Hillingdon Council Cabinet Member and Officer Decisions
Outcome of the consultation on the introduction of charges for Garden Waste Collection Service and decision on way forward
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Democratic Services Location: Phase II Ext: 0185 DDI: 01895 250185 CMD No: 1428 To: COUNCILLOR EDDIE LAVERY CABINET MEMBER FOR COMMUNITY & ENVIRONMENT COUNCILLOR MARTIN GODDARD CABINET MEMBER FOR FI NANCE & TRANSFORMATION c.c. All Members of th e Residents’ Services Select Committee c.c. Karrie Whelan – Corporate Director of Place c.c. Nicola Herbert – Place Directorate Date: 20 May 2025 Non-Key Decision request Form D Outcome of the consultation on the introduction of charges for Garden Waste Collection Service and decision on way forward Dear Cabinet Members, 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 Thursday 29 May 2025 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 have made your decision. I will then arrange for the formal notice of decision to be published. Liz Penny Democratic Services Title of Report: Outcome of the consultation on the introduction of charges for Garden Waste Collection Service and decision on way forward 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 Community & Environment / Cabinet Member for Finance & Transformation Cabinet Member Report – 20 May 2025 Page 1 Part 1 Public Outcome of the consultation on the introduction of charges for Garden Waste Collection Service and decision on way forward Cabinet Member & Portfolio Cllr Eddie Lavery, Cabinet Member for Community and Environment Councillor Martin Goddard, Cabinet Member for Finance & Transformation Responsible Officer Karrie Whelan – Corporate Director of Place Report Author & Directorate Nicola Herbert – Place Directorate Papers with report Summary of Consultation Responses Equality and Human Rights Impact Assessment HEADLINES Summary This report presents the outcome of the consultation for due consideration and recommends the introduction of an annual charge to properties which subscribe to the service in order to continue using the existing garden waste collection service from June 2025 onwards. Putting our Residents First Delivering on the Council Strategy 2022-2026 This report supports our ambition for residents / the Council of: An efficient, well-run, digital-enabled council working with partners to deliver services to improve the lives of all our residents This report supports our commitments to residents of: A Digital-Enabled, Modern, Well-Run Council Financial Cost Subject to the decision, the introduction of a charge for the collection of garden waste would offset the current cost of delivering the service which is estimated at £2.5m in order to deliver a £2.5m MTFS saving as agreed within the 25/26 budget. Select Committee Residents’ Services Select Committee Ward(s) All Cabinet Member Report – 20 May 2025 Page 2 Part 1 Public RECOMMENDATIONS That the Cabinet Member for Community & Environment, in conjunction with the Cabinet Member for Finance and Transformation: 1) Consider the responses and petition received from the consultation exercise relating to the introduction of garden waste charges and the associated Equalities & Human Rights Impact Assessment; 2) Approve the introduction of a fee for residents who wish to continue to use the existing garden waste collection service from June 2025 onwards; 3) Approve a subscription charge of £70 for the period of June 2025 to March 2026 and; 4) Delegate future decision s regarding the implementation of the service to the Corporate Director of Place, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Community and Environment Reasons for recommendation(s) Like all local authorities, Hillingdon continues to face significant financial challenges following increased service demands and continuing reduction in grant funding from central government . The Council must consider a number of options to reduce the budget deficit in future years, with a significant budget savings target across the authority in 2025/26. Waste Disposal Levy & Contracts are currently forecast to increase by £1.6m in 2025/26, rising by a further £2.6m per annum to 2029/30. Legislative changes, including the proposed introduction of a Deposit Return Scheme from October 2027, and the inclusion of Energy from Waste within the Emissions Trading Scheme from 2028, will have a significant impact on the cost per tonne paid for the disposal of waste that the Borough collects in the coming years. It is therefore necessary to consider the introduction of a charge for the existing garden waste service in order to ensure a sustainable operating model for the future whilst continuing to deliver value for money services. The proposed charge will provide a service of significantly better value for money than in neighbouring authorities. Hillingdon Council increased the collection frequency to weekly for garden waste, without charge, to all kerbside properties in 2013, with eligible properties being provided with three heavy duty sacks in which to store their garden waste and present it at the kerbside for collection. Properties with larger gardens can request an additional three sacks. In 2024/25, 11,320 tonnes of garden waste were collected from residential properties across the Borough. In December 2024, the Council reduced the frequency of garden waste collections to fortnightly during December, January, and February only. This was following a review of data collected during the past three years which evidenced a distinct drop off in the tonnage of garden waste Cabinet Member Report – 20 May 2025 Page 3 Part 1 Public collected during the winter months, by, on average, more than 50 per cent. This saving contributed £105k to the 24/25 Medium Term Financial Strategy (MTFS) savings programme. Whilst it is not currently a legislative requirement for local authorities to collect garden waste from residential properties, the introduction of the national ‘Simpler Recycling’ policy does mandate