Issue - meetings

Members discussed the proposed resolution to move into Part 2 for this item (exclusion of the press and public via the termination of the webcast). The resolution cited Paragraph 3 (information relating to financial or business affairs) of Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972 as the basis for this.

Some Members argued that the officer report in connection with the item should be published as there was no apparent justification for making it confidential. It was accepted that the report would be reviewed by officers after the meeting to assess whether a redacted version could be published without compromising the Council’s legal position. In the meantime, the Committee agreed to move into Part 2 and the webcast was terminated.   

The report regarding the operation of the new recycling and refuse collection contract, since its commencement on 5^th April 2021, was then presented. This referred to operational changes, including the collection of food waste by separate vehicles and the ‘Whitespace’ customer relationship management system in all vehicles. The report:

·         presented statistics for the first 9 weeks of the contract, including the rounds which had not been completed and the number of households affected;

·         explained that rounds had been reorganised due to the new logistics of the contract and that some staff had been allocated to unfamiliar routes;

·         acknowledged that technical difficulties had arisen with the new vehicles which had contributed to delays;

·         clarified the testing process for the Whitespace system but reflected upon data upload issues which had resulted in service failures and communication problems;

·         referred to challenges presented by the increased collection tonnages since the procurement documentation was produced and the prospect of potential changes to the structure of the rounds and collection days;  

·         outlined staffing capacity challenges faced by the Council in attempting to deal with issues arising from the implementation of the contract;

·         reflected upon the impact of cameras on the new collection vehicles to enable the Council and Biffa to verify whether bins had been correctly presented (this was in the context of missed bin complaints);

·         identified lessons learned, i.e. the future need for:

-    a dedicated mobilisation team

-    the availability of temporary additional support at key times to respond to enquiries

-    more careful consideration given to the timing of new contracts

-    the project team to be located with the supplier if possible

-    more time for officers to receive training on systems.

During the debate, Members highlighted the severity of the previous service disruptions and the negative impact upon residents. Officers responded to questions and acknowledged the extent of the difficulties faced by residents and Members alike. The circumstances behind some of the operational and communication issues were explained. While reference was made to the Biffa Award community grants scheme (for organisations situated in the vicinity of landfill sites) it was clarified that Biffa would not be in a position to make compensatory donations to residents.

It was anticipated that, as part of the new performance reporting  ...  view the full minutes text for item 40