Questions by Committee Members (unless otherwise stated):

Answers:

On 14 November 2025, the Cabinet approved the award of the contract to Veolia for a three-year period (with a further two-year option).   It set out that the then total existing annual budget for the waste, recycling and street cleaning services were £7.529m per year.  This included the Garden waste service.  This was already in the underlying base budget for the Council.  

Over that initial three years of the new contract, the additional cost was £7.796m.  This additional cost was to be funded by £4.942m from New Homes Bonus, Corporate Investment Fund and Other variances, £2.417m from the 2024/25 outturn and £0.437m in grant funding.  In approving this allocation of one-off funds, the new contract could be funded to the start of 2029/30,

Cabinet was advised by the Portfolio Holder for Environment and ICT:

“When taken into account with the potential impact of Local Government Reorganisation, the increased waste and street cleansing contract costs highlighted above and the proposed approach to meet those costs, can be seen as an important financial ‘cross roads’ that sets the financial context for the Council over the next two years ahead of a successor Unitary Council being established as early as April 2028. In reflecting our commitment to be open and transparent and not shy away from difficult decisions, the need to revisit / revise our financial plans over the next two years is brought into sharp focus.”

We are six months into the new three-year contract period, and it would be good to know how the contract cost is panning out against the plan approved by Cabinet in November last year.  It would be good to know when in that three-year contract it would be envisaged that decisions would need to be programmed around re-procurement/exercise of the two-year extension option.  Plus, what are the plans, now that LGR plans for Essex have been withdrawn and we must plan of the current position, until things change, for allocating the additional costs into the base budget?  Or are we hoping we can allocate further one-off funds to plug that gap in 2029/30 and beyond?

(Cllr. Smith) The contract is being delivered within the budget set, using the funding as identified in the November 2025 Cabinet report.

In light of the very recent announcement by Government that they are withdrawing the LGR decision to undertake a review, it is too early to say exactly what the programme in respect of future service provision for Tendring or a wider unitary area will look like.

The Council is continuing to engage with both Colchester and Braintree Council’s over the potential for working more closely in the future regardless of what any further decisions on LGR might be, and waste collection is one of the areas that is being discussed.

In answering the above question, could you also cover:

·        Is the contract currently operating within the approved budget?

·        Have any unexpected mobilisation or implementation costs been incurred by the Council?

·        What contractual mechanisms exist to recover costs or losses arising from contractor underperformance?

·        Are there any emerging financial pressures that Members should be aware of?

What efficiencies or savings are expected over the life of the contract, and are these still achievable?

(Cllr. Smith) Yes, the contract is operating within the approved budget

·        No unexpected costs have been incurred

·        The contract includes clauses and a Performance Management Regime that covers matters relating to contractor underperformance

·        There are no emerging financial pressures that Members should be aware of

No efficiencies or savings are currently expected although the contract does allow for an annual efficiency review where potential efficiencies can be discussed.

I am aware, in another capacity, that the location of TDC street bins in Brightlingsea is made available to the Town Council there.  I think that is very helpful and wonder if you can outline whether this same detail is provided to all Parish Councils in the District where there are TDC litter bins. There is then the question as to the appropriate transparency of that data in un-parished areas; should that detail go to local Ward Councillors.  Can you provide the detail, please?

(Cllr. Smith) This information can be provided where it is of interest to a Town or Parish Council. District Councillors can be provided with that information upon request.

Please can all Members of both Tendring District Council and Town and Parish Councils be made aware of the location of street bins?

(Cllr. Smith) Yes.

Is it easier if that data is published on the TDC website?

(Cllr. Smith) It is something we have discussed and could form part of the Committee’s recommendations if Members wish to do so.

At the top of Page 9 of the report (under Street Cleaning), it references the deployment of two electric/pedal powered carts and five vacuum barrows.  My question is simply to ask about who has funded the acquisition and who is funding the ongoing use of those carts and barrows as the report is silent on those points. 

