Decision:
RESOLVED that Cabinet:
a) having considered the positive outcome arising from the public consultation, agrees to exercise the option to extend the term of both existing contracts for waste, recycling and street cleansing for a further seven years;
b) acknowledges that, to minimise the adverse impact on the long term financial forecast, variations to the current specification would be necessary;
c) considers the proposed variations reflect best practice in the waste industry;
d) delegates authority to the Corporate Director (Operational Services) and the Head of Governance and Legal Services to agree the final terms of the variations to the existing contracts; and
e) agrees that the News Homes Bonus for 2018/19 of £1.333 million be set aside to support the implementation of the revised approach, which include the purchase of 60,000 wheeled bins.
Minutes:
There was submitted an addendum report by the Portfolio Holder for Environment (Councillor Talbot) which provided Cabinet with the outcome of the public consultation on the options for the future delivery of the waste and recycling and street cleansing contracts.
Cabinet was aware that a public consultation had been carried out to obtain the views of the residents of the District on the proposed variations. The addendum report had shown that a majority of respondents were in favour of the proposed changes.
The Portfolio Holder for Environment read out the following statement:-
“I wish to report the outcome of the public consultations to extend our contract with Veolia for the discharge of our Waste, Recycling and Street Sweeping responsibility, on what I think are very favourable terms, for a further seven years.
The current contract, the details of which are in the public domain, costs the District Council around four and a quarter million pounds a year – or nearly £30 million over the last seven years.
I will not talk in public about the projected cost of the service until the extension and variation is agreed as this is commercially sensitive, but once agreed I will make financial information available, providing it does not breach commercial confidentiality.
It’s great to think that after the passage of another seven years from 2012, we do not find ourselves facing a substantially increased cost for the service our contractor provides. There is an increase but at a manageable level, with the possibility of another development which could save money, taking place in the near future.
Our requirement from the contractor has been changed to suit best practice and to provide a service we can afford, and it must be said that our negotiators have done a fine job for us to keep our overall cost manageable.
There are a number of changes but the most significant is the distribution of a Wheelie Bin for landfill waste to 60,000 properties and the emptying of the Bin every two weeks. If anyone thinks that is unique, then note that of the 12 Authorities in Essex that are ‘Waste Collection Authorities’, only 3 (one of which is Tendring) still collect weekly. Perhaps in a year’s time that number will be down to 2.
At the Cabinet meeting on the 16th February I announced a one month consultation, inviting residents to comment on the plans, using the TDC web site or direct letters from the public. When the consultation closed we had received 483 responses, with a straight forward 255 (52.8%) of those unquestionably in favour of the proposals and many of those we count as being opposed are in fact only opposed to one aspect of the proposed service, such as the 27 people who wanted a wider range of recycling or the 28 who wanted arrangements for the elderly or disabled, a service we currently provide and intend to continue to provide to those people. Then there were 65 people we count as opposed just think the Bins are unsightly and are opposed for that reason.
Our local newspaper “Gazette on Line” ran a poll of its readers. At the close after over 1200 readers had replied, the result was 50% in favour and 50% opposed. I think we know that consultation polls in general, tend to be completed by those opposed, as those who are content do not bother to put themselves out by replying. With this in mind a 50/50 split is a good result. I offer my personal thanks to the Gazette for running their own poll and for the articles they published.”
It was moved by Councillor Talbot, seconded by Councillor McWilliams and:
RESOLVED that Cabinet:
a) having considered the positive outcome arising from the public consultation, agrees to exercise the option to extend the term of both existing contracts for waste, recycling and street cleansing for a further seven years;
b) acknowledges that, to minimise the adverse impact on the long term financial forecast, variations to the current specification would be necessary;
c) considers the proposed variations reflect best practice in the waste industry;
d) delegates authority to the Corporate Director (Operational Services) and the Head of Governance and Legal Services to agree the final terms of the variations to the existing contracts; and
e) agrees that the News Homes Bonus for 2018/19 of £1.333 million be set aside to support the implementation of the revised approach, which include the purchase of 60,000 wheeled bins.