Agenda item

Members were reminded that this was something which had been raised as a matter of concern at the Overview and Scrutiny work Programme Planning event in June when discussing possible areas for scrutiny.  The Head of Environmental Services provided Members with details around waste collection services for Houses of Multiple Occupation (HMOs) in light of the recent licensing changes which had come into force on 1^st October 2018.  The changes meant that landlords had to provide facilities for storing and disposing of household waste, recycling and garden waste.  The changes also extended the description of HMOs to include properties which were less than three stories high.

The Head of Environmental Services provided Members with details around the legal implications of the changes and the impact of failure by the licence holder to comply with the scheme.  Background information was also provided in respect of HMOs and the important role that they played within the housing sector.  The accommodation was typically cheaper than other private rental options and often housed vulnerable tenants.  Historically, this type of accommodation also brought with it problems in respect of waste, as the tenants were often transient and did not take responsibility for their waste.  There was a lack of ownership and the quality and cleanliness of items presented as generally poor, with waste often uncontained and deposited direct into bins rather than bagged. 

The Head of Environmental Services confirmed that his team were working closely with the Private Sector Housing Team to ensure that all future licenses granted for HMOs included a written statement ensuring waste was sufficiently catered for as part of their conditions.  The team also carried out inspections before granting any licence with the specifics of those conditions being reiterated.  It was confirmed that waste of this nature was being discussed at a national level and there was an argument being put forward to justify this type of waste as being classified as commercial.

Following the presentation of the report Members discussed a number of areas in more detail, including:

·         Whether the licences were renewed on an annual basis – Officers agreed to confirm this with Members outside of the meeting.

·         Agreement that if the Government changed the existing regulations then HMOs would be treated as commercial premises for waste purposes.

·         Disposal of garden and bulky waste – it was confirmed that these services were available at the appropriate costs.

·         Difficulty in navigating the Council’s website – it was agreed that this would be taken up further outside of the meeting.

·         Difficulty in being able to establish who was responsible for the waste and how this could potentially be addressed. 

·         Whether there was the potential for the Committee to further investigate the subject of waste and recycling levels.  Following discussion the Committee agreed that this was a subject which had been scrutinised by a Task Group in some detail previously though this had disappointingly not caused an increase in recycling rates.  Therefore Members concluded that further investigation of the subject was unlikely to impact on the Council’s recycling rates.

·         The increased number of HMOs within the Borough and concerns that this would continue into the future and the ongoing problems which it brought.

Members were keen to ensure that the impact of the new legislation was monitored and met the needs of all those concerned, before any further action on this matter was taken.

RESOLVED that

the briefing note in respect of Waste Collection from Houses of Multiple Occupation be noted.