Self-catering owners face massive waste charge rises

They are charged per tourist unit for waste, rather than as a single property. With the £85 standing charge for each flat, as well as parish rates, it has led to spiralling costs for the independent business owners.

And even if the property decides to opt for commercial collections, there is no way to opt out of the standing charge and rates.

Chamber of Commerce tourism sub-group member Corrina Walker said the industry was very worried.

‘The costs are going up significantly,’ she said.

‘We need to be able to opt out [of the residential system and pay commercial costs] or look at a fairer system of pricing.’

Since the media approached the States about the issue, self-caterers have been sent an email asking if they wanted to be classed as businesses and have just commercial collections.

But Ms Walker said it was not a simple yes/no question, as smaller operators were likely to want to stay in the parish system. Half the self-caterers in Guernsey have just one or two units.

‘We want choice so that it is fair to all sizes of operators,’ she said.

She added that she was worried that being classed as a business rather than residential would have wider reaching consequences than just waste.

Environment & Infrastructure vice president Deputy Mark Dorey said it was working with Economic Development and the States’ Trading Supervisory Board to identify potential solutions.

‘It is important to note that since 2001, following a previous policy decision by the States, self-catering establishments have been treated the same as households in terms of waste collection and charges,’ he said.

‘That remains the case under the new law, which was approved in 2015 and is due to come into effect next year. To change the current treatment will require a decision by the States to agree a new policy.’

Ms Walker runs Beau Vallon in St Peter’s, a self-catering business with 10 units. Her current annual waste bill is £687. But next year the parish rates and standing charge alone come to £1,900. With each flat putting out one-and-a-half black bags a week, over the 40 weeks the business is open, the total cost will rise to £3,400 – a 395% increase on the current system.

‘They are charging us for 10 pick-ups, even though they only come to one place,’ she said.

If she chose to have commercial collections, it would cost just under £3,000, but then there is no way to opt out of the standing charge and refuse rate.

She was concerned that this would impact the tourist industry.

‘We cannot absorb a charge like this,’ she said. ‘They should be looking to support tourism, not putting a massive charge in the way.’

Some businesses already have a commercial collections, like Les Piques Country Cottages in St Saviour’s. Julyan Gardener-Wheeler runs the business, which has 11 self-catering units. The site has had commercial collections for many years, but still has to pay refuse rates. Under the new system the site will also be subject to more than £900 in standing charges.

Mr Gardener-Wheeler said the system needed to be looked at.

‘We are already paying for something we are not using and then there will be this on top,’ he said.

Fiona Elliott owns Ellingham Cottages in St Martin’s. She said they did all they could to encourage guests staying in the 12 cottages to recycle, but they still produced a lot of waste. She was concerned that the fortnightly collections could attract pests.

‘We want to be able to opt out [and have commercial collections],’ she said.

In the letter to self caterers from a Marketing and Tourism representative, it was stated that while E&I were considering preparing a policy letter to change the legislation in due course, it was set to be a protracted process without any guarantee of a successful result.

Alternatively an amendment could be laid before the States about how the waste strategy was implemented for self caterers, so they were treated like businesses and exclude them from refuse rates. But then they would have to have commercial collections