Committee recommends 4 day working week for crews
Plans to change the way Wyre Forest District
Council’s collection crews carry out their rounds took another step
forward last night (Thursday 3rd November.)
A Special Waste Review Panel has been looking
at potential working patterns for the authority’s Refuse and
Recycling Service. Its findings were presented to the
Council’s Overview and Scrutiny Committee.
The Review Panel looked at all aspects of the
crews’ work. It highlighted the significant improvements to
the service in the past 18 months, including the introduction of a
simpler recycling system with green wheely bins and the award
wining Garden Waste service. The Panel found that the
improvements has resulted in reducing waste to landfill, increasing
recycling rates to around 30% and had generated annual savings of
£300,000. The aim of the review is to make additional savings
of £170,000 from the services annual budget.
Its recommendations are to rearrange
collections to introduce a four day waste collection service
(Tuesday – Friday). Crew members would still work 37 hours a
week. The Panel also recommended bringing medical waste
collections into line with other collections and amended to
fortnightly. The Overview and Scrutiny Committee agreed with
the recommendations put forward.
Councillor Marcus Hart, Wyre Forest District
Council’s Cabinet Member with responsibility for Environmental
Services said,
“There are potential benefits from introducing
a four-day working week, as well as operational savings the review
has highlighted benefits to the environment. If the plans are
agreed residents will still have refuse collected one week and
recycling the next, but some collection days will change. We
have been working with residents to improve local waste services
over many years and we want to continue to provide the best
possible service we can with the resources we have available. ”
He added,
“The Review has also addressed the anomalies
which exist, such as medical collections. It found confusion
and misunderstanding about the service used by just 250
households. Medical collections are different from clinical
waste and the bin content is sent to landfill like normal
refuse. We surveyed households using the service and 90% of
those who replied were satisfied with the proposed changes.
If this change is made it would mean a significant cost saving to
the Council Tax payer.”
Recommendations from the Overview and Scrutiny
Committee will be considered by the Cabinet at its meeting on
Tuesday 22nd November 2011. A final decision will be
made by full Council on Wednesday 30th November
2011. If any service changes are agreed then, it is planned
they will come into effect in early Spring 2012.
Date of issue - 3rd November 2011