Members are reminded of their responsibility to declare any pecuniary interest in respect of matters contained in this agenda.

If you have a pecuniary interest you must withdraw from the meeting. Normally you should leave the room before the business starts to be discussed. You do, however, have the same right to speak as a member of the public and may remain in the room to enable you to exercise that right and then leave immediately. In either case you must not seek to improperly influence a decision on the matter.

There were no declarations of an interest received.

To consider the exclusion of the press and public for the following items of business on the ground that it involves the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Paragraph 4 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972.

By Virtue of Paragraph 3: Information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the authority holding that information)

Condition:

Information is not exempt if it is required to be registered under-

The Companies Act 1985

The Friendly Societies Act 1974

The Friendly Societies Act 1992

The Industrial and Provident Societies Acts 1965 to 1978

The Building Societies Act 1986 (recorded in the public file of any building society, within the meaning of the Act)

The Charities Act 1993

Information is exempt to the extent that, in all the circumstances of the case, the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information.

Information is not exempt if it relates to proposed development for which the local planning authority may grant itself planning permission pursuant to Regulation 3 of the Town & Country Planning General Regulations 1992(a).

AGREED – That the press and public be excluded from the meeting for the following items of business on the grounds that they involved the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Paragraph 4 of Part 1 of Schedule 12a of the Local Government Act 1972.

Report of the Director of Customer and Digital (enclosed).

Members of the Committee considered a report from the Director (Customer and Digital) which provided information from the Council’s consultants, AEA Ricardo and the result of the modelled options and indicative costs as requested at the Committee on 24 October.

The Chair welcomed the Executive Member (Customer, Advice and Streetscene Services), the Director (Customer and Digital) and the Waste and Streetscene Manager to the meeting.

The current waste collection contract with Veolia was due to expire on 31 March 2019.  This was the largest contract the Council procures and was high risk procurement in terms of value and reputational risk as well as a high profile service provided to all households in the borough.

Based on the findings of the consultant’s report the recommendation to Executive Cabinet on 14 December 2017 would be for the waste collection service to remain outsourced, with tender documents to be prepared on the existing services and option 2 (four weekly blue bin collections).  This modelling suggested a significant saving on the existing contract.

During debate, members of the Committee were informed that the cost saving was expected to exceed the saving identified in the MTFS. The Committee were also informed that there were potentially 5 to 6 operators who may be interested in the contract but that ultimately the interest would only be received from those operators who deemed the contract to be lucrative, and this would not be known until it goes out to tender.

Members of the Committee also discussed –

·         Pressure from government and county wide to reduce the number of collections, although the Committee were reassured that it had not been taken in to consideration during the modelling process,

·         Weight and capacity implications for residents and staff in relation to the blue bin four week rotation be implemented,

·         Public waste bin collection.

Members of the Committee were reassured that the modelling options and the cost savings were as accurate as they could be.  However, until the procurement process was completed and tenders returned, the costs were only indicative and based on the consultant’s knowledge of the market. Specific factors such as depot costs, mobilisation costs, pension liabilities, labour costs, overheads and profits would all impact on the overall cost of providing the  service as well as delivering elements outside the front line collection rounds.

AGREED – That the report be noted.

Following consideration of the evidence presented at the meeting, members of the Committee will be asked agree recommendations to be submitted to the Executive Cabinet for their consideration.

Members of the Committee considered both the written and verbal evidence presented.

After careful consideration of all the evidence provided (written and verbal), the Overview and Scrutiny Committee AGREED –

1.    That the report be noted,

2.    The outcome of the modelling work be included along with recommendations in the report to the Executive Cabinet on 14 December 2017.

The Chair thanked the Democratic and Member Services Officer for servicing meeting of the Committee and associated meetings over the last two year a wished her well in her new role in the Elections Team.