Minutes:
The Council received a notice of motion moved by Councillor Helen-Ann Smith and seconded by Councillor John Wilmott as follows:-
“This Council notes that the previous Labour administration spent £3million shrinking our bins in a failed attempt to increase recycling and that under Labour, fly-tipping went up by 39% across the Ashfield District.
This Council acknowledges that fly-tipping and the state of our streets is one of the biggest concerns that Councillors hear on the doorstep and that urgent action was needed to tackle the problem.
This Council welcomes the ‘Big Ashfield Spring Clean’ where 82,500kg of waste was collected over 3 weeks in Hucknall, Kirkby, Sutton and The Rurals – the most amount of rubbish collected since Ashfield District Council was created in 1974.
This Council further notes:
(1) 60,900kg of rubbish was collected in static skips.
(2) 8,700kg of rubbish was collected in flying skips.
(3) 12,900kg of rubbish was collected in side waste.
(4) 160 fridges freezers were removed.
(5) 867 items of bulky waste were collected.
(6) That 99.66% of all rubbish was recycled.
Across the District:
(1) In Sutton, 33,500kg of rubbish was collected.
(2) In Kirkby and The Rurals, 28,500kg was collected.
(3) In Hucknall, 20,500kg was collected.
This Council would like to thank Council Staff for going beyond the call of duty to ensure the Big Ashfield Spring Clean was a huge success and thanks to the hundreds of residents across our District who helped with litter picks concentrating on our parks and town centres.
This Council therefore resolves to:
(1) Start the planning for the Big Ashfield Spring Clean 2019, learning the lessons from 2018 to improve an already hugely successful scheme.
(2) Continue this Council’s fight for a cleaner District as a priority and to use every power we have to catch, prosecute and publicise the fly-tippers who spoil our environment.”
Councillor Helen-Ann Smith, as mover of the motion, asked Council to note that part (4) should have stated 144 fridges/freezers and not 160 as stated in the motion and part (5) should have referred to 867 houses that had bulky items of waste removed rather than 867 items of bulky waste removed, as printed.
Councillor Cathy Mason moved an amendment to the motion, seconded by Councillor David Davis, in the following terms:-
“This Council acknowledges that fly-tipping and the state of our streets is one of the biggest concerns that Councillors have here on the doorstep and that urgent action is needed to tackle the problem.
This Council welcomes the concept of assisting Ashfield residents with their large item waste disposal, and as previously promised by the Deputy Leader of the Council (Outward Focus) in Full Council on July 26th, 2018, who stated ‘it is our intention to evaluate the benefits of the scheme and announce a further scheme early next year.’
This Council would like to thank the staff for going beyond the call of duty during the 2018 Big Ashfield Spring Clean with acknowledgement of special thanks to ALL the residents of Ashfield who helped with the litter picks concentrating on our parks and town centres.
This Council therefore resolves to:
1. Fully evaluate the programme run in 2018, as promised.
2. Take note and carefully consider the recommendations made by Overview and Scrutiny when it reports back on the review, already in the Workplan, of the Big Ashfield Spring Clean 2018.
3. Put together a business case, that is fully costed, before committing to any more similar schemes in the future; learning lessons from the 2018 project.
4. Continue this Council’s fight for a cleaner District as a priority and to use every power we have to catch, prosecute and publicise the fly-tippers who spoil our environment.”
The meeting was adjourned at 8.40 p.m. to enable Members to consider the amendment. The meeting reconvened at 8.45 p.m.
(At this point in the proceedings and in accordance with Council Procedure Rule 23.1, it was moved and seconded that the conclusion of business be extended to 9.30 p.m. Having been put to the vote it was duly carried.)
Having debated the amendment, it was put to the vote and duly carried.
The meeting was again adjourned at 9.05 p.m., reconvened at 9.09 p.m. and following further debate the substantive motion was then put to the vote and it was
RESOLVED
that the Council agrees to:
a) fully evaluate the programme run in 2018, as promised;
b) take note and carefully consider the recommendations made by Overview and Scrutiny when it reports back on the review, already in the Workplan, of the Big Ashfield Spring Clean 2018;
c) put together a business case, that is fully costed, before committing to any more similar schemes in the future; learning lessons from the 2018 project;
d) continue this Council’s fight for a cleaner District as a priority and to use every power we have to catch, prosecute and publicise the fly-tippers who spoil our environment.
(During consideration of this motion, Councillor Rachel Madden left the room at 8.49 p.m. and returned to the meeting at 8.51 p.m. Councillor Kevin Rostance also left the room during the adjournment and returned to the meeting at 8.46 p.m.)