Agenda item

Report of Director of Service Delivery

Lead Cabinet member: Councillor Julie Carr

(This report contains an exempt appendix. Any discussion of this must take place at item 11 following exclusion of the public.)

(Key decision):

(1) To replace six currently-hired recycling vehicles with second-hand vehicles from summer 2022.

(2) To re-purpose and upgrade the remaining refuse and recycling collection vehicle (RCV) fleet from April 2023, subject to approval by Full Council.

(3) To use renewable diesel as an alternative to regular diesel from April 2023, subject to due diligence.

(4) To procure a new electric vehicle fleet for food waste collections in 2023, subject to approval by Full Council.

(5) To install temporary chargers at the depot in 2023 until such time as charging infrastructure is in situ as part of the depot redevelopment.

(6) To procure an electric vehicle fleet for street cleansing fleet from 2025/26, subject to a further report to Cabinet and Full Council supported by a business case.

(7) To secure zero emission at tailpipe vehicles for the RCV fleet by 2030, to align with the council’s net zero target, subject to a further report to Cabinet and Full Council supported by a business case.

(8) To consider the alternative option in respect of food waste collection, as recommended by Policy and Performance Advisory Committee at its meeting on 31 May 2022. The Cabinet member for recycling, waste and open spaces would write to the Chair of Policy and Performance Advisory Committee, with the outcome of that consideration.

The Cabinet considered the report of the Director of Service Delivery, introducing and seeking their approval for the replacement strategy for the waste and recycling fleet to circa 2035. This was against a backdrop of new and emerging technologies, alternative fuels and energy vectors, the council’s ageing vehicles and net zero 2030 ambition.

Thanks were conveyed to officers and portfolio holders for their work in bringing the report together.

The Policy and Performance Advisory Committee (PPAC) at its meeting on 31 May 2022, made the following recommendation to Cabinet:

To support the officer recommendations in the Cabinet report subject to the following additional recommendation being considered by the Cabinet:

(8) That an alternative option be considered in respect of food waste collection. This would be composed of two dedicated EV food waste vehicles to be used on routes with larger amounts of food waste and the fitting of food waste pods to general refuse collection vehicles to be used on the other routes.

Councillor Boorman, Chair of Policy and Performance Advisory Committee, was in attendance to present PPAC’s discussion. One of the concerns around the proposals set out in the report, was that the administration would be implementing weekly food waste collection and fortnightly waste collection. The Cabinet confirmed that there were no plans to move the waste collection to fortnightly and the reason for officer recommendations were set out in the report.

Councillor Linington, Leader of the Opposition also addressed the Cabinet and reiterated comments made at PPAC and supported their recommendation.

The Cabinet unanimously agreed to consider PPAC’s recommendation, and this was reflected in the additional resolution below.

Resolved (Key decision):

(1) To replace six currently-hired recycling vehicles with second-hand vehicles from summer 2022.

(2) To re-purpose and upgrade the remaining refuse and recycling collection vehicle (RCV) fleet from April 2023, subject to approval by Full Council.

(3) To use renewable diesel as an alternative to regular diesel from April 2023, subject to due diligence.

(4) To procure a new electric vehicle fleet for food waste collections in 2023, subject to approval by Full Council.

(5) To install temporary chargers at the depot in 2023 until such time as charging infrastructure is in situ as part of the depot redevelopment.

(6) To procure an electric vehicle fleet for street cleansing fleet from 2025/26, subject to a further report to Cabinet and Full Council supported by a business case.

(7) To secure zero emission at tailpipe vehicles for the RCV fleet by 2030, to align with the council’s net zero target, subject to a further report to Cabinet and Full Council supported by a business case.

(8) To consider the alternative option in respect of food waste collection, as recommended by Policy and Performance Advisory Committee at its meeting on 31 May 2022. The Cabinet member for recycling, waste and open spaces would write to the Chair of Policy and Performance Advisory Committee, with the outcome of that consideration.

Reason for decisions:

Recommendations to Cabinet for waste and recycling vehicle procurement required from 2022/2023, to support ambitions for an ultra-low emission fleet by 2030.