasdon UK Limited to be the supplier of food waste housing units for communal food waste recycling. Putting our Residents First Delivering on the Council Strategy 2022-2026 This report supports our ambition for residents/ the Council of: Live in a sustainable borough that is carbon neutral This report supports our commitments to residents of: A Green and Sustainable Borough Financial Cost This report seeks the release of £ 167k from the Housing Revenue Account Works to Stock Programme 2022/ 2023: Warm Safe Dry Workstream for the provision of 300 Food Waste Housing Units for residents living in C ouncil-owned communal flats to enable the recycling of food waste. The works will commence upon release of the funds and are due for completion by 03/2024. Relevant Select Committee Residents’ Services Select Committee. Relevant Wards All. Capital Release Report – 20 March 2023 Page 2 Part I - Public RECOMMENDATIONS That the Cabinet Member for Finance, the Cabinet Member for Residents’ Services and the Cabinet Member for Property, Highways and Transport agree to the following capital release requests of £167k from the Warm Safe Dry workstream within the Housing Revenue Account Works to Stock Programme 2022/23 capital budget for the provision of 300 Food Waste Housing Units for residents living in C ouncil-owned communal flats to enable the recycling of food waste. (Appendix A). Reasons for recommendation Hillingdon's most recently published recycling rate was 37.4% for the 2019/20 financial year. In order to meet the London-wide target of recycling 50% of household waste by 2025, the Council must make its recycling services even more accessible to all residents. The recycling team has been enhancing facilities at Hillingdon’s High Rise and Low to Medium Rise Block properties by introducing new recycling bins and signs and improving the location of the bins to make it easier for residents of these flats to recycle their waste more effectively. The introduction of food waste facilities to flats will not only complement existing recycling services but should also provide the opportunity for cost savings via diversion of food waste (which when segregated attracts a significantly lower gate fee) from the residual stream. More detail regarding the potential cost impact of the recommendation is provided within the Financial Implications section of this report. The Council has also committed to the Climate Action Plan to protect and enhance the environment, and to provide a brighter prospect for future generations. Recycling food waste will contribute to reducing carbon emissions, linking in with objective C5, Waste Management, of the plan. Alternative options considered An alternative option is not to recycle food waste in flats and for residents to continue to place food in their residual waste. This option is not desired as (i) residual waste disposal costs are much higher than those for segregated food waste and (ii) is not consistent with the London Environment Strategy target that separate food waste collections should be provided to all properties, including purpose-built flats, by 2024. There is a risk that this option would have legal implications given that The Environment Act 2021 includes a requirement for every household to receive a separate food waste collection service. A waste composition analysis conducted in November 2022 indicated that food waste accounted for c.38% of the communal residual material collected from flats. As disposal costs for residual waste are significantly higher than those for recycling food waste this situation is detrimental to the Council’s waste budgets. Democratic compliance/ previous authority On 28 December 2022 Cabinet Members accepted the tender from Glasdon UK Limited to be the supplier of food waste housing units for communal food waste recycling for the London Borough of Hillingdon for a 2-year period at a value of £334,674. Capital Release Report – 20 March 2023 Page 3 Part I - Public Cabinet Members also agreed that this included the provision to extend the contract for a further 2-year period with any extension to be authorised by the Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member for Resident’s Services, in consultation with the Corporate Director of Place. Select Committee comments None at this stage. SUPPORTING INFORMATION The London Environment Strategy, the Environment Bill and the Waste and Resources Strategy for England have all set challenging targets in terms of minimising waste and increasing recycling. The London Borough of Hillingdon has also recently declared a Climate Emergency, pledging to reduce its environmental impact ahead of national milestones. Forthcoming legislative changes under the Environmental Bill require that all properties must have access to recycling services within the next couple of years, including separate food waste recycling. The proposed installation of food waste units for flats is consistent with the London