that, from April 2026, all waste collection authorities must provide a separate garden waste collection service. However, waste collection authorities only have a duty to collect garden waste if the household has requested the service and paid any related charges. Currently, more than 80% of local authorities in the UK levy a charge for the collection of garden waste. Currently, the garden waste collection service is only available to kerbside properties and small blocks of flats (5 or less properties). From June 2025, all residential properties will be eligible to subscribe to the garden waste service, subject to having the ability to present their waste in a suitable, safe, and accessible location. Alternative options considered / risk management 1) To reduce the frequency of collections from weekly to fortnightly throughout the year without implementing a collection charge. However, th is option would only guarantee a n 11% reduction on the current cost to deliver the service and is therefore not a sustainable operating model against future rising costs. 2) The cost to dispose of segregated garden waste is £40.18 per tonne, compared to £146.22 per tonne for general waste. Therefore, it is a risk that if garden waste is disposed of within the general waste this will impact the ability to maximise savings outlined within this proposal. Under section 46 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990, a waste collection authority may determine the way in which households present their waste for collection. Hillingdon, as a waste collection authority has determined under its waste collection policy that Garden Waste is not accepted within black bag waste. Any black bags which contain garden waste will not be collected . To ensure that this is effectively communicated , upon introduction of the charge, a sticker notifying the household of this will be applied to any black bags which contain Garden Waste or other items which are not accepted. Officers will continue to monitor waste collection data, including reports from crews, tonnage reports, and waste composition analysis . Should any new trends emerge, these shall be reported with future recommendations for policy change as required. 3) A number of respondents to the public consultation raised concerns regarding an increase in fly-tipping due to the implementation of a charge for the garden waste collection service. Benchmarking has been carried out against local authorities which have already implemented a chargeable garden waste service which demonstrates that there is no clear correlation with the introduction of garden waste charges and increased fly-tipping. Democratic compliance / previous authority Cabinet Members have the authority to consider this matter . In recommending its budget proposals for 2025/26, Cabinet on 20 th February 2025 also agreed that proposals to charge for Cabinet Member Report – 20 May 2025 Page 4 Part 1 Public green waste collection be subject to consultation and authority be delegated to the Cabinet Member for Community & Environment, in conjunction with the Cabinet Member for Finance & Transformation, to decide on such matters after considering the outcome of that consultation. A four-week online consultation was held from 3 rd to 31st March 2025 to understand current use of the service, and preference on how the service should operate if a charge were to be introduced. 8,242 responses were received. 26 individuals requested a paper copy of the consultation, and a further 78 contacts were received via email, website feedback , letter , or telephone to provide additional feedback. Details of the consultation responses and additional feedback are included within the consultation and engagement section of this report. An e-Petition has been received, within 1,181 signatories objecting to the Council's proposals to charge for garden waste collection. Details of the petition are included within the supporting information section of this report for due consideration in accordance with the Council’s Petition Scheme. Select Committee comments None at this stage. SUPPORTING INFORMATION Service provision With the exception of the introduction of an annual charge, no further changes to the service are recommended at this time. If the recommendation to introduce a charge is approved: • Residents will be able to subscribe to the service by making a payment online or by phone and agreeing to the terms and conditions of the service. Subscriptions will remain open until December. • Residents will be informed of the need to subscribe to the service via the Council’s website, a borough wide leaflet drop, social media platforms, and advertising on public boards across the Borough and within Council buildings, such as libraries and leisure centres. • Once subscribed, properties will be issued with three subscription tags to be attached to their current garden waste sacks in order to identify that they have subscribed. Properties with larger gardens can request an additional three tags. Residents will be encouraged to write their property details onto each identification tag. • Subscribing properties will be identified to the collection teams via the existing in- cab software. • Once a property has signed up and paid for the service, the garden waste collection will continue to be undertaken in line with the current collection arrangements. • Assisted collections will continue for those residents subscribing to the scheme, and properties will continue to be able to notify the Council if they need this support. • P roperties that choose not to subscribe to the service will be encouraged to compost their garden waste at home or take their garden waste to one of the boroughs recycling centres. Cabinet Member Report – 20 May 2025 Page 5 Part 1 Public • Properties that have subscribed will be reminded in advance when the existing subscription period is ending and will be invited to resubscribe for the following year. • The subscription fee will be considered annually