Agenda item

Report of the Director of the Built Environment.

The Committee received the Department of the Built Environment’s Business Plan Progress Report for December 2017 to March 2018 for Cleansing Services.

In response to a Member’s query on the reported rise in debt within Cleansing Services, the Director of Transportation and Public Realm confirmed that the debt was owed from five local authorities and payment was expected later in the year.

A Member noted that the City Corporation had not achieved the target of 47% for household waste recycling and queried what further action had been taken. The Director of Transportation and Public Realm explained that this target had been set as required by the Mayor of London’s strategy, which a number of local authorities had failed to achieve. The Director confirmed that the current contractor’s contract was due to finish in April 2019, and as part of the retendering process ways were being considered in which recycling rates could be improved. The Director added that the lack of green waste was a contributing factor in the low recycling figures when compared to those local authorities that composted green garden waste. Members asked that a local target for recycling figures be included next year if it seemed likely that the Mayor’s target could not be achieved.

Members thanked the Department for the garden waste trial being conducted at the Barbican Estate and asked whether further information on the service could be made available to residents.

RESOLVED – That the Committee note the report and appendices.