Environmental Strategy objective of maximising recycling rates, providing suitable facilities to these properties and enabling more residents to recycle simply and effectively. The segregated food waste service is predominantly a waste reduction measure, with cost benefits also derived from diversion away from residual material. Investment in food waste recycling presents an opportunity for disposal savings through better waste segregation. Successful installation of the units, effective communications and engagement and constant monitoring, should help maximise savings. The current unit costs for disposal of residual and segregated food waste are shown below: Category Disposal cost per tonne Saving per tonne when recycled Residual Waste £124.23 n/a Food Waste £9.98 £114.25 Based on the results from the recent trials within six sites, it is estimated that on an annualised basis, diversion of food waste from the residual stream across 600 sites could generate a disposal cost saving of c.£107k. Though food waste tonnage from flats fluctuates from week to week and seasonally, a minimum average has been calculated at 30kgs per unit per week. Implementation Plan The aim is to roll out 25 units per month over the next two years, once approved and supplier units have been manufactured. Approval for the first year’s capital release is within this paper for 300 units; another approval for the second year’s supply of 300 units will be prepared in a capital release ready for March 2024. Financial Implications Budget £923k, Previously Released/ Pending Release £ 756k, Capital Release Requested £167k - Appendix A Capital Release Report – 20 March 2023 Page 4 Part I - Public The 2022/23 HRA (Housing Revenue Account) Capital Programme, approved by Cabinet and Council in February 2022, includes a capital budget for the Works to Stock programme of £20,023k. In July 2022, Cabinet approved the rephasing of £7,575k from the 2021/22 HRA Capital Programme, of which, £7,058k has been rephased into the 2022/23 Programme and £517k rephased into 2023/24 Programme. In December 2022, Cabinet approved the rephasing of £11,050k from the 2022/23 Works to Stock Capital Programme into the 2023/24 Works to Stock Capital Programme. This gives a revised capital budget for the Works to Stock 2022/23 Capital Programme of £16,031k. Within this, the Warm Safe Dry workstream budget is £923k. Previously, a total of £929k has been released or is pending release from the Warm Safe Dry workstream for: • the upgrade of obsolete door entry systems. • The upgrade of Warden Call Systems. • The upgrade of CCTV installations at various housing locations. • The planned remedial works at Barden Court Sheltered Housing Scheme; and, • The installation of improved recycling facilities infrastructure for 14 Low to Medium Rise Block General Housing Needs Sites. • External damp and internal mould remedial works required at 44 Longmead Road, Hayes. Of the £929k previously released, £173k relates to projects that have been approved to be rephased into the 2023/24 Works to Stock Capital Programme, which gives a revised released figure of £756k. This report is seeking the release of £167k for the provision of 300 food waste housing units for residents living in C ouncil-owned communal flats to enable the recycling of food waste. The release request is based upon the rates contained within the approved contract for the provision of communal food waste recycling for the London Borough of Hillingdon Housing properties. The award of contract to Glasdon UK Limited for the supply of food waste housin g units for communal food waste recycling for the London Borough of Hillingdon for a 2- year period at a value of £334,674 was approved by Cabinet Member s on 28 December 2022 with the contract coming into effect from 01 January 2023. This is the first release request in relation to the contract, with the second release expected to be requested the following year in line with the 2- year planned programme. The unit cost of disposing of segregated food waste (via the West London Waste Authority’s Pay- As-You-Throw mecha nism) is significantly lower than that for residual waste. As addressed above, food waste tonnages from flats will be tracked closely during the implementation period and the resulting disposal cost reductions reviewed and reflected as part of monthly budg et monitoring activity. The service estimates, based on food waste trial activity to date, that annualised savings once all 600 units have been installed, could be c.