in line with the Council’s current fees and charges review process. • Only properties that have subscribed will be able to request replacement garden waste sacks via the website. • Existing garden waste sacks that are no longer required will be removed if they are placed into a black bag and presented on the properties normal collection day. Sacks can be retained by non-subscribing properties to be used at home or to transfer garden waste to one of the borough’s recycling centres. Estimated uptake 17% of respondents to the consultation indicated that they would subscribe to the collection service if a charge was introduced. Take up of garden waste subscription services varies significantly across the UK, ranging from 10% to 45%, and is influenced by a complex interplay of financial, environmental, convenience, service quality, social, and personal factors. Given that Hillingdon is one of the greenest boroughs in London, with one of the highest proportions of private and communal gardens, it is estimated that up to 30% of properties could subscribe to the garden waste service. Establishing a fair charge The purpose of introducing a charge for the collection of garden waste is to ensure that the service is sustainable and protected against future rising costs. The cost to the Council to provide the current service is c.£2.5m per annum inclusive of collection and disposal costs. When asked ‘ What would you consider to be a fair charge for the weekly collection of garden waste?’ 12% of respondents to the consultation selected either £70, or more than £70 per year, with 88% of respondents indicating that they did not view £70 per year as a fair charge for a weekly collection. Of the seven local authorities that border Hillingdon, all currently charge for the collection of garden waste. To ascertain if the proposed charge of £70 could be considered as fair, benchmarking was undertaken to review the charge applied at each of the neighbouring boroughs, and the number of collections to be completed in 2025/26. The benchmarking exercise demonstrates that per collection, Hillingdon ’s charge would be 61 pence cheaper than the lowest neighbouring borough’s charge, and £3.09 cheaper than the highest neighbouring borough’s charge. With the provision of three sacks per property, and three additional sacks if required, the capacity per collection is also up to 300 litres more than all of the neighbouring boroughs. Cabinet Member Report – 20 May 2025 Page 6 Part 1 Public Borough No. of collections Subscription Fee Cost per collection Ealing 21 £98.20 £4.68 Spelthorne 23 £70 £3.04 Hounslow 25 £75 £3.00 Three Rivers 25 £70 £2.80 Harrow 25 £69 £2.76 Buckinghamshire 23 £62 £2.70 Slough 25 £55 £2.20 Hillingdon 44 £70 £1.59 Petition details As part of the consultation period, an e-Petition was received objecting to the Council's proposals to charge for garden waste collection, as detailed below. It received a total of 1, 181 signatories of Borough residents and is deemed valid, as exceeding the threshold of 100 signatories, in order for the Council to duly consider it as part of its Petition Scheme. The e-Petition was submitted and ran from 14th March 2025 and finished on 31st March 2025 to coincide with the timing of the wider public consultation: "Objection to Charging for Garden Waste Collection’’ We the undersigned petition Hillingdon Council to Objection Against the Introduction of Charging in 2025/26 for the Collection of a Household's Garden Waste in the London Borough of Hillingdon We the undersigned petition Hillingdon Council to stop the proposed change to introduce a £70 charge for 2025/26 for the collection of a household's garden waste in the London Borough of Hillingdon Key Objections Against the Proposed Change: 1. With the high cost of living, the London Borough of Hillingdon should not be imposing a charge on residents to collect their garden waste 2. The charge for the collection of a household's garden waste would place a significant additional financial burden on households in Hillingdon 3. Residents in the London Borough of Hillingdon already pay a sufficient and increased financial contribution in council tax 4. Additional burdens will be placed on residents who decide not to subscribe to the new system of charging as they will be obliged to take their garden waste to the civic amenity sites within the borough. 5. The charge on residents to collect their garden waste is divisive as the cost of the collection of a household's garden waste will not be shared equally by all taxpayers within the Borough 6. The ‘Garden waste collection service consultation’ is biased, unfair and undemocratic as it does not allow residents to opt out of the charge for 2025/26 for the collection of a household's garden waste. 7. The London Borough of Hillingdon state that they “are proposing [the] change to our garden waste collection service to make it more sustainable”. However, it is highly likely that the introduction of charging will have the opposite effect as it will encour age potential fly -tipping and the burning of green waste and additional journeys to the Borough’s civic amenity sites." Cabinet Member Report – 20 May 2025 Page 7 Part 1 Public The key objections against the proposed charge were considered alongside the responses to the public consultation. Increasing demand for services, and continuing reductions in funding from central government has necessitated the council to consider the introduction of a charge in order to ensure that the garden waste collection service is financially sustainable and protected against rising costs to deliver all waste and recycling services. In consideration of the financial impact that this may have on residents, a benchmarking exercise has been completed to ensure that the subscription offers good value for money compared to neighbouring boroughs. The provision of a free of charge collection service is not a statutory function, and alternative disposal methods exist including home composting, and free