Agenda item

To receive a six month update following the transfer of Waste Services to Ubico. 

46.1           Attention was drawn to the report of the Environmental and Housing Services Group Manager, circulated at Pages No. 16-22, which provided a six month update on the transfer of Waste Services to Ubico.  Members were asked to consider the report.

46.2           Members were advised that the Council’s Waste Services had been transferred to Ubico on 1 April 2015.  A decision had been taken at the time not to hold a big launch event as there would be no change to the service provided to residents who would have their refuse collected on the same day and by the same crew etc.  The Environmental and Housing Services Group Manager indicated that the initial few months had been very difficult as the amount of contact from residents and Parish Councils had been underestimated and issues had taken time to resolve.  The Council’s IT team had played a significant role in developing an online system, ‘Achieve’, whereby customers could self-serve which was now working well.  The information provided in the report had been exchanged at the first Environmental Services Partnership Board meeting on 27 August 2015. 

46.3           Attention was drawn to Page No. 18, Paragraph 2.1, which set out the various performance monitoring procedures included within the contract.  The Environmental and Housing Services Group Manager explained that there was a weekly Customer Service Liaison Meeting which had been used to resolve any issues, for example, when the Achieve system had first been implemented, Customer Services and Ubico could each only view different sections.  As the initial teething problems had been ironed out the meetings were now held on a fortnightly basis.  A monthly Performance Monitoring Review was carried out by the Joint Waste Team on behalf of the Council and a full report was provided to Officers.  The Environmental Services Partnership Board was attended by the Deputy Chief Executive, as a Director of Ubico, and the Lead Member for Clean and Green Environment, as well as Officers from Ubico.  The figures provided demonstrated that there had been no fundamental change in the services provided to residents as a result of moving to Ubico.  There had been no significant health and safety incidents during quarter 1 and no incidents had been reportable under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013 (RIDDOR).  The report also provided information regarding the residual household waste per household and the household waste reused, recycled and composted which had previously been National Indicators.  There was little difference in the figures for residual waste compared to the previous year, however, recycling was down nationally and there had been a huge drop in the sale of recyclates.  The Joint Waste Team was looking at initiatives to encourage residents to recycle more and there was currently a campaign around food waste caddies.  Refuse and recycling calendars would be sent out shortly and contained information on the materials which could be recycled.  In terms of future work, collection methods would need to be reviewed as a result of legislative changes and a report would be taken to the Executive Committee and Council in due course.  In addition, the current vehicle lease was due to expire in 2017 and consideration would need to be given to how waste would be collected in the future and the type of vehicles which would be required.

46.4           Whilst he recognised that little had changed in terms of the delivery of waste services to residents, a Member indicated that the one thing which had changed was the ability to speak directly with staff to resolve problems.  The Environmental and Housing Services Group Manager clarified that the staff previously employed by the Council had been transferred to Ubico and were now employed by that company.  As the Council had a contract with Ubico, it was necessary to monitor the requests being made and everyone was being encouraged to use the Achieve system to report any issues.  The system could be accessed from a Parish Council and public point of view and anyone reporting an incident would receive an acknowledgement notification and a further notification when the matter had been resolved.  If an issue was not being resolved then she encouraged Members to contact either herself, or Customer Services.  A Member indicated that he had reported an issue using the Achieve system but he had not had any feedback as to whether it was progressing and the Environmental and Housing Services Group Manager undertook to speak to the Member following the meeting.

46.5           In terms of the recycling figures, a Member recognised that it was a problem nationally and he noted the point about the reduction in recyclate sales, however, this did not explain why people in the Borough were recycling less.  The Council had previously been aspiring to the ‘Sights on 60’ campaign to increase recycling rates to 60% and yet the recycling rate was now closer to 50% and he queried what was being done to address this.  The Environmental and Housing Services Group Manager indicated that it was largely as a result of residents becoming lazy as it was easier to put all refuse into a single bin as opposed to separating it out.  The refuse and recycling calendars would help to raise awareness that people should be recycling more and there would be more initiatives to encourage residents to recycle as much as they could.  A Member pointed out that there had been a change in attitude amongst supermarkets, with a drive towards reducing packaging, which meant that there was less recyclable material in circulation.  A Member questioned if anything could be done to make it easier for people to identify what materials could be recycled as she found the symbols very confusing.  In response, the Environmental and Housing Services Group Manager explained that this information could all be found on the Council’s website but she accepted that people may not realise it was available and she indicated that she would see what could be done to address this.

46.6           A Member queried whether anything was being done to discourage people from parking their cars in places which made it difficult for refuse vehicles to pass.  The Environmental and Housing Services Group Manager confirmed that windscreen stickers were used on vehicles to indicate that they were causing an obstruction. 

46.7           Members were advised that a further report would be provided in six months time and it was

RESOLVED          That the six monthly update following the transfer of waste services to Ubico be NOTED.