(Cllr. Smith) These resources are funded as part of the contract.

In that same section of the report, it references the electronic mapping of litter bins and reconciliation with existing records – the report provides no update on that work, and it would be helpful to the Committee in reviewing the service to understand where we are with this work.  Is it still to be started, is it about half way complete or has it been fully completed.  Can you help?

(Cllr. Smith) This work has been completed, with final checks and adjustments being made to align the data with existing records.

Also, on page 9 of the report (the third bullet point under Waste & Recycling Collection) there is reference to all 70,000 additional green boxes etc being delivered by mid-September for the expanded range of recycling – can you update the Committee on that roll out, the areas still to have the roll out and the completion date of mid-September. 

(Cllr. Smith) Completion is anticipated the week commencing 21 September.

Another question on page 9 of the report.  This time under General and day to day management, there is reference to:

• Replacement of ageing vehicle fleet
• Veolia have undertaken improvement works at the Fowler Road depot
• Improvement Works are planned to one seafront barrow store in Clacton

The report is silent as to who ultimately is funding these works – is it the Council or Veolia?

(Cllr. Smith) These works are funded as part of the contract and in respect of the depot in accordance with the terms of the previous and current lease that Veolia holds.

The seafront barrow store is being funded jointly by the Council and Veolia.

Within the section on General and Day to Day management on page 9 of the report, there is a reference to the development of Veolia’s ECHO IT system and direct access by the Council from mid-September.  Is that on course and what difference will that make to the Client side operation that has been missing.  Plus, can you set out what you expect to be the main difference in that client-contractor relationship once ECHO is fully available to the Council. 

(Cllr. Smith) Yes, this is on course and officers have access. Day to day performance management and data capture will become easier and it will be easier to follow up on reported problems.

What are the biggest risks facing successful delivery over the next 12 months?

(Cllr. Smith) Some of the biggest risks include resident participation, poor communication from all shareholders (residents, TDC and Town and Parish Councils) and workforce problems.

Staying in the section of the report on General and Day to Day management, it references day to day communications, weekly operational meetings and more comprehensive monthly meetings.  The report doesn’t say if those meetings have taken place, when they started and what issues have been resolved and remained unresolved through those mechanisms.  Can you set this out for the Committee so that we can consider that crucial detail? 

(Cllr. Smith) These meetings have been taking place and have been since April and even prior to that in the run up to contract commencement.

Contract mobilisation meetings have been taking place since December 2025 and have focussed on matters relating to the new contract an associated service changes.

(Tim Clarke) The meetings covered a wide range of topics but ultimately, none of those remain unresolved.

Finally on page 9 under future activities, the report references employment of temporary staff to help deal with an anticipated spike in telephone enquiries in October and to implement recycling in communal bin stores.  Can you give us a little bit more information about the levels of temporary staff to be engaged, how recruitment is progressing, the term of employment intended who is picking up the cost of those additional staff. 

(Cllr. Smith) The temporary staff are provided across IT, customer contact centre and the waste and recycling team. This additional resource is being covered within the £400k budget set for consultancy services – as referred to in the November 2025 Cabinet report.

The IT resource has been put in place during the year

The customer contact centre resource commenced on 14 September. Recruitment is underway for a further individual aiming to be in place by 1 October.

The waste and recycling team resource is in recruitment with individuals identified for interview.

All the resources are flexible and can be stood down if not required.

On page 10 of the report, it references the first Bi-annual (or six monthly) meeting of the contract partnership board in October.  Has a date for this been set?  It references the submission of the first six months performance data.  Does that mean the first time you see performance data will be at that meeting?  I would hope that there was rolling access to such data so that we can respond in a timely way.

(Cllr. Smith) The Partnership Board meeting is being arranged for 29 October. Performance data has been provided already for the period from April to August, set out on a monthly basis.

Can you clarify if bi-annual is once every two years or twice per calendar year?

