Questions about the November 2019 recycling scheme
Dear Pembrokeshire Council,
In the recycling scheme commencing November 2019 that replaced the orange bag scheme Pembrokeshire County Council issued most householders with four new containers and bags. These are in addition to the two food containers from the previous scheme which are to be incorporated into the new scheme. Residents therefore have seven containers to store. In addition to this the advice is that household batteries may be added provided that they are in a clear plastic container that must be supplied by the householder. One other addition is that shredded paper should be in a separate bag, again, provided by the householder.
1. The total floor area required by all the containers is approximately 1.5 Square meters. All of the containers are bulky and heavy, even when empty. When this scheme was being planned was any consideration given as to where residents were supposed to keep them while being filled?
2. When this scheme was being planned was any consideration given as to how elderly, frail or disabled residents would move them around?
3. A lot of residents will not be able to collect their emptied containers until the evening. The containers will get wet (it rains a lot in Pembrokeshire) and therefore very possibly smelly even if the recycled material that had been placed in them was clean. Was any consideration given as to how residents are supposed to store them?
4. Many rural residents have to take their recycling to a communal place on the nearest public highway as the council do not come to their properties. This invites removal of the bags (not necessarily the grey ones) and boxes by others. How does the council propose to alleviate this problem?
5. Was any consideration given to the very real possibility of damage to the containers by rodents whether they are kept inside or outside of the property?
6. Please identify the country of origin of all containers?
7. Please identify which of the containers are constructed of biologically degradable material. If only a portion of their construction is biologically degradable please state the percentage for each affected container?
8. Please identify which of the containers are constructed of recyclable material. If only a portion of their construction is recyclable please state the percentage or each affected container?
9. The list of items that can be placed in these containers does not include various items that are marked as recyclable. Previously they were placed in the orange bags. This restriction is actually reducing the amount of household recycled materials and increasing the landfill rubbish. Why are there no kerbside collection facilities for these items and especially those items that are marked as recyclable but excluded from the council’s scheme?
10. Does Pembrokeshire County Council intend to make changes to residential building or planning regulations to insist that there is an enclosed area to store this large number of bulky containers?
11. If changes such as that identified in item 10 above are not planned, please explain why not.
12. Is the council going to amend commercial retail developments requirements to ensure that the retail premises include collection facilities for their customers to return unwanted packaging materials?
13. If changes such as that identified in item 12 above are not planned, please explain why not.
Yours faithfully,
Alan Taylor
If you have received this email in error, please notify us by telephone on
01437 764551 and delete it from your computer immediately. Os ydych chi
wedi derbyn yr e-bost hwn trwy gamgymeriad, byddwch cystal â rhoi gwybod
inni trwy ffonio 01437 764551. Wedyn dylech ddileu’r e-bost ar unwaith
oddi ar eich cyfrifiadur.
Dear Alan Taylor,
Thank you for contacting Pembrokeshire County Council. We acknowledge
receipt of your request for information.
Depending upon the nature of your request it will be processed under the
Freedom of Information Act 2000, or the Environmental Information
Regulations 2004.
In either case a response will be issued no later than 02/12/2019, which
is the 20 working day statutory timescale. If we require additional time
we will inform you in accordance with the legislation.
Responses to requests for information are routinely published on the
Council’s website: [1]disclosure log. If you find the information you have
requested is already available on our website please contact us to cancel
your request.
The Freedom of Information Team’s Fair Processing Notice, is available on
our website:
[2]https://www.pembrokeshire.gov.uk/privacy...
Kind Regards,
Caitlin Jennings
[3]cid:image001.jpg@01D4C869.7501CAC0 The FOI Team
Pembrokeshire County
Council / Cyngor Sir Benfro
County Hall / Neuadd y Sir
Haverfordwest / Hwlffordd
SA61 1TP
Tel / Ffon: 01437 77 5272
Email / E-bost:
[4][Pembrokeshire County Council request email]
Publication Scheme: [5]https://www.pembrokeshire.gov.uk/publica...
Cynllun Cyhoeddi: [6]https://www.sir-benfro.gov.uk/cynllun-cy...
Disclosure Log:
[7]https://www.pembrokeshire.gov.uk/freedom...
Cofnod Datgeliadau:
[8]https://www.sir-benfro.gov.uk/rhyddid-gw...
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
We welcome correspondence in Welsh and English. We will respond in the
language in which the correspondence is received (unless you ask us to do
otherwise). / Byddwn yn ymateb yn yr un iaith â’r ohebiaeth a
dderbyniwyd (oni bai eich bod yn gofyn i ni wneud yn wahanol).
Dear Pembrokeshire Council,
Please pass this on to the person who conducts Freedom of Information reviews.
I am writing to request an internal review of Pembrokeshire Council's handling of my FOI request 'Questions about the November 2019 recycling scheme'.