of charge disposal at each of the boroughs recycling centres. The council levies a charge for some non- statutory services to support the continued delivery of these services which many residents value. The consultation exercise was carried out to understand views regarding the proposed introduction of a charge for the service, with respondents asked to indicate how strongly they agreed or disagreed with the introduction of a charge. Residents that do not wish to subscribe to the service, if introduced, may opt out of doing so. Collection routes will be optimised to minimise emissions. It is also expected that the introduction of a charge will result in an increased number of properties composting their garden waste at home. Financial Implications This report recommends the introduction of a fee for residents who wish to continue to use the existing Garden Waste collection service from June 2025. The proposal was included in the 2025-26 MTFS with an associated saving of £2.5m, subject to a consultation which has now concluded. It is estimated that 30% of residential properties within the Borough will join the scheme and pay the proposed £70 annual char ge. The introduction of the fee will reduce the current cost of delivering the Garden Waste Service and contribute to delivery of the MTFS. Cabinet Member Report – 20 May 2025 Page 8 Part 1 Public The table below shows costs associated with the implementation of the scheme: Expenditure Description Amount £’000 Agency / Consultant Causeway – In cab service system integration 5 Agency / Consultant 2 x Support Officers to provide administrative and customer service support – Fixed Term 3 Months 25 Agency / Consultant Delivery Drivers 30 Other Communication 30 Other Tags for Bags 43 Other Delivery Resources (Vans, Fuel, Equipment) 5 TOTAL 138 The strategy is to fund the £138k of implementation costs from transformation capitalisation. RESIDENT BENEFIT & CONSULTATION The benefit or impact upon Hillingdon residents, service users and communities The introduction of a charge for the existing service will ensure a sustainable operating model for the garden waste collection service, protecting front line operational services against future rising costs. The continuation of weekly collections from March to November ensures value for money in comparison to similar services provided by neighbouring boroughs . The inclusion of flatted properties within the new garden waste collection subscription service will increase accessibility to services. As the current garden waste service does not require a subscription, the council does not hold data about the protected characteristics of the existing users. The Equalities and Human Rights Impact Assessment , which is included within the appendices of this report , highlights that subscribers will be invited to provide additional information when subscribing to the chargeable service. This will enable monitoring, which will be carried out at regular intervals, and any further recommendations will be provided. Consultation & engagement carried out (or required) A four-week consultation was held from 3 rd to 31st March 2025 to understand current use of the service and views on how the service should operate if a charge is introduced. 8,242 responses were received. 26 individuals requested a paper copy of the consultation, and a further 78 contacts were received via email, website feedback, letter, or telephone to provide additional feedback. Questions 1 - 12 of the consultation were included to help consider any disproportionate impact of introducing a charge. Questions 13 - 17 were included in order to understand use of the current garden waste service. Questions 18 - 27 were included to understand respondents ’ views on the introduction of a charge, and what their preference would be should a charge be introduced. Cabinet Member Report – 20 May 2025 Page 9 Part 1 Public Question 28 - 29 were included to understand accessibility for sign up. The responses to questions 18 - 27 are detailed below, with the full consultation summary included within the appendices of this report: Q18. Should households, which do not have gardens, continue to contribute to the garden waste removal service as part of their council tax? Yes: 4,448 (53.9%) No: 2,359 (28.6%) Don’t know: 1,445 (17.5%) Q19. In London, some boroughs charge up to £98 per annum for fortnightly garden waste collections. What would you consider to be a fair charge for the weekly collection of garden waste? Less than £70 per year: 7,272 (88.1%) £70 per year: 903 (10.9%) More than £70 per year: 77 (0.9%) Q20. In London, some boroughs charge up to £98 per annum for fortnightly garden waste collections. What would you consider to be a fair charge for the fortnightly collection of garden waste? Less than £70 per year: 7,917 (95.9%) £70 per year: 314 (3.8%) More than £70 per year: 21 (0.3%) Q21. If you do not subscribe to the garden waste collection service, how would you dispose of your garden waste? I would subscribe: 1,426 (17.3%) Take it to the recycling centre: 2,120 (25.7%) Compost at home: 612 (7.4%) I don’t have any garden waste: 66 (0.8%) Fly-tip it: 407 (4.9%) Put it in the general waste: 2,147 (26%) Burn it: 1,018 (12.3%) Use a private collection service: 51 (0.6%) Share with a neighbour: 405 (4.9%) Q22. What type of container would you prefer to use for garden waste collection? Current reusable sacks: 6,900 (83.6%) Different coloured reusable sacks: 257 (3.1%) Biodegradable single use sacks: 280 (3.4%) Wheeled bin: 815 (9.9%) Q23. How regularly would you like a garden waste collection service? Weekly – all year: 618 (7.5%) Weekly, but fortnightly in winter: 3,297 (40%) Weekly, but not collection in winter: 957 (11.6%) Fortnightly – all year: 624 (7.6%) Fortnightly, but monthly in winter: 1,620 (19.6%) Fortnightly, but no collection in winter: 1,136 (13.8%) Cabinet Member Report – 20 May 2025 Page 10 Part 1 Public Q24. If the service was weekly, how much garden waste would you want to be able to recycle at each collection? 