(Jonathan Hamlet) I can confirm it is one meeting every six months

If residents experience an issue, such as a missed bin collection, out of hours, how would that be dealt with?

(Jonathan Hamlet) In relation to street collections, Officers would be as proactive as possible. Veolia operate seven days a week and TDC Officers would collaboratively work to provide a robust service.

Who would residents contact in that instance, TDC or Veolia?

(Jonathan Hamlet) It would need to be reported directly to the Authority.

When speaking about residential bin collections, what would happen if a missed collection occurred on a Friday and residents were not able to contact TDC because the offices are closed for the weekend?

(Cllr. Smith) The new ECHO system would send a notification of that missed collection, so Veolia would collect on the Saturday.

(Jonathan Hamlet) It would need to be reported online, which would then be directed automatically to Veolia, who would then return over the weekend to collect.

There has previously been overflowing bins on the Clacton seafront area during school holidays. What is being done about this?

(Cllr. Smith) This incident occurred in March 2026, prior to the new contract being implemented. Incidents like these will now be minimised under the new contract.

I read the report and could find no mention of the Garden Waste collection service (brown bins).  It would be good to understand how many households use this service (and whether it is increasing year on year) and what the relationship of this scheme is to the new contract referenced in the report. It would also be good to know whether everyone receiving the service is now paying for it and that previous issues of service delivery and invoice payment have been fully resolved.  

(Cllr. Smith) 21,854 customers in August – ongoing increase. Garden waste collections are now a core part of the contract with improvements associated with the delivery of bins to new customers and additional operatives.

Previous issues associated with invoice payments / outstanding payments have been resolved.

20,723 customers are using MyTendring to pay their invoice and self-serve in respect of missed collections. The remaining customers pay via Direct Debit – there is an existing IT-led project to eventually migrate these customers to MyTendring.

Where can the data that has already been provided be found?

(Tim Clarke) The data is kept on the system. It has not been published in the past but is something that can be upon request.

Has the data been requested to be published previously?

(Cllr. Smith) There is a vast amount of data on the system, so it may be the case that we meet with the Committee and decide what data is most relevant for publication.

Would it be possible to produce a summary of the data for publication?

(Tim Clarke) It is possible we can provide a summary of data to the Management Team and publish from the Partnership Board meeting.

The report does not reference the arrangements for doorstep textile collections.  I appreciate that this is about the Veolia contract, but it is relevant to considering waste and recycling arrangement in the District.  Can you update the Committee about these arrangements and what research has been undertaken to assess the level of knowledge among households about that scheme, what the communication plan is around this scheme and the volumes collected through it.

(Cllr. Smith) As you have highlighted this service is not part of the main waste and recycling collection service that we are discussing this evening.

The service is independent to the Veolia service and currently residents can access the service either via an on demand, bookable doorstep collection service or via the existing network of textile banks. Current collections average 3 to 4 tonnes per month and is reflective of a supressed commodity market for second hand textiles. The authority is regularly reviewing how we communicate and promote services to residents and consequently the new recycling guides which are included in the information packs currently being delivered to households as part of the green box delivery program promotes the kerbside textile service, along with Tendring Furniture scheme which are also both promoted on the Councils website.

What does the green waste collection service cost the Council?

(Tim Clarke) Those costs are included as part of the contract.

So, if the residents are paying £55 per year, does that cover those collections fully or is there a subsidy to cover the rest?

(Tim Clarke) The charge is designed to cover the full cost of collections, therefore there is no subsidy from elsewhere.

What has been the level of missed collections since implementation and how does it compare with the previous contractor's performance?

(Cllr. Smith) The statistics are as follows:

45.45 per 100,000 which equates to roughly 0.1% missed collections. We do not have data to hand for the previous year but would be happy to provide a written response with those numbers included.

How many complaints have been received since contract commencement and what are the main themes?  How does this compare to the same period in 2025?

(Cllr. Smith) In relation to waste and recycling collections there have been 56 complaints made between 1 April 2026 and 15 September. This is one less than for the same period in 2025.

