URL: https://democracy.lewes-eastbourne.gov.uk/ieDecisionDetails.aspx?ID=1149

Decision Maker: Lewes District Council Cabinet

Outcome:

Is Key Decision?: Yes

Is Callable In?: No

Purpose: To meet the Council’s ambitions for higher recycling rates and increased resource efficiency while ensuring residents receive a fit for purpose service and obstacles to improving recycling are identified and mitigated before any changes are made.

Content: To meet the Council’s ambitions for higher recycling rates and increased resource efficiency while ensuring residents receive a fit for purpose service and obstacles to improving recycling are identified and mitigated before any changes are made. The Cabinet considered the report of the Deputy Chief Executive and Director of Regeneration and Planning, seeking to introduce a public engagement exercise and operational adaptations to waste collections to improve the district’s recycling rate and to encourage the update of the food waste collection service.   The Policy and Performance Advisory Committee (PPAC), held on 3 July 2025 considered the report and was supportive of the officer recommendations in full. Councillor Brett, Chair of PPAC, was in attendance to report on PPAC’s discussion.  Councillor Gauntlett, as opposition leader, welcomed the full consultation proposed to shape the implementation of the changes.   Cabinet welcomed the proposals to increase recycling and food waste collection, as a proportion of the total waste collected, by introducing alternate week collections for suitable houses, and the proposed consultation to fully understand the challenges and implications for all residents and make appropriate adaptations before launch. It was recognised that the plans should account for different types of houses and seasonal variations, and there should be publicity as to where residents can collect food waste bins, including via parish councils and libraries.   It was noted that a comprehensive equality and fairness assessment had been carried out and this was taken into account by the Cabinet in its decision.    Following initial discussions on the report, Cabinet agreed it did not need to discuss the exempt appendices and therefore did not exclude the public from the meeting.   Resolved (Key decision):   (1) To approve the public engagement plans presented as part of the project.   (2) To approve, in principle, an alternate weekly refuse and recycling collection service as standard across the district subject to consideration of the results of the public engagement exercise.   (3) To agree, in principle, to certain areas and dwellings remaining on a weekly refuse collection with operational flexibility to adjust rounds as required subject to consideration of the results of the public engagement exercise.   (4) To authorise the Deputy Chief Executive and Director of Regeneration and Planning, in consultation with the Cabinet member for neighbourhood wellbeing, to develop and progress operational plans to implement new service arrangements in Autumn 2025 subject to due consideration of the results of the public engagement exercise.   Reason for decisions:   To meet the Council’s ambitions for higher recycling rates and increased financial and resource efficiency while ensuring residents receive a fit for purpose service and obstacles to improving recycling are identified and mitigated before any changes are made.  

Date of Decision: July 10, 2025