Agenda item

(Environment Portfolio Holder) To consider the attached report (C-077-2014/15).

(1)        That the re-establishment of the Waste Management Partnership Board for monitoring service performance of the Waste Management Contract with Biffa Municipal Limited be recommended to the Council for approval;

(2)        That the Council’s membership of the Waste Management Partnership Board be recommended to the Council for approval as follows:

            (a)        The Environment Portfolio Holder (Chairman);

            (b)        The Finance Portfolio Holder;

            (c)        The Director of Neighbourhoods;

            (d)        The Assistant Director of Neighbourhoods (Technical); and

            (e)        The Council’s representative under the Contract;

(3)        That Biffa Municipal Limited be invited to nominate five members of the Board as well; and

(4)        That, at its next meeting, the Waste Management Partnership Board be requested to approve its draft Terms of Reference, as attached at Appendix 1 of the report.

In the absence of the Environment Portfolio Holder, the Leader of the Council presented a report on the Waste Management Partnership Board for 2015.

The Leader reminded the Cabinet that the Council had let a ten-year waste management contract to Biffa Municipal Limited on 4 November 2014. The contract covered all household waste and recycling collections and street cleansing services. The previous contract had benefited from a Waste Management Partnership Board (WMPB) which was responsible for strategic oversight of the contract. The arrangement had worked very well and enabled the Council to achieve a number of innovations and service enhancements, such as: the introduction of a weekly Food and Garden recycling service; the recycling of street cleansing arisings; as well as publicity campaigns and organising events in schools.

In light of the success of the previous Board, it was recommended that a similar Partnership Board be established for the new contract with Biffa Municipal Limited. The proposed membership of the Board was five appointees from the Council and five appointees from Biffa Municipal Limited, which should include one board Director. The Council’s suggested appointees were: the Environment Portfolio Holder; the Finance Portfolio Holder; the Director of Neighbourhoods; the Assistant Director of Neighbourhoods (Technical); and the Officer overseeing the contract for the Council. The draft Terms of Reference of the Board (attached at Appendix 1 of the report) were such that the Board could make strategic decisions on the service delivery and efficacy of the waste management services.

Decision:

(1)        That the re-establishment of the Waste Management Partnership Board for monitoring service performance of the Waste Management Contract with Biffa Municipal Limited be recommended to the Council for approval;

(2)        That the Council’s membership of the Waste Management Partnership Board be recommended to the Council for approval as follows:

            (a)        The Environment Portfolio Holder (Chairman);

            (b)        The Finance Portfolio Holder;

            (c)        The Director of Neighbourhoods;

            (d)        The Assistant Director of Neighbourhoods (Technical); and

            (e)        The Council’s representative under the Contract;

(3)        That Biffa Municipal Limited be invited to nominate five members of the Board as well; and

(4)        That, at its next meeting, the Waste Management Partnership Board be requested to approve its draft Terms of Reference, as attached at Appendix 1 of the report.

Reasons for Decision:

The new Waste Management contract was designed to be collaborative, non-confrontational and based on a partnership approach to service delivery. The purpose of the Board was to provide a higher level strategic oversight and leave the day to day operational matters to the local management teams. This would allow the Council and Biffa Municipal Limited to develop a long term sustainable partnering relationship. The Board enabled consideration of innovation and enhancement to service delivery. The Board was not an executive decision making body and appropriate executive decisions would be sought from either the Cabinet or the Environment Portfolio Holder.

Other Options Considered and Rejected:

To not re-form the Waste Management Partnership Board. However, this would result in the loss of an opportunity to create a positive partnering relationship with Biffa Municipal Limited.

To establish the Board with a different membership structure or different terms of reference. However, this was not recommended as the previous Board had worked well and it was logical to use the experience gained from the previous Board rather than start afresh.