Based upon just the street cleansing aspect of the contract there were 67 service enquiries/requests/complaints in 2026 compared to 72 were received in 2025 - a reduction of 6.9%.

General themes are related to litter bins and requests for more to be installed.

How effective has the Council's communication with residents been throughout the transition?

(Cllr. Smith) The authority has a comprehensive communications plan,including but not limited to:

•           leaflet that went out with Council tax bills.

•           Website changes

•           Press releases: Food waste expansion (March); recycling box deliveries (August)

•           Social media: Recycling boxes going out (mid-August); changes are coming (8 July); new e-bikes for street cleaning (2 July); how glass recycling will work (16 July); what happens to your recycling (June)

•           E-mail briefings and information packs sent to councillors and town/parish clerks and chairs

•           Food caddy how-to guides for hard-to-reach properties delivered along with containers.

Currently in progress also includes:

•           Paid-for adverts on Meta (Facebook and Instagram)

•           Quotes/bookings for paid for advertising in local Gazette/Standard; Look Magazine

•           New box deliveries, including suite of leaflets for each household

And then with Upcoming/planned

•           Further paid-for adverts on social media (including targeted post for areas with day/week changes)

•           Further social media posts about the roll-out of boxes

•           Leafleting at Love Clacton Day (26 September)

•           TBC - static displays in local libraries and our receptions

•           Press releases: Various over next few weeks

•           Food waste promotion campaign (led by ECC, supported and amplified by us during mid-October)

•           Longer-term plan: Christmas waste arrangements (plus further promotion of new recyclable products) combined with the bottle bank site removals

Based on the feedback I have received, the response from residents has been extremely positive. How does the Council intend to maintain this level of public awareness moving forward, and are there plans to focus on different aspects of the waste collection service through future communications or awareness campaigns over time?

(Cllr. Smith) The Council is continually exploring new and effective ways to communicate with residents, Councillors, and Town and Parish Councils. It remains committed to ensuring that important information is communicated as widely as possible, recognising that residents can only benefit from services and initiatives if they are aware of them. Officers and I continue to work closely with the Communications Team to deliver clear, timely, and effective messaging. The Council is always open to suggestions and would welcome any ideas that could help extend the reach of its communications and engage an even wider audience.

What measures are being taken to rebuild confidence where residents have experienced disruption to service delivery?

(Cllr. Smith) With the new recycling service not due to commence until the 5 October the Authority and the contractor has planned additional resources to minimise disruption to service delivery. This includes the additional temporary TDC staff to support customer support team, I.T and waste team.

For the recycling collections, the contractor has identified projected additional tonnage collected in the green box and the provision of an additional recycling round (vehicle, driver and loaders) to absorb the additional tonnage. 

As seen in other authorities who have introduced new collections services, the authority and contractor expect the first four weeks of the new service to deliver excess recycling tonnage where residents have stockpiled glass bottles, jars and plastics and cartons and provisions will be available to assist in the collections where required.

Confidence is built by delivering problem free collections and this is the aim.

Has there been any measurable change in street cleanliness standards since implementation of the new contract compared with the old contract? What performance indicators are used to assess street cleansing quality and what are the latest results?

(Cllr. Smith) Whilst the street cleansing schedule remains largely unchanged compared to the old contract, Veolia have introduced innovation to improve service standards, this includes the use of two e-bikes to provide greater flexibility whilst supported by five vacuum barrows to help provide an enhanced cleansing standard in high footfall areas.

In relation to performance indicators, the contract has a specified and defined Performance Management Regime consisting of a total of 22 Key Performance Indicators, one of which relates to Street and Environmental cleanliness with ex National Indicator 195 used to measure this KPI. For August 33 inspections carried out 0.0 % remediation notices issued, June 21 inspections 2 remediation notices issued (9.5%).

To confirm there is no data provided for July due to Officer absences around that period.

