Issue - meetings

To consider the report on kerbside garden waste collection service subscription charges 2019/20.

RESOLVED that:

i.              The kerbside garden waste collection subscription is set at £45 for the year 1 April 2019 to 31 March 2020.

ii.             A £10 discount will be made for new customers paying by direct debit, existing customers switching their payment method to direct debit and existing customers currently paying by direct debit.

Cabinet was informed that the majority of garden waste service subscribers paid by card over the phone. It was proposed that efficiencies could be achieved by moving subscriptions to direct debit, with an incentive offered to residents by way of a £10.00 discount against the annual charge. The report also sought approval for raising the annual garden waste collection subscription from £40.00 to £45.00 for the year 1 April 2019 to 31 March 2020.

In response to a Member question, Councillor Barker said all residents who paid by direct debit would receive the discounted fee. This included new and existing customers, including those who already paid by direct debit.

The Director – Corporate Services provided clarification and said the word ‘online’ should be taken out of the recommendation as online payments made by credit card would not have the discount applied.

                        RESOLVED that:

i.              The kerbside garden waste collection subscription is set at £45 for the year 1 April 2019 to 31 March 2020.

ii.             A £10 discount will be made for new customers paying by direct debit, existing customers switching their payment method to direct debit and existing customers currently paying by direct debit.

The meeting ended at 7.30pm.

PUBLIC SPEAKING

Paul Salvidge – Essex Wildlife Trust

Mr Salvidge said the problem the Essex Wildlife Trust was facing was one of increased visitor numbers to the Aubrey Buxton Nature Reserve. Existing pathways had been worn by the increased footfall and had left them inaccessible at times. He asked Cabinet to release funding to allow the work to improve the footways to be undertaken and said that like most charities the Essex Wildlife Trust were facing austere times and could not fund the works themselves. He said he did not dispute the need for the other path that had been requested by the Parish Council.