240 litres: 4,196 (50.8%) 270 litres: 3,222 (39%) 540 litres: 734 (8.9%) More than 540 litres: 100 (1.2%) Q25. If you regularly produce a large quantity of garden waste, are you likely to subscribe for an additional collection? I would take excess garden waste to the recycling centre or compost it at home: 1,297 (15.7%) I would subscribe for more than one bin or additional sacks at the full price: 86 (1%) I would subscribe for more than one bin or additional sacks if there was a concession: 295 (3.6%) I do not frequently produce excess garden waste: 4,936 (59.8%) Don’t know, but would like the option: 1,638 (19.8%) Q26. What would you do with your current garden waste sacks if you did not subscribe to the collection service? I would subscribe to the service: 1,183 (14.3%) I would keep the sacks to use in the garden or to transport to the recycling centre: 4,790 (58%) I would put them in my black general waste sack: 2,060 (25%) I do not currently have any sacks: 219 (2.7%) Q27. How strongly do you agree/disagree, that in order for the council to continue to provide frontline services, that an opt in chargeable garden waste service be implemented? Strongly agree: 264 (3.2%) Agree: 1,085 (13.1%) Disagree: 1,454 (17.6%) Strongly disagree: 5,087 (61.6%) No opinion: 362 (4.4%) 78 contacts were received via email, website feedback, letter, or telephone to provide additional feedback. The additional feedback received is summarised below: Fairness of charging • Some garden waste is produced from trees and shrubs on neighbouring public or private property. • Many services funded by council tax are not used by everyone. • The service should be included within Council Tax payments Suggestions • Concessions for elderly people, pensioners, or residents in receipt of certain benefits. • Reflect the introduction of a charge in the overall Council Tax charge. Concerns • Increased fly-tipping. Cabinet Member Report – 20 May 2025 Page 11 Part 1 Public • Increased air-pollution related to burning waste and car journeys to recycling centres. • More households may opt to pave their gardens. • Increase in poorly managed private gardens. • Rising household costs. Consultation wording • Believed the questions were leading. • Felt unable to directly object to the charge. • Dissatisfied with the lack of ability to submit additional comments. CORPORATE CONSIDERATIONS Corporate Finance Corporate Finance have reviewed this report and concur with the Financial Implications set out above, noting the recommendations to consider the responses from the consultation on the introduction of garden waste charges and the associated Equalities and Human Rights Impact Assessment, approve the introduction of a fee for residents who wish to continue to use the service from June 2025 onward and approve the subscription charge of £70 for the period of June 2025 to March 2026. Furthermore, it is noted, an estimated 30% of residential properties within the Borough will join the scheme. The 2025/26 approved budget includes a savings target of £2.5m in relation to the charging for garden waste, the introduction of this fee will reduce the current cost of delivering the service and contribute towards this saving target. The demand for the subscription and income achieved will be monitored as part of the monthly monitoring cycle and as part of the wider MTFS, meaning any variation from the target saving will be reported back to Cabinet through this process. It is also noted, the implementation of the scheme will incur a cost of £138k, which will be met from the approved 2025/26 transformation capitalisation budget of £10m, financed by capital receipts. Legal Under section 45(1) of the Environmental Protection Act 1990, it is the duty of the Council, as waste collection authority, to arrange for the collection of household waste. Section 45(3) further provides that no charge shall be made for the collection of household waste except in cases prescribed in regulations, and, in any of those cases, the duty to arrange for the collection of the waste shall not arise until a person who controls the waste (e.g. the resident of a domestic premises) requests the Council to collect it , and that the Council may recover a ‘ reasonable charge’ for the collection of the waste from the person who made the request. Whilst ‘household waste’ includes garden waste in accordance with section 75(5), ‘garden waste’ is prescribed in paragraph 4 of Schedule 1 to the Controlled Waste (England and Wales) Regulations 2012 as household waste for which a collection charge can be imposed by the Council. This report outlines that the proposed £70 subscription fee for collection of household Cabinet Member Report – 20 May 2025 Page 12 Part 1 Public garden waste for the period of June 2025 to March 2026 has been determined to be a reasonable charged in accordance with the benchmarking exercise undertaken in which fees charged and collection rates in comparable local authority areas have been compared. Moreover, the option of depositing garden waste at one of the Council’s waste / recycling centres free of charge, provided pursuant to section 51 of the Environmental Protection Act 1 990, remains open to residents. With respect to the consultation undertaken, it is a requirement that any consultation undertaken by the Council adheres to the legal standard of fairness and adequacy, as underpinned by the Gunning principles, and since supplemented by principles raised in the case of Moseley: (a) The consultation must be at a time when proposals are still at a formative stage (b) Sufficient reasons for any proposal must be given to allow for intelligent consideration and response (c) Adequate time must be given for consideration and response (d) The product of the consultation must be conscientiously taken into account in finalising any decision (e) The amount of detail which must be provided to enable consultees to make a contribution will be influenced by their identity (f) More care is needed