Your response was due on 29th November 2019. To date, 04 December 2019, you have not provided any answers to my questions. Please respond to my questions without any further delay.
A full history of my FOI request and all correspondence is available on the Internet at this address: https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/q...
Yours faithfully,
Alan Taylor
If you have received this email in error, please notify us by telephone on
01437 764551 and delete it from your computer immediately. Os ydych chi
wedi derbyn yr e-bost hwn trwy gamgymeriad, byddwch cystal â rhoi gwybod
inni trwy ffonio 01437 764551. Wedyn dylech ddileu’r e-bost ar unwaith
oddi ar eich cyfrifiadur.
Dear Alan Taylor,
Thank you for your recent email requesting an Internal Review of the
Council’s handling of your Freedom of Information request. An Internal
Review is a review of the response that we provide to you. It cannot be
requested for the ‘handling of a Freedom of Information request’.
I sincerely apologise for the delay in getting your response to you, and I
am working hard with the service concerned to provide you with a response,
I hope to provide you with this in the next week. Please be advised I will
email if there are any further delays.
Apologies again for this delay, I hope this is of assistance. If you have
any queries please do not hesitate to contact me.
Kind Regards,
Caitlin Jennings
[1]cid:image001.jpg@01D4C869.7501CAC0 The FOI Team
Pembrokeshire County
Council / Cyngor Sir Benfro
County Hall / Neuadd y Sir
Haverfordwest / Hwlffordd
SA61 1TP
Tel / Ffon: 01437 77 5272
Email / E-bost:
[2][Pembrokeshire County Council request email]
Publication Scheme: [3]https://www.pembrokeshire.gov.uk/publica...
Cynllun Cyhoeddi: [4]https://www.sir-benfro.gov.uk/cynllun-cy...
Disclosure Log:
[5]https://www.pembrokeshire.gov.uk/freedom...
Cofnod Datgeliadau:
[6]https://www.sir-benfro.gov.uk/rhyddid-gw...
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
We welcome correspondence in Welsh and English. We will respond in the
language in which the correspondence is received (unless you ask us to do
otherwise). / Byddwn yn ymateb yn yr un iaith â’r ohebiaeth a
dderbyniwyd (oni bai eich bod yn gofyn i ni wneud yn wahanol).
Dear Caitlin Jennings,
My FOI question was asked on Sunday 3rd November 2019. Day one of the 20 working day timescale was therefore Monday 4th November 2019. In your acknowledgement you stated that “… a response will be issued no later than 02/12/2019 ...”. To date, Tuesday 10th December you have not provided an answer to my question. Additionally you have not given any explanation as to why you have not answered my question as is required by the Freedom of Information Act.
Please answer my question without any further delay. Alternatively please say when I will receive an answer as is required by the act. or provide a reason for the delay that is acceptable to the FOI Commissioners.
Yours sincerely,
Alan Taylor
If you have received this email in error, please notify us by telephone on
01437 764551 and delete it from your computer immediately. Os ydych chi
wedi derbyn yr e-bost hwn trwy gamgymeriad, byddwch cystal â rhoi gwybod
inni trwy ffonio 01437 764551. Wedyn dylech ddileu’r e-bost ar unwaith
oddi ar eich cyfrifiadur.
Dear Alan Taylor,
This is to inform you that your request has been considered and our
response is provided in the attached document. We trust this information
meets your requirements at this time and we believe this request is
complete and now closed. Should any further information be requested
regarding this topic, a separate request will need to be submitted.
If you believe you have not been provided with the information you
requested, you have the right to request an internal review. Internal
review requests should be submitted within two months of the date of
receipt of the response to your original request, and should be addressed
to:
Freedom of Information
Pembrokeshire County Council
County Hall
Haverfordwest
SA61 1TP
[1][Pembrokeshire County Council request email]
If you are not satisfied following the outcome of a review, you can make
an appeal to the Information Commissioner, who is the statutory regulator.
The Information Commissioner can be contacted at:
Information Commissioner’s Office
2^nd Floor,
Churchill House
Churchill Way
Cardiff
CF10 2HH
Kind Regards,
Caitlin Jennings
[3]cid:image001.jpg@01D4C869.7501CAC0 The FOI Team
Pembrokeshire County
Council / Cyngor Sir Benfro
County Hall / Neuadd y Sir
Haverfordwest / Hwlffordd
SA61 1TP
Tel / Ffon: 01437 77 5272
Email / E-bost:
[4][Pembrokeshire County Council request email]
Publication Scheme: [5]https://www.pembrokeshire.gov.uk/publica...
Cynllun Cyhoeddi: [6]https://www.sir-benfro.gov.uk/cynllun-cy...
Disclosure Log:
[7]https://www.pembrokeshire.gov.uk/freedom...
Cofnod Datgeliadau:
[8]https://www.sir-benfro.gov.uk/rhyddid-gw...
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