To update the Committee on the current position with regard to the waste and recycling and street cleaning service procurement.

The Committee considered a report of the Portfolio Holder for the Environment which updated it on the current position on the waste and recycling and street cleaning service procurement.

It was noted that as the procurement process was now under way there was a limit to how much information about the process and the bidders involved that could be shared with the Committee.

Members were reminded that, at its meeting held on 26 July 2024, Cabinet had considered a report of the Environment Portfolio Holder (A.6), which had:-

·      provide it with an update on progress with future options for kerbside waste and            recycling collection and street sweeping beyond the expiry in 2026 of the current            contractual arrangements;

·      sought Cabinet’s approval to go out to tender in order to find a suitable service            provider;

·      sought the adoption of the Core Specification Principles; and

·      sought to delegate a number of decisions to Portfolio Holders and Officers to ensure            a smooth progression of this work.

Cabinet had resolved “RESOLVED that Cabinet –

1.    notes the work undertaken by the Waste Contract Project Board to date and the     contributions from the Member Working Group;

2.    notes the content and recommendations made in the Options Appraisal and Outline Business Case produced in partnership with EELGA;

3.    endorses the proposal set out within the Options Appraisal and Outline Business     Case to re-tender both the waste and recycling collection and street sweeping     services as a single contract in order that a contractor is in place to deliver services     at the time of the expiry of the current contracts on 31st December 2025 and 31^st     January 2026;

4.    notes the outcome of the market engagement exercise;

5.    agrees to the route to procurement being Competitive Dialogue;

6.    agrees to formally adopt the Contract Principles, endorsed by the Waste Contract

       Project Board and against which the new service will be set, along with the Core     Specification Principles set out in Table 4 within the Portfolio Holder’s report (A.6);

7.    agrees to offer a lease of the Fowler Road depot in Clacton on the existing terms as part of any future contractual arrangement, accepting that the depot is likely to

       require reconfiguring / modernisation during the contract period. Therefore, Cabinet also agrees to initiate the Property Dealing Procedure allowing Officers to explore options and alternative / additional land purchase or lease opportunities;    

8.    agrees a delegation to the Portfolio Holder for Assets to determine the Social Value Themes, Outcomes and Measures (TOMs) against which the social value aspects of the tender submissions will be considered;

9.    agrees a joint delegation to the Leader of the Council, the Portfolio Holder for     Environment and the Portfolio Holder for Assets to approve:-

   a. the high level service specification provided that they consult with the Waste

       Contract Project Board and the Member Working Group beforehand;

   b. the aspects of the tender about which there will be dialogue held with bidders;

       and

   c. the tender evaluation criteria to be used;

10.  agrees a delegation to the Corporate Director (Operations & Delivery) to approve:

   a. the detail of the service specification providing that they have consulted with the Portfolio Holder for the Environment; and also

   b. the membership of the tender evaluation panel; and

11.  authorises a joint delegation to the Leader of the Council, the Portfolio Holder for

      Environment and the Portfolio Holder for Assets, in consultation with the Corporate

      Director (Operations & Delivery), the Section 151 Officer and the Monitoring Officer to agree any short term extension to the current contractual arrangements, where permissible to do so and solely for the purpose of assisting with the mobilisation of the new contracts.

The Committee was made aware that, since that 26 July 2024 Cabinet decision, the relevant portfolio holder decisions had been taken and the procurement exercise had been formally launched on 16 October 2024.

The first stage of the procurement exercise had been completed and bidders had now been invited to submit detailed solutions that were due to be submitted in mid-January 2025. Those submissions would then be scored and evaluated before bidders were invited to participate in a round of dialogue discussions aimed at increasing understanding of both the Council’s requirements and bidder’s proposals.

Following the dialogue sessions the bidders would be invited to submit their final solutions with the aim that a formal decision on the award of contract could be made in June 2025.

The Portfolio Holder for the Environment (Councillor Smith) then responded to Members’ questions as set out hereunder. The Chairman (Councillor P Honeywood) acknowledged that the Portfolio Holder had not had sight of the questions before the meeting. The Chairman also requested that a copy of the Portfolio Holder’s opening remarks be circulated to the members of the Committee after the meeting.

It was moved by Councillor P Honeywood, seconded by Councillor Newtonand:-

RESOLVED that the Committee:-

(a)     looks forward to receiving the further written answers in due course from the Environment Portfolio Holder and would welcome any further expanded responses to those already provided at the meeting; and

(b)     reserves the right to submit any comments or recommendations to Cabinet on this matter once it has considered the Executive’s budget proposals and initial highlight priorities at its meeting due to be held on 13 January 2024.