Issue - meetings

(a)           TVS Business Plan

(Contracts Delivery – Cllr R Balcombe) To approve the adoption of the Business Plan (C-013-2024-25).

(b)        Appendix 2 (Restricted)

Please be advised that the meeting may need to go into private session, if required, since Appendix 2, which shows financial costs and estimates for TVS Ltd, is restricted, as detailed under item 13 (Exclusion of Public and Press).

That the Cabinet agreed, as Epping Forest District Council was the 100% shareholder of Terra Verde Services Ltd, to approve the adoption of the Terra Verde Services Ltd Business Plan (Appendix 1 of agenda item 11).

Councillor R Balcombe (Contracts Delivery Portfolio Holder) reported that waste collection was a vital service for residents. The business plan set out the strategic approach for EFDC’s newly created Local Authority Trading Company. TVS would deliver two key environmental services, recycling and waste collections and street cleansing. The partnership would give greater flexibility and control to the Council.

Councillor S Murray observed that as residential street cleansing was the area most residents complained about, this needed to be improved. Also, would unions be recognised for the workforce? The Portfolio Holder acknowledged there had been some problems with street cleansing. J Warwick (Contracts, Partnerships & Procurement Service Director) continued that under TVS, street cleansing would be improved through supervision and include visiting the sites to check on progress as well as monitoring if it was not on target. The Leader added that the TVS Board was intending to prepare a statement on unions soon.

Councillor N Bedford commented that when Biffa workers left or dropped a refuse bag they would return and collect it when residents alerted the Council. The Portfolio Holder replied that all refuse trucks would have brooms, so this would be managed through monitoring. The Service Director advised that a set of service standards was being cleared by the Board, so crews would be fully aware of their spillage responsibilities.

Councillor Jon Whitehouse asked about customer care, agency costs to cover sickness absences and leave, and the 2020 Shareholder Agreement. The Service Director replied that residents would phone the Customer contact centre, as customer care would come under the Council. Agency costs were based on Biffa’s financials, so it would cover staff sickness and holiday times, but EFDC did not know how many Biffa staff would move across to TVS.

The Leader added that the 2020 Shareholder Agreement would be put up. Waste collection was an important service in EFDC. He thanked the Portfolio Holder and officers for their work on this project and that this was an enormous task that needed to be completed before 11 November 2024.

The report set out the options considered, if any, and the reasons for the recommendation and the decision.

Decision:

That the Cabinet agreed, as Epping Forest District Council was the 100% shareholder of Terra Verde Services Ltd, to approve the adoption of the Terra Verde Services Ltd Business Plan (Appendix 1 of agenda item 11).