Issue - meetings

Refuse Vehicle Procurement

Meeting: 16/07/2019 - Executive (Item 20)

20 Replacement of the Waste and Recycling Fleet pdf icon PDF 448 KB

Additional documents:

Decision:

Decision:

 

That the Executive agrees to:

 

(1)     the purchase of a replacement refuse and recycling collection fleet as set out in this report; and

 

(2)     the transfer £3,400,000 from the provisional capital programme to the approved capital programme.

 

Reason:

The recommendations are made to ensure that Guildford Borough Council can continue to provide statutory waste and recycling collection services that maintain high resident satisfaction and best value for the organisation.

 

Alternative options considered and rejected by the Executive:

To not proceed with the planned replacement, which would prevent the service from delivering the Council’s statutory duty to collect waste and recycling as the current fleet would become increasingly unreliable.

 

Details of any conflict of interest declared by the Leader or lead councillors and any dispensation granted:

None

 

Minutes:

The Executive considered a report which informed councillors that the Government was currently reviewing its national waste strategy, the results of which would be known next summer.  Changes were expected to be implemented between 2023 and 2026 and this was likely to include a requirement to change collection services.

 

There were also changes taking place in the global markets for recyclable materials and as a result of savings being required by the Waste Disposal Authority, Surrey County Council.  These would have an impact on the cost of the Borough Council’s waste and recycling services.

 

The Borough Council, however, needed to replace its existing collection fleet in 2020. Given the uncertainties, Officers had identified a fleet configuration that would allow the continuation of the service in its current form, but which would be sufficiently flexible to respond to changes required in response to the new national waste strategy, changed market conditions and financial pressures.

 

The options for the procurement of sustainable vehicles had been explored, but at this time there were no suitable, tested electric or hydrogen fuelled vehicles available on the market. In addition, issues with the current infrastructure in supporting these vehicles in the short term had been identified. The Council currently had nine electric vehicles on fleet, but expanding this to include the refuse collection vehicles would require a significant and costly infrastructure upgrade to the depot site that had a lifetime of just three years remaining. Infrastructure to support the use of electric and hydrogen fuelled vehicles had, however, been added to the new depot planned for as part of the Slyfield Area Regeneration Project. 

 

In considering this matter, the following points were made:

 

·        The proposal to replace the fleet would not affect current waste and recycling collection processes

·        Used fleet vehicles would typically be auctioned and some would be exported for use in other countries and others used as hire vehicles in this country

·        Manufacturers of fleet vehicles were constantly improving the vehicles in terms of efficiency and impact on the environment

 

The report had therefore sought approval to procure a new waste collection vehicle fleet.  Councillors noted that the service would remain unchanged from the residents’ perspective with operational improvements gained from increased reliability and improved efficiency of the new vehicles.

 

The Executive

 

RESOLVED:

 

(1)     That the purchase of a replacement refuse and recycling collection fleet as set out in the report submitted to the Executive, be approved

 

(2)     That the transfer of £3,400,000 from the provisional capital programme to the approved capital programme, be approved.

 

Reason:

The recommendations are made to ensure that Guildford Borough Council can continue to provide statutory waste and recycling collection services that maintain high resident satisfaction and best value for the organisation.