Issue - meetings

To consider the head of housing and environment’s report. 

To inform cabinet members of the current issues facing the councils in modernising and sustaining the waste and street cleansing operational fleet, and to outline the process that officers will use for the future procurement of new waste collection and street cleansing vehicles.  The process is designed to ensure that vital waste collection and street cleansing services continue by providing suitable vehicles at the right time, in a way that the council can afford, whilst aiming to reduce the carbon footprint of the service where this can be realistically achieved by the technologies available and is within the capacity of the waste depot to support.

Recommendation:

That Cabinet note the contents of the report on why the council needs to be procuring new waste vehicles, and the factors which influence the future carbon footprint of the fleet and the process that officers will use for the future procurement of waste and street cleansing vehicles.

Cabinet received the Joint South Oxfordshire and Vale of White Horse Waste and Street Cleansing Vehicle Procurement Strategy report from the head of housing and environment. The report purpose was to inform cabinet about the process officers used for the procurement of new waste collection and street cleaning vehicles.

The cabinet member for environment and waste services presented the report, and he thanked officers for all of the detailed background work they carried out, as well as thanking the input of Joint Scrutiny Committee. Their comments had been incorporated into the report to make an even better strategy. The strategy was used to assess the market and would allow the council to select the best vehicle for the intended job, within budget, and producing the lowest possible carbon emissions. Officers present to support the item were head of housing and environment and the environmental services manager.

Cabinet noted that the policy set out the process by which refuse and street cleaning vehicles could be assessed for procurement but did not commit the council to buying any vehicle in particular, thus allowing the council to keep their procurement options open.

Cabinet considered and welcomed the comments from Joint Scrutiny Committee.

Members were informed of the Ministry of Transport’s Transport Research and Innovation Grants programme for a 12-week electric vehicle (EV) collection vehicle trial, which the council had applied for. If successful, the council would use these funds to run a 12-week trial for EV refuse vehicles and new route tracking and optimising software, starting the operational trial this autumn. Members were pleased with the 12-week trial and welcomed the report and strategy that allowed flexibility to review as technology changed, noting that the council priority was to the obligation to collect household waste. Members discussed factors influencing, such as position of the depot and how routes were planned – these would all form part of the strategy with the flexibility to consider all options and maximise use, particularly considering this district had rural locations to serve. Cabinet member added that we can share 12-week learnings with other authorities, encouraging a culture of sharing amongst authorities. Members saw the value of agreeing the process for making these decisions in a report such as this and felt pleased that the council was keeping up with the cutting edge of developments in this area.

Cabinet was pleased with the report and agreed that it shall be noted as follows;

RESOLVED:

Cabinet noted the contents of the head of housing and environment’s report on 19 April 2024, on why the council needs to be procuring new waste vehicles, and the factors which influence the future carbon footprint of the fleet and the process that officers will use for the future procurement of waste and street cleansing vehicles.