when an authority contemplates depriving someone of an existing benefit or advantage than when the person has not yet received that benefit Crucially, when reaching a decision on whether to follow the recommendation to approve the introduction of a fee for residents who wish to continue to use the existing garden waste collection service, with a subscription charge of £70 for the period of June 2025 to March 2026, the decision maker must be satisfied that all the consultation responses, whether in support or opposition of the recommendation, have been taken into account. This will be alongside consideration of other relevant factors, including the petition and analysis points set out in this report. The Council must also be mindful of its public sector equality duty pursuant to section 149 of the Equality Act 2010 and duties as a public authority in respect of human rights protected by the European Convention of Human Rights and Human Rights Act 1998. An equalities and human rights impact assessment has been completed for these purposes. These duties are ongoing and therefore the garden waste collection service must be continually reviewed with this in mind. Moreover, any contract that the Council enters into must comply with the Council’s Procurement Standing Orders. BACKGROUND PAPERS Consultation responses TITLE OF ANY APPENDICES • Summary of consultation responses • Equalities and Human Rights Impact Assessment Appendix - Summary of Consultation Responses Appendix - Equality and Human Rights Impact Assessment A) Description of what is to be assessed and its relevance to equality What is being assessed? Please tick Review of a service Staff restructure Decommissioning a service Changing a policy Tendering for a new service A strategy or plan The introduction of charges for the existing household garden waste collection service Who is accountable? E.g. Head of Service or Corporate Director Nicola Herbert – Head of Waste Services Date assessment completed and approved by accountable person 15th May 2025 Names and job titles of people carrying out the assessment Nicola Herbert – Head of Waste Services A.1) What are the main aims and intended benefits of what you are assessing? The change in policy is for the introduction of a chargeable subscription for the existing garden waste collection service from June 2025. The charge is being introduced to ensure that the service is self-funding and sustainable, ensuring that the service continues to be available to residents despite increasing costs to deliver waste services. This assessment aims to: • Assess the potential impact of the service on different equality groups. • Identify any potential barriers or disadvantages faced by specific groups. • Ensure that the service is designed and delivered in a manner that promotes equality, inclusivity and accessibility for all residents. The EIA supports the strategic objective of delivering the garden waste service in an equitable manner. It aims to eliminate any unjustified or disproportionate barriers that may hinder certain groups from accessing the service, ensuring equal opportunities for all residents. A.2) Who are the service users or staff affected by what you are assessing? What is their equality profile? Currently all residents living in a low-rise property have access to the garden waste service without charge and will therefore be impacted by this change. In addition, residents living in high-rise properties (flats with more than six individual units) were not previously able to access the garden waste collection service. However, under the new chargeable service, they will be able to. Given that the only change compared to the existing garden waste service is that a charge will be levied, this assessment will seek to determine affordability, accessibility to make payment, and alternative options available for the disposal of garden waste. According to the ONS data from 2023, the population of Hillingdon comprises 319,018 people with 50% male, and 50% female. 66% of residents are aged 16-64, with 13% of residents being aged 65 and over. English is the main language spoken for 78% of residents, with 18% of residents able to speak English well or very well. 4% of residents cannot speak English well or at all. There is an 81% employment rate in persons aged 16-64, with 83% of these in full time employment. As the current garden waste collection service does not require a subscription, equality information is not currently captured. Subscribers to the chargeable service will be invited to provide additional information when subscribing which will enable monitoring to be carried out at regular intervals to further consider the impact of this change. A.3) Who are the stakeholders in this assessment and what is their interest in it? Stakeholders Interest All residents with private or communal garden space. All residents are considered to be key stakeholders. Residents have a choice as to whether they subscribe to the garden waste collection service. Those that choose not to subscribe are encouraged to compost their garden waste at home, or to take it to one of the boroughs recycling centres where it can be deposited free of charge. Cabinet members, Councillors, and senior council officers To ensure value for money in service delivery. To ensure a sustainable operating model to protect the future waste collection services. To ensure equal accessibility to services for all residents. A.4) Which protected characteristics or community issues are relevant to the assessment? Age Sex Disability Sexual Orientation Gender reassignment Socio-economic status Marriage or civil partnership Carers Pregnancy or maternity Community Cohesion Race/Ethnicity Community Safety Religion or belief Human Rights B) Consideration of information; data, research, consultation, engagement B.1) Consideration of information and data - what have you got and what is it telling you? Given that there is not currently a requirement to subscribe to the garden waste collection