(Keith Simmons) Please can a list of those 22 KPIs be provided to the Committee in a written response.

(Jonathan Hamlet) Yes.

The report mentions two e-bikes and five vacuum barrows. Please can you highlight which areas those resources are currently covering?

(Jonathan Hamlet) One of the two e-bikes is operating in the Clacton town centre and seafront areas. The other is operating in Frinton and Walton seafront. The vacuum barrows are currently operating in Clacton Town Centre and Jaywick.

Would you consider expanding those resources to other areas of the district?

(Jonathan Hamlet) The deployment of the vacuum barrows is very dependent on the footfall within the area. We would be happy to work with partners and explore those options but note that there are constraints such as storage and costs.

Would the Council be happy to consider this via approaches from Town and Parish Councils?

(Jonathan Hamlet) Yes.

What do the e-bikes do?

(Cllr. Smith) The cargo bikes provide access to locations that are unsuitable or inaccessible for larger collection vehicles, such as seafront areas during peak periods and other restricted-access locations.

(Jonathan Hamlet) The e-bike is a four-wheeled cargo vehicle with a carrying capacity of approximately 12 refuse sacks. Its deployment enables the rapid resolution of issues such as overflowing litter bins and fly-tipping incidents, while complementing and supporting the Council's scheduled waste collection operations.

How are cleansing frequencies performing against contractual requirements?

(Cllr. Smith) The authority carries out a combination of routine monitoring inspections and complaint-based inspections along with joint inspections with the contractor. As described above, and based upon these inspections, the contractual performance indicates a level of satisfactory standard, with both the authority and the contractor working together to continuously improve cleansing standards when found to be below standard.

Does the role of the beach cleaning team extend beyond emptying litter bins along the seafront, and does it also include the cleaning and maintenance of the beach itself?

(Cllr. Smith) Within the teams that I am familiar with in Clacton on Sea and Holland on Sea, they actively clean the beach and litter pick.

Are the beach cleaning teams made up of Veolia staff?

(Cllr. Smith) Yes.

In relation to fly tipping, I believe there is a contractual requirement for waste to be removed within 72 hours, what is the total time before pickup?

(Jonathan Hamlet) It very much depends on the type of incident that has been reported, including the quantity, the contents and how much investigation is required.

For the fly tipping of sofas and/or mattresses that do not require any investigation?

(Jonathan Hamlet) Once the report is received, it will be allocated to an Officer to assess and dependent on workloads and timings, it should be sent to Veolia on the same day.

Where culprits of fly tipping can be identified, how are they dealt with?

(Jonathan Hamlet) Through fixed penalty notices (FPN) or prosecution dependent on the details of the incident.

In relation to the beach cleaning teams currently operating in Clacton on Sea and Holland on Sea, are there any teams elsewhere?

(Jonathan Hamlet) There are beach cleaning teams operating in Brightlingsea, Jaywick, Clacton, Holland, Frinton, Walton and Harwich.

Are all those beaches being cleaned?

(Jonathan Hamlet) Yes, the beach cleaning teams are multi-skilled operatives who deal with the cleanliness of the beaches alongside the emptying of the seafront bins.

Has Manningtree beach been considered for beach cleaning?

(Jonathan Hamlet) The cleaning schedules have been based on what was in the old contract, whilst also being mindful of budget restraints and Manningtree foreshore was not considered a seafront area which was maintained through this contract.

How effectively is the contractor responding to fly-tipping, litter hotspots, and seasonal pressures?

(Cllr. Smith) The contractual requirements for the removal of fly tipping remains the same in this contract to that of the previous contract in that once a fly tipping incident has been reported it is firstly investigated to identify if the land is public and as such at the expense of the public purse to clear. If on housing land, then the report is passed on to the housing team to action. Once the relevant team have carried out their investigations and actions and deemed it necessary to pass on to be cleared then the contractor has 72 hours (Monday to Friday) to clear.

