Missed bin collections ran at five times the council's target this summer, and 130 households are in temporary housing. Scrutiny looks at both on Thursday.
Missed bin collections in the Sevenoaks district ran at nearly five times the council’s target in August. The figure is in a performance report going to the council’s Scrutiny Committee on Thursday.
The report covers the year to the end of August, before the switch to wheelie bins on 12 October. Officers say the new service “introduces some new risk to missed collections” as it beds in. (Sevenoaks District Council, Scrutiny Committee 22 October 2026, Appendix A, Exceptions Report)
Here is what each meeting in the coming week covers. All are in the Council Chamber, Argyle Road, Sevenoaks, and open to the public.
| Date | Meeting | Main business |
|---|---|---|
| Wed 21 Oct, 10.30am | Licensing Hearing | Review of the Westerham Club’s club premises certificate |
| Thu 22 Oct, 7pm | Scrutiny Committee | Council performance to August, reports from two Cabinet members |
| Tue 27 Oct, 10.30am | Licensing Hearing | Review of the Rising Sun, Twitton, premises licence |
| Tue 27 Oct, 2pm | Licensing Hearing | Application to transfer a premises licence (papers restricted) |
Thursday: Scrutiny Committee
Scrutiny councillors check how the council is doing against its own targets. They can refer a problem area to Cabinet if they are not satisfied with what officers are doing about it. (Performance Report, Scrutiny Committee 22 October 2026)
At the end of August, 37 of the council’s 53 indicators were on target for the year. Twelve were 10 per cent or more below target, which the council marks red.
Missed bins. The council’s target is 12 missed collections per 100,000. August’s figure was 59.1, and the year to date 68.5. Officers blame the start of weekly food waste collections, which use a separate crew. Some residents did not leave bins out all day, and crews on new rounds missed some addresses. Officers say those problems “have now been resolved”.
Missed garden waste. There were 58 missed garden waste collections in August, against a target of 8. The year-to-date total is 269, against 40. Garden waste rounds are being changed alongside the new alternate weekly collections to balance the work.
Temporary housing. 130 households were in emergency or temporary accommodation, against a target of 100. Officers point to the Renters’ Rights Act, the cost of living and “a severe lack of social and affordable housing”.
Private lettings. The council placed two homeless households in private rented homes, against a target of 13. Officers say small landlords the council has worked with for years “have decided to exit the market” since the Renters’ Rights Act.
Customer satisfaction. 76 per cent of people contacting the council’s Customer Solutions team were satisfied, against a target of 85 per cent. Officers say longer call waits and calls from residents unhappy with the new bins have both played a part.
The other red indicators include building control market share, planning validation times, Housing Benefit change-of-circumstance times, environmental health inspections completed, and audit actions completed on time. (Appendix A, Exceptions Report)
The two Cabinet members’ reports
Cllr Irene Roy, the Cabinet member for Cleaner and Greener, lists the year’s work in her area. (Portfolio Holder for Cleaner and Greener, update to Scrutiny Committee) It includes:
- £540,000 of outside funding for new bus shelters, now being installed
- CCTV supporting 121 arrests and helping in 150 incidents involving missing or vulnerable people
- £2.8 million from Active Travel England for walking and cycling schemes
- an 18 per cent rise in average daily cycling at the busiest of the counters on the new Sevenoaks east to west route
- funding for phase 1 of the Sevenoaks to Otford route, from Bat and Ball Road to Vestry Road
- the revocation of the district’s Air Quality Management Areas, because air quality has improved
Her report also lists recruitment problems, an ageing fleet in some services and “managing resident expectations” during the bin changes.
Cllr Julia Thornton, the Cabinet member for Finance and Investment, says Sevenoaks Leisure Centre could close while the Land East of the High Street scheme is built. We have reported that separately. Her update also says 48.1 per cent of this year’s £135 million council tax had been collected, above the 47 per cent target. (Portfolio Holder for Finance and Investment, update to Scrutiny Committee)
Wednesday: the Westerham Club
A licensing sub-committee hears a neighbour’s review of the Westerham Club on Fullers Hill. The neighbour cites noise and drinking outside homes. The club says a new committee is fixing the problems. Our preview of the hearing has the detail. (Licensing Hearing, 21 October 2026)
Next Tuesday: the Rising Sun
On Tuesday 27 October at 10.30am, a sub-committee decides on the council’s noise team’s review of the Rising Sun at Twitton, near Otford. The team wants conditions including no outdoor amplified music. The full story is in our preview. (Licensing Hearing, 27 October 2026, 10.30am)
A second hearing at 2pm considers an application to transfer a premises licence. The council has restricted the papers, so the agenda does not say which premises it is. (Licensing Hearing, 27 October 2026, 2pm) The Rising Sun report said Kent Police’s objection to that pub’s licence transfer was likely to be heard the same day.
What it means for you
If your bin is missed, report it on the council’s missed collection page after your collection day. Our bin collection days guide explains the new alternate weekly pattern.
Any of these meetings can be watched in person. Contact Democratic Services on 01732 227165 or democratic.services@sevenoaks.gov.uk to ask about speaking or attending. All the papers are on the council’s meetings calendar.
Cabinet met tonight on parking charges for 2027/28 and the homelessness strategy. We will report what it decided when the decisions are published.
Sources
- Sevenoaks District Council, Scrutiny Committee, 22 October 2026, agenda
- Performance Report, Scrutiny Committee, 22 October 2026
- Appendix A, Exceptions Report
- Portfolio Holder for Cleaner and Greener, update to Scrutiny Committee
- Portfolio Holder for Finance and Investment, update to Scrutiny Committee
- Licensing Hearing, 21 October 2026
- Licensing Hearing, 27 October 2026, 10.30am
- Licensing Hearing, 27 October 2026, 2pm
Image: Sevenoaks District Council Offices by Richard Kelly, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Chart by Sevenoaks Online.
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