service, the protected characteristics of current users is not known. Subscribers will be invited to provide additional information at the point of subscription to enable further review. Given that the only change to the service that is proposed is the introduction of a charge, the key considerations of any impact will relate to affordability of the service and accessibility to sign up. It is possible that Age, Disability, and Socio-Economic status may be disproportionately impacted. This has been mitigated by ensuring that the charge is good value for money in comparison to neighbouring boroughs that provide a similar service, and through ensuring that residents will be able to sign up via the phone as well as online. Residents that choose not to subscribe to the service will continue to be able to deposit their garden waste at the boroughs recycling centres without charge. Consultation B.2) Did you carry out any consultation or engagement as part of this assessment? NO YES A four-week consultation was held from 3rd to 31st March 2025 to understand current use of the service and views on how the service should operate if a charge is introduced. 8,242 responses were received. 26 individuals requested a paper copy of the consultation, and a further 78 contacts were received via email, website feedback, letter, or telephone to provide additional feedback. 79% of respondents either disagreed or strongly disagreed with the introduction of a charge. In addition, an e-Petition was received objecting to the Council's proposals to charge for garden waste collections. It received a total of 1,181 signatories. The views presented within the consultation responses and the e-Petition were considered alongside the Councils financial challenges following increased service demands, and continuing reductions in grant funding from central government. The proposed charge offers good value for money in comparison to neighbouring boroughs that offer a similar service, whilst ensuring a sustainable operating model for the provision of waste and recycling collection services. B.3) Provide any other information to consider as part of the assessment Legal context The council has a public duty to pay due regard to the need to eliminate discrimination, advance equality of opportunity and foster good relations (Equality Act 2010) Financial context Since 2010, the council has driven a transformation programme across all services aimed at reducing costs and improving efficiency to ensure that in an environment of increased expenditure from population growth and inflationary uplifts we continue to deliver high quality services that put residents first. The council continues to prioritise the delivery of its rigorous savings programme maintaining high standards of resident services, however the latest projections indicate that further savings of £34m will be required during 2025-26 to bridge the budget gap as a result of reducing government funding and the increasing cost of service delivery. The introduction of a charge for the existing garden waste service is expected to contribute £2.5m to the 25/26 MTFF programme. Whilst it is not currently a legislative requirement for local authorities to collect garden waste from residential properties, the introduction of the national ‘Simpler Recycling’ policy does mandate that from April 2026, all waste collection authorities must provide a separate garden waste collection service. However, waste collection authorities only have a duty to collect garden waste if the household has requested the service and paid any related charges. Currently, more than 80% of local authorities levy a charge for the collection of garden waste. C) Assessment C.1) Describe any NEGATIVE impacts (actual or potential): Equality Group Impact on this group and actions you need to take Age / Disability Residents will be encouraged to sign up to the new service via an online form. This could impact older residents or residents with a disability that may not have the means or ability to use online services. Residents that cannot sign up online will be able to subscribe via phone. Socio-Economic The introduction of a charge for the service may impact residents with a low Socio-Economic status, as they may not view the charge as affordable. To mitigate against this impact, a benchmarking exercise was carried out, and the charge per collection is significantly lower than the current charge for a similar service across all neighbouring boroughs. Residents that do not subscribe to the garden waste collection service will continue to be able to deposit their garden waste at either of the boroughs recycling centres without charge. C.2) Describe any POSITIVE impacts Equality Group Impact on this group and actions you need to take Community Cohesion Residents that live within flatted properties with private or communal gardens and are currently unable to utilise the garden waste collection service will have the same access to services as low-rise properties. D) Conclusions Whilst the introduction of a charge for the existing garden waste collection service may impact older users, people with disabilities, or residents with low socio-economic status, the charge will ensure a sustainable operating model for the garden waste collection service, protecting front line operational services against future rising costs. The continuation of weekly collections from March to November ensures value for money in comparison to similar services provided by neighbouring boroughs. The inclusion of flatted properties within the new garden waste collection subscription service will increase accessibility to services. We recognise that the introduction of a charge for the collection of garden waste will negatively impact some of the service users and have sought to mitigate this where possible. Operating a garden waste subscription scheme for the collection of garden waste from the kerbside is a relatively low charge, as it is an annual charge for service. Residents have a choice as to whether they subscribe to the garden waste subscription scheme or not. If residents do not wish to or cannot afford to subscribe to the garden waste subscription scheme, then there are other alternatives which are available for the free disposal of garden waste including home composting and/or disposal of garden waste at a household waste recycling centre. Residents who are unable to access online services will be able to subscribe by phone. Subject to any Member decision on the proposal, if agreed, within the first six months of the introduction of the service, officers will review subscription data and provide further recommendations to improve accessibility to the service if it is considered necessary to do so. Signed and dated: 15/05/2025 Name and position: Nicola Herbert – Head of Waste Services
