Agenda item

Contact Officer, telephone number and email:

Steve Hems, 01263 516182, steve.hems@north-norfolk.gov.uk

Cllr N Lloyd - portfolio holder for Environmental Services, Climate Change and Environment introduced the item, and reminded Members that the contract was a combined effort with two neighbouring local authorities, that sought to deliver a 30% reduction in carbon emissions. It was reported that the contract had commenced in April during lockdown, though this had not hampered its implementation. Cllr N Lloyd noted that new waste vehicles were in the process of being delivered, which would significantly improve the reliability of the service, and expressed his thanks to all officers involved in the successful implementation of the contract.

Questions and Discussion

     i.  The DfC stated that mobilizing the waste contract during the pandemic had not been an easy task, and whilst there had been a far lower level of sickness than anticipated, it had still placed limitations on resources. It was reported that the only service that had been limited temporarily was access to registration of the garden waste services, though once this had been resumed, an additional 1300 households had registered for the service. It was noted that during the early stages of the initial lockdown, the Council had allowed commercial waste customers to suspend their collections in order to avoid cancellations whilst they were unable to trade. The DfC stated that there had been significant demand on staff to resume these contracts once lockdown had been lifted, and thanked the officers involved.

    ii.   On waste collection vehicles, it was reported that Serco had provided an interim solution free of charge during the pandemic, as delivery of the new vehicles had been delayed by the pandemic. It was noted that the second-hand vehicles had suffered with reliability issues which had resulted in missed collections, though hiring vehicles at additional cost had resolved these issues. The DfC stated that the additional costs were being negotiated with the contractor, as it had avoided any service penalties.

  iii.   The DfC referred to the peak tourism season and noted that whilst it had been significantly busier than usual, the contractor had met demand well, and additional resource had been provided for increased cleansing in public areas.

  iv.   The DfC stated that the Council was moving forward with the target operating model proposed by the contractor, which included a new collection methodology to limit emissions, and could be expected to be in place from February 2021.

   v.   The Chairman stated that as a ward Member, he had not received any negative feedback on the new contractor, and suggested that implementing the contract during such difficult times was a significant achievement. He then referred to the use of carbon efficient vehicles, and asked whether this was a contractual requirement. The DfC replied that the Council had requested that contractors include in their bid efficiencies such as carbon savings, and noted that it was broadly set-out within the contract. He added that bidders were assessed against this requirement, and Serco had included a provision to use more carbon efficient vehicles. It was noted that the reason for the delay in delivering this aspect of the contract was the limited range of fully electric vehicles, which had presented some issues in North Norfolk, though this may be resolved once the EVCP had been installed. In reference to hybrid vehicles, it was reported that the technology had been withdrawn at this stage in anticipation of fully electric vehicles. The DfC stated that as a result, the Council would hold Serco to the contractual requirements, though it had to be accepted that this was reliant on emerging technology.

  vi.   Cllr H Blathwayt expressed his thanks to the waste collection team for excellent service in areas of high demand during the summer season. He then asked what measures were being taken to protect the waste collection workers from the hazards of Covid-19. The DfC replied that Serco had introduced a number of steps to ensure Covid-security, the first of which was staggering rounds to limit the interaction of teams at the depot. In addition, cleansing of vehicles had been increased, alongside the introduction of bubbles amongst crews to further limit mixing of staff. It was noted that crews were also required to wear facemasks whilst in vehicles. The DfC stated that waste collection staff already wore gloves, and had very limited contact with the public.

 vii.   Cllr G Mancini-Boyle noted that waste levels appeared to have increased with residents staying at home, and praised the contractor for coping with this increased demand during such challenging times. He then referred to information panels on vehicles and asked what information would be displayed. Cllr N Lloyd replied that the Council did intend to promote messages on the vehicles, which would likely encourage recycling. He added that there were also plans to run a competition amongst schools to create designs in the new year. The DfC stated that it was beneficial for the Council to promote recycling messages, and options were being considered so that these could be changed on a regular basis. It was noted that some vehicles would have LCD panels that could change depending on their location, to promote specific messages.

viii.  Cllr N Housden thanked the collection staff for their efforts during the pandemic, then referred to the IT monitoring system, and asked if it was known when this would be activated. The DfC replied that this had been delayed whilst the older vehicles were being used, in combination with delays caused by bringing the three authorities IT requirements together. It was expected that the system would be live by April 2021, at which point analytics should be available. The DfC stated that Serco still provided adequate reporting on a daily basis, and added that once the system was live, it was hoped that public waste complaints would go directly to the contractor.

  ix.   Cllr A Brown reiterated compliments to all officers involved and expressed his thanks to the unsung heroes that had delivered a faultless collection service throughout the pandemic. Cllr G Mancini-Boyle agreed and suggested that a thank you letter should be sent to Serco staff on behalf of the Council.

   x.   It was proposed by Cllr W Fredericks and Cllr G Mancini-Boyle to accept and note the report.

RESOLVED

1. To note the report.