Ministers told waste charges have not been thought through

Thursday 13 July 2017

A controversial new charge, which could see businesses spend thousands per year to dispose of liquid waste, has hit a roadblock amid confusion over exactly who should be paying.

Proposed by the Department for Infrastructure (DfI), the liquid waste charge was intended as a way for the government to reclaim £3.85 million they say it costs to process 'non-household' liquid waste each year.

If imposed, hotels, restaurants and sports facilities could all be forced to pay up to £40,000 for the larger establishments. But questions has arisen over what to do in the case of business owners operating from their own residences.

The move has already been agreed in principle as part of States' financial plans for the next few years, and the day it is supposed to come into force was due to be debated in the States Assembly next week. But the Environment Scrutiny Panel has now produced a report called for that to be delayed after identifying “various issues” with the charge, leading to 12 recommendations to be considered before it is put into effect.

They are now calling upon the Minister, Deputy Eddie Noel, to clearly define who exactly will be affected by the charge, stating that an accurate database of all those liable to pay should be formed before it is ushered in.

Pictured: Hotels could be forced to pick up the cheque for disposing of liquid waste generated by guests through baths, showers and swimming pool usage, for example.

The costs, which local businesses feared were enough to “destroy livelihoods”, also need to be revisited in order to ensure that they are “transparent” and in line with “best practice”, the Panel concluded.

The Minister for Infrastructure had previously claimed that the charges would also encourage greener business practice, but the Panel suggested that other “possible options for incentivising improved environmental behaviour” merited further consideration. 

“The Minister for Infrastructure must report back to the States Assembly before March 2018,” they stated.

The news comes after Jersey business leaders, including members of the Chamber of Commerce, Farmers’ Union, Institute of Directors and Hospitality Association, rallied together against the "ill-conceived" charge in a deeply critical letter to the Chief Minister last week.

In it, they outlined their “deep concern” over the plans, claiming that it would unfairly penalise local enterprise aiming to stimulate Jersey’s economy.

The Minister for Infrastructure is expected to provide a response to the Panel’s findings shortly.