Issue - meetings

Waste, Street Cleansing and Grounds Maintenance Services

Meeting: 11/11/2020 - Cabinet (Item 47)

47 Waste, Street Scene and Grounds Maintenance Services Options Report pdf icon PDF 253 KB

To consider the report of the Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member for Environment which recommends the next steps for the delivery of Waste, Street Scene and Grounds Maintenance services beyond the current contract end date of 31 March 2022, and provides a Best Value Review and detailed assessment of options in line with the Cabinet decision of 15 July 2020.

 

Please note that Appendix 2 is exempt from disclosure to the press and public by virtue of Paragraph 3 of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972 as amended (information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person including the authority holding that information). If Members wish to discuss Appendix 2 Cabinet will need to resolve to exclude the press and public before doing so.

 

Please note that the recommendations of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee (2 November 2020) in respect of this report were that:

 

a)    Cabinet no longer consider the option of extending the existing Waste, Streetscene Grounds Maintenance services contract with Amey

 

b)    in the event that the above recommendation is not accepted, Cabinet should only consider an extension to the existing contract with Amey in the context of a competed model on the open market.

 

c)    the option of bringing services in-house should be retained at this stage.

 

d)    Cabinet examines and learns from examples of Local Authorities who have brought Waste, Street Scene Grounds Maintenance services in-house.

 

Additional documents:

Decision:

RESOLVED that:

 

(1)  the Options Appraisal and Best Value Review is received and noted

 

(2)  the option to commence a formal procurement on the open market is not taken forward for the reasons set out in 2.0.6 through 2.0.9 of the Options Appraisal and Best Value Review, in line with Cabinet Resolution (6) of 15 July 2020

 

(3)  the option to bring services back in-house is not taken forward for the reasons set out in 2.0.10 of the Options Appraisal and Best Value Review and elsewhere in this report

 

(4)  the option to extend the Amey contract is either;

(a)   Not taken forward for the reasons set out in this report and 2.0.14 of the Options Appraisal and Best Value Review, or

(b)   A decision is deferred until 31 January 2021 at the latest to provide the opportunity for an offer to be finalised by the new owners

 

(5)  the option to have the services delivered by Ubico from 1 April 2022 is maintained as a preferred option, subject to further developing and refining of the detailed cost model and mobilisation plan

 

(6)  a full financial and legal appraisal of the remaining model(s) is undertaken

 

(7)  delegated authority be given to the Corporate Director (after consultation with the Cabinet Lead for the Environment) to implement these decisions.

 

Minutes:

Cabinet considered the report of the Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member for Environment which recommended the next steps for the delivery of Waste, Street Scene and Grounds Maintenance services beyond the current contract end date of 31st March 2022, and provided a Best Value Review and detailed assessment of options in line with the Cabinet decision of 15th July 2020 (minute 24).

 

The Leader of the Council highlighted the key features of the report and went through each recommendation in detail. He thanked the Overview and Scrutiny Committee for their recommendations (November 2020 minute 8.14) and advised that these not be adopted as they would incur additional expense and the loss of an opportunity for the new owners of the current contractor (Amey) to make an improved offer.  The Corporate Director informed Members that he had just been notified that the new owners would honour the existing Amey offer so that the details of their proposal could be further examined if Members chose to keep that option open.  The Cabinet Member for Culture and Leisure reminded Members of the impact of the contract on all residents and apprised them of his opinion that it made sense at this time for the Amey and Ubico options to be the only ones to be considered henceforth.

 

RESOLVED that:

 

(1)  the Options Appraisal and Best Value Review is received and noted

 

(2)  the option to commence a formal procurement on the open market is not taken forward for the reasons set out in 2.0.6 through 2.0.9 of the Options Appraisal and Best Value Review, in line with Cabinet Resolution (6) of 15 July 2020

 

(3)  the option to bring services back in-house is not taken forward for the reasons set out in 2.0.10 of the Options Appraisal and Best Value Review and elsewhere in this report

 

(4)  the option to extend the Amey contract is deferred until 31 January 2021 at the latest to provide the opportunity for an offer to be finalised by the new owners

 

(5)  the option to have the services delivered by Ubico from 1 April 2022 is maintained as a preferred option, subject to further developing and refining of the detailed cost model and mobilisation plan

 

(6)  a full financial and legal appraisal of the remaining model(s) is undertaken

 

(7)  delegated authority be given to the Corporate Director (after consultation with the Cabinet Lead for the Environment) to implement these decisions.