Emails to Cllrs David MacDonald, Annette Ireland, Kate Campbell, Katie Pragnell

------ Original Message ------
Sent: Friday, 13 Jan, 2023 At 19:36
Subject: Cabinet Meeting 26 February 2023 - Agenda Item 7 - increase Garden Waste Permit 2023/2024 from £40 to £60 which is more than inflation.

Cabinet Meeting 26 February 2023 - Agenda Item 7 - increase Garden Waste Permit 2023/2024 from £40 to £60 which is more than inflation.

I would request that you insist that this decision is made by yourself with the backing of your constituents and Full Council as part of the Budget debate and subsequent vote.

This should not be sneakily approved by Cabinet with no debate and without your/ Full Council involvement and vote.

1. East Renfrewshire Council Tax Payers/residents have not been made aware of the outcome of the consultation.

'At Cabinet on 1st December 2022, a charging for services report was brought to Cabinet for approval. One of the proposals was to increase the charge to collect garden waste by more than inflation.
This proposal was part of a range of budget options being consulted on over Autumn. Cabinet agreed to delay the decision on whether to increase garden waste charges until the result of the consultation was available.'


2. There is the possibility that current participants will not renew and will not pay the £60.

This has not been fully investigated.

'The proposed increase, should sufficient participants continue with the scheme, is expected to generate revenue that will support full cost recovery of the Garden Waste Scheme and also generate a small amount of additional income.'



3. East Renfrewshire Council Tax Payers/residents have not been made aware of the outcome of the consultation.

48 from a potential 91,000 residents does not seem like an overwhelming majority.

It doesn't say how many of the 48 actually suggested the Council should consider increasing charges.

As they admit, feedback from the budget consultation is still being collated

'Feedback from the budget consultation is still being collated but early feedback shows that refuse collection was a key concern for respondents when looking at Environment Department’s potential savings. 48 respondents to the public consultation suggested the Council should consider increasing charges and/or altering the collection cycle.'


4. Low income households will be impacted by this.

Not enough consideration has been given to the financial burdon on low income households regarding the cost of living crisis and proposals such as this.

Spreading the pain is not really an answer.

'It has been identified that this may have an impact on low income households. There is however an instalment process to help spread the cost for any financial hardship cases.'


5. Brown bins have to be collected and emptied for Food Waste whether or not a Resident has a permit.


As said, this decision should be made by yourself with the backing of your constituents and Full Council as part of the Budget debate and subsequent vote.


Your help, views, comments regarding your participation in this debate and approval of this increase will be appreciated.


Thanks

Back in April 2021 Cllr David MacDonald posted on facebook page

www.facebook.com/MacdonaldTheIndependent


' ...............I see the council are going ahead with a £40 fee for garden waste uplift , what they mean is an extra £4O onto our council tax !
1d

Cllr David Macdonald - An Independent voice for Eastwood
Author
Cllr David Macdonald - An Independent voice for Eastwood ..........
I don't agree with it in the slightest.
It's a nominal amount but it is the principle of setting a bad precedent for future things.
I'll be bringing a motion to full council for it to be reversed.

Comment
I Hope your successful in reversing it, there’s many folk in the area who can’t afford the extra £40 !
It seems no explanation for anyone !
Just shocking !
1d

25/01/2023

Published Barrhead News On Line

www.barrheadnews.com/news/

East Renfrewshire: Cost of garden waste permit to rise
7 hrs ago

By Gillian McPherson
Reporter

The cost of a garden waste permit in East Renfrewshire is set to jump from £40 to £60 as council chiefs raise money to help plug a £19million budget gap.

Officials have said the whopping 50% increase would cover the cost of delivering the service and generate a “small amount” of extra income.

They are also planning to roll out a new one-off charge of £60 for an additional bin.

On top of that, a second bin would require another permit at £60 per year.

Cabinet members will be asked to back the changes when they meet on Thursday.

They are set to agree to the rise ahead of the council’s 2023/24 budget meeting in March to allow the plans to progress.

If approved, letters will be sent to local residents in the coming weeks to inform them of the changes.

It is hoped early agreement on the increase will give them “sufficient time to purchase a permit in advance of the scheme renewing on April 1.”

The sale of garden waste permits for 2023/24 would begin on January 30.

A council report added: “Due to above inflation rises in processing costs, gate fees and the rise in fuel costs, it is proposed that a garden waste permit is increased from £40 to £60 per annum.

"This is above the current inflation of 12.3%.

“The proposed increase, should sufficient participants continue with the scheme, is expected to generate revenue that will support full cost recovery of the garden waste scheme and also generate a small amount of additional income.”

Lifting the charge for a garden waste permit was included as part of a range of options shared with local residents during a budget consultation.

East Renfrewshire Council’s settlement from the Scottish Government will be “close to the expected flat cash position” and there “remains a substantial budget challenge,” officials have said.

The budget shortfall for the 2023/24 financial year alone is around £19m.

Officials have reported that early feedback from the budget consultation shows “refuse collection was a key concern for respondents” when looking at savings in the environment department.

They said 48 people suggested the council should “consider increasing charges and/or altering the collection cycle.”

The cost of a garden waste permit in East Renfrewshire is set to jump from £40 to £60 as council chiefs raise money to help plug a £19million budget gap.

Officials have said the whopping 50% increase would cover the cost of delivering the service and generate a “small amount” of extra income.

They are also planning to roll out a new one-off charge of £60 for an additional bin.

On top of that, a second bin would require another permit at £60 per year.

Cabinet members will be asked to back the changes when they meet on Thursday.

They are set to agree to the rise ahead of the council’s 2023/24 budget meeting in March to allow the plans to progress.

If approved, letters will be sent to local residents in the coming weeks to inform them of the changes.

It is hoped early agreement on the increase will give them “sufficient time to purchase a permit in advance of the scheme renewing on April 1.”

The sale of garden waste permits for 2023/24 would begin on January 30.

A council report added: “Due to above inflation rises in processing costs, gate fees and the rise in fuel costs, it is proposed that a garden waste permit is increased from £40 to £60 per annum.

"This is above the current inflation of 12.3%.

“The proposed increase, should sufficient participants continue with the scheme, is expected to generate revenue that will support full cost recovery of the garden waste scheme and also generate a small amount of additional income.”

Lifting the charge for a garden waste permit was included as part of a range of options shared with local residents during a budget consultation.

East Renfrewshire Council’s settlement from the Scottish Government will be “close to the expected flat cash position” and there “remains a substantial budget challenge,” officials have said.

The budget shortfall for the 2023/24 financial year alone is around £19m.

Officials have reported that early feedback from the budget consultation shows “refuse collection was a key concern for respondents” when looking at savings in the environment department.

They said 48 people suggested the council should “consider increasing charges and/or altering the collection cycle.”

27/01/2023

Recording of Cabinet meeting can be viewed on the Council’s YouTube Channel

www.youtube.com/user/eastrenfrewshire/videos

You can read Cabinet Meeting Agenda/Reports/Papers on council Webpage here -

www.eastrenfrewshire.gov.uk/cabinet-260123