Whilst litter hotspots would be cleared within the specified cleansing schedule for the that area, the authority remains proactive in any reports received of litter hotspots to identify possible solutions to assist in minimising the impact of litter.

With seasonal pressures, the Authority listened to all stakeholders and learnt from previous experience. Consequently, the summer season is now extended so that it starts from 1 March all the way through to the 30 September. The number of seasonal blue bins has increased from 145 to 238 and these along with other seafront area bins are all now emptied twice daily, seven days a week. Seafront areas have morning and afternoon beach cleaners for the summer which equates to over 550 operational hours per week and Clacton Town Centre has an operative up to 8pm during the summer period to support seasonal pressures.

When considering fly tipping, if hazardous waste is tipped on private land, will the Council pick it up?

(Jonathan Hamlet) Any waste tipped on private land is the responsibility of the landowner, even if the waste is hazardous.

Are coastal and high-tourism areas receiving the required level of service during peak periods?

(Cllr. Smith) The Council was eager to both listen, and deliver a service suitable for our residents, businesses and community whilst working within our budgets. The contract has introduced innovation with e cargo bikes, vacuum barrows and the introduction of I.T to the street cleansing service to improve the management and monitoring of this vital service. The summer of 2026 was the UK’s hottest on record (Met Office) and with coastal areas receiving high numbers of visitors the pressures placed upon the infrastructure, including waste provision was tested. It helped the authority to identify areas where additional blue bin provision was required and implemented, and these additional provisions will then be captured to shape the resources for the summer period of 2027.

There is concern that a one-size-fits-all approach may not be appropriate across all areas of the District. How is the effectiveness of the Council's policies being evaluated, and can assurance be provided that they are both achievable and capable of delivering meaningful outcomes?

(Cllr. Smith) There are elements of the waste contract rollout that necessarily require a consistent, district-wide approach. However, where local circumstances require flexibility or further consideration, it is important that stakeholders raise any issues or concerns so that they can be properly assessed. Equally, the Council has a responsibility to listen and work collaboratively with stakeholders to identify and implement appropriate solutions where improvements are needed.

What were the most significant risks identified before contract commencement, and how have those risks materialised in practice?

(Cllr. Smith) The most significant risks identified were the limited mobilisation period and the potential lack of preparation time. These risks were mitigated through a comprehensive six-month preparation programme. Concerns were also raised regarding potential vehicle shortages; however, these have since been resolved. Similar concerns relating to the availability of containers have likewise been addressed, and the Council remains on track to complete the container rollout next week. Workforce availability continues to be a sector-wide challenge, but this has been managed effectively throughout the implementation process. All key risks and issues identified during the rollout have been addressed, and appropriate mitigation measures have been successfully implemented.

I have had reports from residents about damage/wear and tear to bins. In instances where the bin has been damaged upon collection of waste, is the onus on the resident to replace it? Could the Council provide a replacement service free of charge?

(Jonathan Hamlet) This is something that is already being provided by the Council through the TDC website. The bin/container must be replaced like for like and we have recently changed the supplier of the food caddies, so reports of damage to those should decrease.

In terms of public bins, I have had issues reported within my ward that have been as a direct effect of operative absences. How can we overcome these issues?

(Cllr. Smith) The new ECHO system locates all bins that require emptying, so automatically this kind of problem should be minimised.

(Jonathan Hamlet) This was identified in the previous contract, which we have listened to. Fundamentally, any operative can now pick up a tablet and know all the locations of the bins that require collecting.

Have all the bins in the District now been logged on the system?

(Jonathan Hamlet) We believe so, but we are working closely with Veolia to continue the development and ensure comprehensive mapping. We are now in the next phase of checking that data.

There are multiple areas in the District that do not receive Look Magazine. What measures are in place to ensure efficient communication to those areas?

(Jonathan Hamlet) We follow the comms plan which includes digital media, meta, gazettes and much more in order to capture every platform and ensure residents are fully informed.