Agenda item

To enable Cabinet to give consideration to recommendations made to it by the Corporate Management Committee in respect of the above.

(a)   a Member Working Party for the new waste contract be not set up as it will not add any substantial value to this process; and

(b)   a Members’ briefing be held on the renewal of the waste contract in Spring 2018, or at a relevant time, to enable Members to discuss, and comment on, the proposals for the new waste and recycling contract.

Cabinet was informed that, at the meetings of the Corporate Management Committee held on 24 July and 14 August 2017, 2017 the Committee had received a presentation from the Head of Environmental Services and the Environment Portfolio Holder.

That presentation had included an overview of the following:

Ø  Background information regarding current waste contract.

Ø  Recycling figures, including comparisons over the past three years.

Ø  Future service options.

Ø  Appointment of consultants undertaking a review of the current service and future options for the service.

Ø  Tender process for waste and recycling contracts.

A number of questions had been asked by the Committee and answered by the Officer. Some questions had required the input of Officers from different Council services and were subsequently answered in writing following the meetings.

The Corporate Management Committee had decided to recommend to Cabinet that - 

(a)    A working party be set up by the Cabinet, in order to assist in the preparation and drawing up of the new waste contract.

(b)    An All Members’ Briefing to take place in Spring 2018, or at the relevant time, to enable Members to discuss, and comment on, the proposals for the new waste and recycling contract.

The Cabinet had before it the following responses of the Environment Portfolio Holder made in response to the recommendations of the Corporate Management Committee:

“Member Working Party

A Member Working Party is currently unlikely to add value to this process as the focus at this point is to align the financial constraints in relation to the potential service options and if options are widened at this point by a Member Working Party it may slow the process up and require extra work which may not deliver an outcome.

In addition this contract is usually dealt with by a set of agreed objectives for inclusion in a new contract which is prepared and submitted to each of those invited to tender. The tenderer is invited to put forward any proposals of their own for improving the service and often these have proved of great value.

The Constitution itself particularises in Part 5 contracts over £50,000 in Section 5 under ‘Tender Rules’, so therefore the procedure as laid down will be followed.

All Members’ Briefing

I support the suggested Members’ briefing in relation to the waste contact and in particular this will allow members to appreciate the increased costs imposed on our present contractor by legislation which will impose a premium on any future contract.”

Having considered the recommendations of the Corporate Management Committee and the responses thereto of the Environment Portfolio Holder:

It was moved by Councillor Talbot, seconded by Councillor McWilliams and:

RESOLVED that –

(a)       a Member Working Party for the new waste contract be not set up as it will not add any substantial value to this process; and

(b)          a Members’ briefing be held on the renewal of the waste contract in Spring 2018, or at a relevant time, to enable Members to discuss, and comment on, the proposals for the new waste and recycling contract.