Agenda item

RECOMMENDATION

The Chair of the Scrutiny Committee has requested that the Cabinet Member and officers attend the meeting to provide an overview of progress and proposals prior to the Cabinet meeting on the 19th of June 2024 (Presentation to be provided at the meeting). The Scrutiny Committee are asked to provide any comments on the proposals.

Simon Hendey, Strategic Director & Councillor Learney, Cabinet Member for Climate Emergency introduced the agenda item regarding Procurement of Waste & Recycling Collection Vehicles. 

Simon Hendey advised of the urgent and critical nature of this agenda item which required a decision by Cabinet during  the pre-election period and outlined the primary reasons for this urgency as follows:

1. In February 2024, the Cabinet considered a report regarding the introduction of a food waste service and officers were tasked with progressing the implementation of this service, emphasising the pursuit of the lowest carbon viable option. This included specifically focusing on the procurement of vehicles necessary to support the new service.
2. The government had set a deadline of April 2026 for the implementation of the food waste service. Therefore, timely procurement of the necessary vehicles was essential to meet this deadline. A decision was required to facilitate the procurement process, thus the need for this report to be presented to the Cabinet on 19 June 2024

Councillor Learney, Cabinet Member for Climate Emergency updated the committee on the following points:

1. The administration aimed to expand the range of materials recyclable at the kerbside in a financially prudent and practical way.
2. The council was in a favourable position compared to other councils to provide a food waste service by the end of March 2026.
3. Extensive consultations on the waste strategy had been conducted, receiving responses from thousands of residents.
4. Collaboration with experts was undertaken to carry out technical studies and research, alongside budget allocation for the project.
5. Emphasis was placed on avoiding delays in the procurement process to prevent falling behind other councils in ordering new vehicles.
6. Detailed planning for the service rollout, including addressing issues such as servicing flats and difficult-to-reach areas, would take place in the autumn.
7. The current focus was on procuring vehicles, and input from the scrutiny committee was welcomed before the final decision by the Cabinet.

Campbell Williams, Service Lead - Environmental Services provided the committee with a detailed presentation, which discussed several matters including the previously confirmed decisions to date, the key elements of a food waste service, an overview of the modelling that supports the procurement decision of vehicle choice and costs, implications of current and future depot infrastructure requirements, the proposed introduction of an electric refuse collection vehicle (RCV), the next steps with respect to food waste collection and the journey to zero avoidable waste. (A copy of these slides are available here)

Councillor Caroline Horrill addressed the committee and highlighted the following points:

1. She sought clarification on the following:

2. She inquired about the costs to be proposed in the Cabinet paper for the procurement of vehicles.
3. She emphasised the importance of effective communication with residents regarding changes, particularly the introduction of new waste services like pots, trays, and tubs.

These points were responded to by Councillor Learney, Cabinet Member for Climate Emergency, Campbell Williams, Service Lead - Environmental Services and Andy Hickman, Head of Programme: Place.

Councillor Danny Lee addressed the committee and highlighted the following points:

1. He expressed enthusiasm for the electric vehicle (EV) trial and the potential to learn from other areas like Manchester, which had significant experience with EV fleets.
2. He raised concerns about the long-term environmental impact of the vehicle procurement, particularly regarding the full lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions.
3. He questioned the flexibility within the procurement contracts to adapt to rapidly changing technology and environmental standards.
4. He raised concerns about the sustainability and supply of hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO), particularly the potential indirect environmental impacts related to its production.
5. He emphasised the need for a risk register to address potential future supply chain and environmental risks.

These points were responded to by Councillor Learney, Cabinet Member for Climate Emergency, Campbell Williams, Service Lead - Environmental Services and Andy Hickman, Head of Programme: Place.

The committee proceeded to ask questions and debate the report. In summary, the following matters were raised:

1. Clarification on the decision-making process and the urgency of the procurement.
2. The costs associated with the kitchen caddies and whether these would be provided free of charge to households.
3. The use of solar panels on vehicles and whether this could enhance fuel efficiency.
4. The potential benefits of mixing hydrogen with diesel for better environmental performance.
5. The feasibility of the council establishing its own anaerobic digester for kitchen waste.
6. Clarification on the proportion of residual waste that was food waste and the overall strategy to reduce this waste.
7. The potential for increased vehicle movements and how this would be managed alongside existing collections.
8. The infrastructure requirements for electric vehicles and the steps taken to secure necessary power supplies.
9. Clarification as to why detailed costings and a comprehensive business case for the procurement was not available.
10. The estimated CO2 savings from the new vehicles the basis for these calculations and whether the cost of construction had been considered
11. The anticipated government funding and its reliability of being provided.
12. The alignment of the waste strategy with national recycling targets and future statutory obligations.

These points were responded to by Councillor Cutler, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Finance and Performance, Councillor Learney, Cabinet Member for Climate Emergency, Campbell Williams, Service Lead - Environmental Services, Andy Hickman, Head of Programme: Place and Simon Hendey, Strategic Director.

RESOLVED:

The committee agreed to recommend that the Cabinet consider implementing education programmes to encourage composting and food waste reduction alongside the new collection services.

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