£107k. In the short term, cost reductions are expected to part fund two (recently approved) new recycling officer posts, with any additional savings generated contributing towards the service’s MTFF targets in 2023/24 and beyond. Capital Release Report – 20 March 2023 Page 5 Part I - Public RESIDENT BENEFIT & CONSULTATION The provision of the food waste housing units has no direct impact on the day -to-day service delivery of the weekly collection of household waste and recycling by the Council's in- house refuse collection teams. In line with the Council's vision of ‘Putting Our Residents First’, the food waste housing units will allow residents to benefit from being able to segregate and recycle food from flats. Diverting this waste enables the Council to turn food waste into green energy, reducing harm to the environment. Consultation carried out or required None required. CORPORATE CONSIDERATIONS Corporate Finance Corporate finance has reviewed the report and concurs with the financial implications set out above, noting that the recommended action to agree a release of £ 167k for the provision of 300 food waste housing units for residents living in C ouncil-owned communal flats to enable the recycling of food waste will be funded from the approved 2022/23 Housing Revenue Works to Stock capital budget. Investment in the food waste housing units presents an opportunity for disposal cost reductions within revenue budgets via improved waste segregation and diversion of material from residual waste ; this will be tracked closely during the implementation period and the resulting disposal cost reductions reviewed and reflected as part of monthly budget monitoring In th e short term , cost reductions are expected to part fund two (recently approved) new recycling officer posts, with any additional savings generated contributing towards the service’s MTFF targets in 2023/24 and beyond. Legal Legal Services confirms that the Council is responsible for carrying out this function pursuant to Section 12 of the Housing Act 1985. Thus, there are no legal impediments to the capital release being authorised, noting that the relevant contract that was entered into co mplied with the Council's Procurement and Contract Standing Orders. Capital Release Protocol The release of all capital funds, and certain revenue funds, held by the Council is to be made by a formal democratic decision . No expenditure can be placed or committed by officers until this formal approval is given by Democratic Services. Release of funds must be for identified projects only and strictly not for the general release of funds for projects to be identified at a later date. No block releases of capital or funding will be allowed , except if authorised by the Leader of the Council in advance to Corporate Finance . The release of funds will only be made if previous Council, Cabinet or Cabinet Member agreement has been given to the project and only if there is an approved budget. BACKGROUND PAPERS NIL. Capital Release Report – 20 March 2023 Page 6 Part I - Public APPENDIX A Housing Revenue Accounts Works to Stock 2022/23 Programme - Warm Safe Dry: For the provision of 300 food waste housing units for residents living in Council-owned communal flats to enable the recycling of food waste. Release No 36 Location Project/ Expenditure Title Information Funds Release Sought £000’s Appro ve Hold More Information Required Borough wide The Contract for Food Waste Housing Units for residents living in communal flats to recycle Food Waste. 300 X Glasdon Food Waste Units for communal food waste recycling for the London Borough of Hillingdon owned communal flats. 167 Total seeking release 167 Previously released 756 Budget 923 Remaining budget 0
View Decision / Minutes Text
Executive Decision Notice – 12 April 2023 Page 1
This notice is a public document also available to view on the Council's website www.hillingdon.gov.uk
OFFICIAL EXECUTIVE DECISION NOTICE
PUBLISHED BY DEMOCRATIC SERVICES
Notice is hereby given that the following decision(s) have been made today by
Cabinet Members at the London Borough of Hillingdon:
Title of decision
CAPITAL RELEASE REPORT (February 2023)
DEPARTMENT: Waste/ Place
SERVICE AREA/ PROGRAMME: Housing Revenue Account
Works to Stock Programme 2022/ 2023: Warm Safe Dry
Workstream – Provision for 300 Food Waste Housing Units
for residents living in Council-owned communal flats to
enable recycling of food waste.
RELEASE NO: 36
Reference No. 733
Date of decision Wednesday 12 April 2023
Call-in expiry date Wednesday 19 April 2023
Relevant Select
Committee
Residents’ Services Select Committee
Relevant Wards All Wards
Decision made
Cabinet Members
making the decision
Councillor Martin Goddard – Cabinet Member for Finance
Councillor Eddie Lavery – Cabinet Member for Residents’
Services
Councillor Jonathan Bianco – Cabinet Member for Property,
Highways and Transport
Approved
That the Cabinet Member for Finance, the Cabinet Member
for Residents’ Services and the Cabinet Member for
Property, Highways and Transport agree d to the following
capital release requests of £167k from the Warm Safe Dry
workstream within the Housing Revenue Account Works to
Stock Programme 2022/23 capital budget for the provision
of 300 Food Waste Housing Units for residents living in
Council-owned communal flats to enable the recycling of
food waste. (Appendix A of the associated report).
