Issue - meetings

The Chair to summarise the issues raised during discussion of the Veolia Contract, and the Committee will comment on the next steps of working with the new contract.

The Chair asked that Councillor Jenks give a brief outline of the main points of discussion raised during the Forum part of the proceedings in relation to the new environment contract with Veolia.

Councillor Jenks advised that the main points of concern and comments had been:

·       The lack of consultation with regard to the proposed fortnightly collection of all non-recyclables and particular concerns in relation to items such as disposable nappies

·       Concerns that the daily ‘lilac ‘ bag collection was not always happening in all ward areas

·       Comments in respect of Veolia Ltd having waste management contracts in approximately 16 out of the 32 London Boroughs. Response to question about published accounts: the accounts for Veolia plc (English subsidiary of a French company) can be inspected

·       Questions about the levels of pay for Veolia staff (£9 per hour for permanent staff), and the training of staff to help them communicate with local residents

·       The need for compost produced from recycling to be available to residents in Haringey

·       The issue of the collection of large non-recyclables eg mattresses, fridges and microwaves, and the process for collection of such items

The Chair thanked Councillor Jenks for his summary of the main concerns raised.  In reference to the issue of the overall effectiveness of the contract borough wide this could be reviewed through the Overview and Scrutiny Committee.

NOTED