Guernsey Press

Waste amendment could see standing charge scrapped

A LAST-ditch attempt is being made to halve or even scrap the proposed waste standing charge.

Published
Deputies Laurie and Lester Queripel have laid an amendment to halve or even scrap the proposed waste standing charge.

The ordinance for the charging of black bag waste is set to come before the States next week for final approval.

It is currently proposed that islanders will pay an £85 annual standing charge for their waste, as well as £2.50 per black sack of rubbish. Half bags would be charged at £1.40. The changes are set to come in next year.

But deputies Laurie and Lester Queripel have laid an amendment that could see this all change with two alternative charging arrangements.

One would see the standing charge scrapped and instead islanders would pay £1.95 for smaller black sacks and £3.90 for a larger one.

Alternatively, they have proposed to have the waste charge reduced to £45. Bag charges would then be cut to £1.60 for smaller bags and £3.20 for large bags.

Deputy Lester Queripel has previously raised concerns about the affordability of the new waste charges. He fears charging could lead to more fly-tipping and burning.

Levels of charging was debated by the States earlier this year and the £2.50 bag option was voted through by 30 votes to 7.

While Deputy Laurie Queripel objected to the plan, Deputy Lester Queripel backed it.

The charging structure is being brought by the States’ Trading and Supervisory Board, which Deputy Peter Ferbrache became president of in June.

Deputy Ferbrache said the amendment had come out of the blue. ‘We were surprised by the amendment, because the States had decided on this not many months ago,’ he said.

The waste charges are set to be reviewed between six months and a year after they are introduced to see if they are set at the right level.

Deputy Ferbrache said it was hard at this stage to know how many black bags would be put out under the new scheme.

‘We think this amendment is premature and unnecessary,’ he said.

Deputies did also debate setting the bag charge at £3.20, with a £45 standing charge, but that was rejected by 23 votes to 14.

The £32m. needed to cover the cost of the new waste management facilities and services is coming from the capital reserve, rather than the bag charges.