View Decision / Minutes Text
Executive Decision Notice – 29 May 2025
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 Outcome of the consultation on the introduction of charges
for Garden Waste Collection Service and decision on way
forward
Reference No. 1428
Date of decision 29 May 2025
Call-in expiry date 5 June 2025
Relevant Select
Committee
Residents’ Services Select Committee
Relevant Wards All
Decision made
Cabinet Members
making the decision
Cllr Eddie Lavery, Cabinet Member for Community and
Environment
Councillor Martin Goddard, Cabinet Member for Finance &
Transformation
Decision Approved
That the Cabinet Member for Community & Environment,
in conjunction with the Cabinet Member for Finance and
Transformation:
1) Considered the responses and petition received
from the consultation exercise relating to the
introduction of garden waste charges and the
associated E qualities & Human Rights I mpact
Assessment;
2) Approved the introduction of a fee for residents
who wish to continue to use the existing garden
waste collection service from June 2025 onwards;
3) Approved a subscription charge of £70 for the
period of June 2025 to March 2026 and;
4) Delegated future decisions regarding the
implementation of the service to the Corporate
Director of Place, in consultation with the Cabinet
Member for Community and Environment
Executive Decision Notice – 29 May 2025
This notice is a public document also available to view on the Council's website www.hillingdon.gov.uk
Reason for decision The Cabinet Member for Community & Environment , in
conjunction with the Cabinet Member for Finance &
Transformation, approved the introduction of a £70 annual
subscription charge for the garden waste collection service,
effective from June 2025. This decision was made to ensure
the financial sustainability of the service amid rising operational
costs and reduced central
government funding. The charge
aimed to contribute £2.5 million in savings to the Council’s
2025/26 Medium Term Financial Strategy (MTFS), offsetting
the current £2.5 million annual cost of the service.
It was noted that Waste Disposal Levy & Contracts are
currently forecast to increase by £1.6m in 2025/26, rising by a
further £2.6m per annum to 2029/30. Legislative changes,
including the proposed introduction of a Deposit Return
Scheme from October 2027, and the inclusion of Energy from
Waste within the Emissions Trading Scheme from 2028, will
have a significant impact on the cost per tonne paid for the
disposal of waste that the Borough collects in the coming
years.
In making their decision, Cabinet Members consider ed a
detailed report setting out the outcome of a four-week public
consultation, conducted in March 2025, receiving 8,242
responses. While a majority of respondents opposed the
charge, the Cabinet Members duly considered their feedback,
including 78 additional contacts and also considered a valid e-
petition with 1,181 signatories objecting to the proposal.
Concerns raised included the financial burden on households,
potential increases in fly -
tipping, and fairness of the
consultation process. Notwithstanding these objections, the
Cabinet Members noted that over 80% of UK local authorit ies
already charged for garden waste collection and that
alternative disposal options, such as home composting and
recycling centres, remained available. The Cabinet Members
also reviewed the Equalities and Human Rights Impact
Assessment.
In making their decision, Cabinet Members concluded that the
proposed charge was reasonable, supported by benchmarking
against neighbouring boroughs, where Hillingdon’s proposed
cost per collection was the lowest. Additionally, that their
decision ensured the continuation of a valued service while
protecting frontline operations from future financial pressures.
Alternative options
considered and
rejected
The Cabinet Members considered all the alternatives set out in
the report such as reducing garden waste collections to
fortnightly year -round without charging but noted this would
have only cut costs by 11%, making the service unsustainable.
It was also recognised that disposing of garden waste in
Executive Decision Notice – 29 May 2025
This notice is a public document also available to view on the Council's website www.hillingdon.gov.uk
general waste could increase costs significantly, but that policy
to mitigate this risk was already in place. It was noted that
concerns raised about increased fly -tipping were addressed
through benchmarking, which showed no clear link between
charging and fly-tipping in other areas. Additionally, waste data
monitoring would continue to inform any future policy changes.
Classification Part I - Public
Link to associated
report
Here
Relevant Officer
contact & Directorate
Nicola Herbert – 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 Thursday 5 June 2025
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)
Executive Decision Notice – 29 May 2025
This notice is a public document also available to view on the Council's website www.hillingdon.gov.uk
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.
Democratic Services
London Borough of Hillingdon
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