Reason for decision Hillingdon's most recently published recycling rate wa s 37.4%
for the 2019/20 financial year. In order to meet the London-wide
target of recycling 50% of household waste by 2025, the Council
must make its recycling services even more accessible to all
residents. The recycling team has been enhancing facilities at
Hillingdon’s High Rise and Low to Medium Rise Block properties
by introducing new recycling bins and signs and improving the
location of the bins to make it easier for residents of these flats
to recycle their waste more effectively. The introduction of food
Executive Decision Notice – 12 April 2023 Page 2
This notice is a public document also available to view on the Council's website www.hillingdon.gov.uk
waste facilities to flats will not only complement existing
recycling services but should also provide the opportunity for
cost s avings via diversion of food waste (which when
segregated attracts a significantly lower gate fee) from the
residual stream.
More detail regarding the potential cost impact of the
recommendation is provided within the Financial Implications
section of this report.
The Council has also committed to the Climate Action Plan to
protect and enhance the environment, and to provide a brighter
prospect for future generations. Recycling food waste will
contribute to reducing carbon emissions, linking in with objective
C5, Waste Management, of the plan.
Alternative options
considered and
rejected
An alternative option is not to recycle food waste in flats and for
residents to continue to place food in their residual waste. This
option is not desired as (i) residual waste disposal costs are
much higher than those for segregated food waste and (ii) is not
consistent with the London Environment
Strategy target that
separate food waste collections should be provided to all
properties, including purpose-built flats, by 2024. There is a risk
that this option would have legal implications given that The
Environment Act 2021 includes a requirement fo r every
household to receive a separate food waste collection service.
A waste composition analysis conducted in November 2022
indicated that food waste accounted for c.38% of the communal
residual material collected from flats. As disposal costs for
residual waste are significantly higher than those for recycling
food waste this situation is detrimental to the Council’s waste
budgets.
Classification Part I – Public
Link to associated
report
Here.
Relevant Officer
contact & Directorate
Anna Humphries – Place Directorate
Any interest declared
by the Cabinet
Member(s) /
dispensation granted
N/A
Implementation of decision & scrutiny call-in
[Internal Use only]
When can this
decision be
implemented by
officers?
Officers can implement Cabinet Member decision in this notice
only from the expiry of the scrutiny call-in period which is:
5pm on Wednesday 19 April 2023
Executive Decision Notice – 12 April 2023 Page 3
This notice is a public document also available to view on the Council's website www.hillingdon.gov.uk
However, this is subject to the decision not being called in by
Councillors on the relevant Select Committee. Upon receipt of a
valid call-in request, Democratic Services will immediately advise
the relevant officer(s) and the decision must then be put on hold.
Councillor scrutiny
call-in of this
decision
Councillors on the relevant Select Committee shown in this notice
may request to call -in this decision. The request must be before
the expiry of the scrutiny call-in period above.
Councillors should use the Scrutiny Call -in App (link below) on
their devices to initiate any call-in request. Further advice can be
sought from Democratic Services if required:
Scrutiny Call-In - Power Apps (secure)
Further information These decisions, where applicable, have been taken under The
Local Authorities (Executive Arrangements) (Meetings and
Access to Information) (England) Regulations 2012.
This is the formal notice by the Council of the above executive
decision, including links to the reports where applicable.
If you would like more information on this decision, please contact
Democratic Services on 01895 250636 or email:
democratic@hillingdon.gov.uk.
Circulation of this decision notice is to a variety of people including
Members of the Council, Corporate Directors, Officers, Group
Secretariats and the Public. Copies are also placed on the
Council’s website.
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