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| Assistant Director of Operational Services, David Walker |
Pendle Borough Councillors were left in a dilemma on whether to order new waste collection trucks, bins and caddies in preparation for new rules in 2026, whilst there is still uncertainty about funding and whether the project will actually go ahead.
Government department DEFRA (Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs), has decreed all local councils must provide weekly food waste collections by April 2026 - but with a General Election just weeks away and the potential for a new Government to scrap the idea, along with a lack of response from DEFRA regarding a funding shortfall, Councillors questioned whether it was worth waiting.
However, Pendle's Assistant Director of Operational Services, David Walker, was seeking permission to order the equipment and warned that there was limited time to place orders of the required vehicles, as they are estimated to take 12 months to deliver and other Councils will be also making orders and taking up production slots.
Pendle Council has been awarded £793,377 in DEFRA funding, but estimated running costs are expected to exceed £900,000 per year. DEFRA has not set out what transitional funding will be available either. Pendle Council wrote to DEFRA in February seeking additional funding to cover the shortfall but has not yet had a reply.
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| Cllr Zafir Ali |
Cllr Zafar Ali (Ind) asked to include a paragraph in the motion to request a report at the August Executive to see if the situation had changed following the General Election and upon waiting for a response from DEFRA.
Speaking about including a point on lobbying the government for proper funding and the potential cancellation of the scheme, Cllr Mohammed Iqbal (Ind) said:
"I think there's some work to be done on a national basis, by all Councils, and obviously we are part of the District Councils Network as well, that feeds back into the either Keir Starmer or Rishi Sunak to say 'Look, in principle, yeah we're all happy with this but, somebody needs to cough up the money and it can't be residents of Pendle or Burnley or any other Council across the country.' ...and I think if Government is then faced with a cost of, a bill of billions to local Councils, I think the likelihood is, whichever Government comes into power, they might just knock it on the head."
Cllr Mohammed Iqbal
Cllr Tom Whipp (Lib Dem) spoke to suggest there should be a packaging tax which goes to fund waste and recycling services.
Vote PASSED, recommendations with changes accepted.