Decision details

To approve the increase in fleet and labour resource as contained within this report manageable via existing budgets.

1.1 The Council operate 8 prime collection routes and two rural collection routes in order to service the domestic waste and green waste collections and 5 prime and one rural collection route for recycling.

1.2 The routes are calculated on standard minute performances with the incentive to the employees, under a waste services agreement to complete on a measured task and finish basis and allowing for the various waste disposal points as directed by Derbyshire County Council (disposal authority)

1.3 The teams are required to work to a required performance between 100 to 119 BSI across a 37 hour and 40 hour week. At a point collection rounds reach 116 BSI this would prompt a review of the rounds and reorganisation of it work content.

1.4 The service reviewed our collection routes in 2017 allowing for the potential expansion of the District Council property growth.

1.5 The service allowed for the absorption of the some of the larger housing developments in its routes however due to the speed of construction of some developments a position has reached whereby the Southern area of the District will increase beyond the capacity of the current routes.

1.6 It was proposed to move collection arrangements in Holymoorside to the Northern area which would be absorbed in the current route structure. This additional capacity available for the Southern area would then be able to contain the growth of developments in Wingerworth, However since taking over the Recycling service this cannot be incorporated to maintain the alternate green / burgundy / black bin service arrangements.

1.7 The table attached sets out the future developments of properties and the potential increases in particular in the Southern part of the District.

2. Details of Proposal or Information

2.1 The services through future planning in 2017 has been able to absorb some anticipated growth in the Southern area of the District, however the speed of the growth of these development has resulted in the need for expansion of the service.

2.2 The service currently has a fleet replacement programme with orders in place to replace three collection vehicles. The older vehicles will be retained to supplement / replace the services current relief vehicles.

2.3 Currently due to expansion of the District the service is gradually losing its capabilities of dealing with missed bins, vehicle breakdowns, void clearances.

2.4 It is proposed to create a hybrid team to absorb property growth on the three bin collection service retaining one extra vehicle in the relief fleet from future replacements and increase the Council’s establishment by employing an extra refuse driver / loader and increasing the seasonal temporary role to manage the demand in the green bin season utilising existing staff during the suspension weeks. This can be contained within the current pay budgets.

3 Reasons for Recommendation

3.1 The services through future planning in 2017 has been able to absorb some anticipated growth in the Southern area of the District, however the speed of the growth of these development has resulted in the need for expansion of the service.

3.2 The service currently has a fleet replacement programme with orders in place to replace three collection vehicles which the older vehicles will be retained to supplement / replace the services current relief vehicles.

3.3 Currently due to expansion of the District the service is gradually losing its capabilities of dealing with missed bins, vehicle breakdowns, void clearances.

3.4 It is proposed to create a hybrid team to absorb property growth on the three bin collection service retaining one extra vehicle in the relief fleet from future replacements and increase the Council’s establishment by employing an extra refuse driver / loader and increasing the seasonal temporary role to manage the demand in the green bin season utilising existing staff during the suspension weeks. This can be contained within the current pay budgets.

3.5 A temporary solution is required until a full review is undertaken. A review would take many months to undertake and there is still no clear targets set out in RAWS.

4.1 The service has considered increase performance of the teams and removing any capacity from the routes. This has been rejected due to the need for some flexibility in the routes to allow for vehicle breakdowns, traffic congestion and maintaining staff continuity.

4.2 Create different operational shifts increasing vehicle utilisation would reduce the need for further vehicle purchase however the requirement for additional labour resource would be required across various support services. This has been rejected since the Council are directed to take waste to dedicated waste disposal points which have restriction on operating hours which would not meet these collection arrangements and wholesale changes to staff contracts and other support staff.

4.3 Changing the Council’s collection timetables. This has been rejected due to not being in line with the Council’s priorities or aims, and we also need to await and consider the implications of the Environment Act 2021 and the results of the Waste and Resources strategy which may result in changes to future collections arrangements i.e. separate food waste collections, consistency of recycling collected and deposit return schemes on plastic and glass products which could reduce recycling collected at the kerbside, the outcome of the strategy is unknown and has been delayed potential for a further two years until 2024.