Denbighshire Council's highways and environment department is estimated to end the financial year with an overspend of more than £2m.
The council’s cabinet will discuss a finance report tomorrow (Tuesday) at Ruthin County Hall, detailing the department’s outgoings.
The report confirms the council’s current financial position and the agreed service budgets for 2024/25, highlighting an overspend of £2.06m in the council’s highways and environment department alone. The report lists "the increase costs of the waste service" and "winter maintenance" which have been offset by savings and additional income.
The overspend follows the "botched" launch of the council’s “Trolibocs” recycling scheme last June, which was beset with reports of missed collections, leading to rubbish piling up on Denbighshire’s streets. These problems led to Denbighshire’s leader Cllr Jason McLellan and chief executive Graham Boase apologising
Ten months on, despite revised collection routes, residents continue to contact the local democracy reporting service with complaints of missed bin and recycling collections. The report reads: “The current outturn prediction is £2.066m overspend (previously £1.564m). The overspend relates to increased costs for the waste service (£1.628m) and winter maintenance (£807K) offset by savings and additional income across the service (-£369K).
“The movement this month of £502K relate to increases to fleet costs in the waste service (£430K), winter maintenance (£237K), and variances across the service offset by additional income for streetworks (-£165k). There remains a high risk on this service during these winter months.”
Whilst there have been significant underspends in some council departments, education and children’s service are predicting an overspend of £2.244m. Denbighshire’s planning, public protection, and countryside department is predicting an overspend of £751K.
Comentários