RESOLVED:

-       That Cabinet noted the reference of the Sustainable Communities Overview and Scrutiny Panel set out in paragraph 2.5 to 2.12 of the report

A. That Cabinet noted the Best Value Assessment of the four identified service delivery models for both waste and recycling collection, and the street cleansing service.

B. That Cabinet noted the findings from the Resident Engagement survey undertaken by the service which identifies high satisfaction with waste and recycling collection along with identifying areas of required improvement within the street cleansing service.

C. That Cabinet agreed, based on the Best Value Assessment and Resident Engagement findings, to a model of securing service delivery that disaggregates the street cleansing service from the waste and recycling service.

D. That Cabinet agreed that a competitive procurement offers the Best Value approach to securing a waste and recycling service; authorise the publication of a Prior Information Notice to notify the market of the intention to tender for a waste and recycling service; and confirm that officers can proceed to prepare all necessary tender documentation.

E. That Cabinet agreed with regards to the waste and recycling service that the tender opportunity is advertised on the basis that the successful bidder will be required to ensure all employees who are wholly or substantially engaged in delivering the contract have terms and conditions of employment that are equivalent to the Council’s.

F That Cabinet noted the implications for the Medium-Term Financial Strategy, from 2025/26, of agreeing to tender on the basis of equivalency of employment terms and conditions and the rationale for making this recommendation.

G. That Cabinet noted the Greater London Authority’s (GLA) role, under the Greater London Authority Act 1999, to issue directions to London boroughs in relation to waste management procurement and note the impact this has on the procurement timeline.

H. That Cabinet agreed that the setting up of a Direct Service Operation offers the Best Value approach to securing a street cleansing service and authorise the Waste and Street Cleansing Project Board to undertake further detailed work on a service specification that responds to residents’ concerns about the current service.  

I. That Cabinet noted that further Cabinet decisions will be sought as necessary with regards to the various components of the proposed service specifications for the waste and recycling, and street cleansing services.

J. That Cabinet noted that the recommended model, and underpinning rationale, for securing service delivery of waste and recycling, and street cleansing services, has been subject to pre-decision scrutiny by the Sustainable Communities Overview and Scrutiny Panel on 13 February 2023, and that any comment or recommendation from the Panel will be referred to Cabinet by the Panel Chair.

K. That Cabinet noted that in accordance with the Council’s Contract Standing Orders the proposed procurement strategy for the waste and recycling service will be considered by the Council’s Procurement Board, chaired by the Chief Executive, prior to final approval to proceed to tender

The Cabinet Member for Local Environment, Greenspaces and Climate Change presented the report, thanking colleagues for their time and noting the process of consultation which had taken place. The Cabinet Member noted that the survey had highlighted lower levels of satisfaction with the street cleansing service which had not improved. The Cabinet Member further reported that all options had been considered and the best value analysis had been looked at, forming the final recommendation to bring Street cleansing services in-house and to outsource the refuse collection services to the wider market. The Phase 2 specification would be brought to Cabinet in due course.

Councillor Neaverson, at the invitation of the Chair, spoke to note that there had been no major challenges at Scrutiny and thanked Councillor Irons for her work. Councillor Neaverson gave an overview of the recommendations from the scrutiny panel which had been agreed unanimously by that panel.

The Cabinet Member expressed that the recommendations were practical and useful and would help to shape how the service was scrutinised in the future.

Cabinet Members thanked officers and Councillors for their work and asked questions in relation to the management and control of refuse services and how skills and capacity would be built into an in-house service. The Cabinet Member for Local Environment Greenspaces and Climate Change responded that governance and monitoring was built into all contract and that there was a robust exit plan from the current provision alongside a strong mobilisation plan.

RESOLVED:

-       That Cabinet noted the reference of the Sustainable Communities Overview and Scrutiny Panel set out in paragraph 2.5 to 2.12 of the report

A. That Cabinet noted the Best Value Assessment of the four identified service delivery models for both waste and recycling collection, and the street cleansing service.

B. That Cabinet noted the findings from the Resident Engagement survey undertaken by the service which identifies high satisfaction with waste and recycling collection along with identifying areas of required improvement within the street cleansing service.

C. That Cabinet agreed, based on the Best Value Assessment and Resident Engagement findings, to a model of securing service delivery that disaggregates the street cleansing service from the waste and recycling service.

D. That Cabinet agreed that a competitive procurement offers the Best Value approach to securing a waste and recycling service; authorise the publication of a Prior Information Notice to notify the market of the intention to tender for a waste and recycling service; and confirm that officers can proceed to prepare all necessary tender documentation.

E. That Cabinet agreed with regards to the waste and recycling service that the tender opportunity is advertised on the basis that the successful bidder will be required to ensure all employees who are wholly or substantially engaged in delivering the contract have terms and conditions of employment that are equivalent to the Council’s.

F That Cabinet noted the implications for the Medium-Term Financial Strategy, from 2025/26, of agreeing to tender on the basis of equivalency of employment terms and conditions and the rationale for making this recommendation.

G. That Cabinet noted the Greater London Authority’s (GLA) role, under the Greater London Authority Act 1999, to issue directions to London boroughs in relation to waste management procurement and note the impact this has on the procurement timeline.

H. That Cabinet agreed that the setting up of a Direct Service Operation offers the Best Value approach to securing a street cleansing service and authorise the Waste and Street Cleansing Project Board to undertake further detailed work on a service specification that responds to residents’ concerns about the current service. 

I. That Cabinet noted that further Cabinet decisions will be sought as necessary with regards to the various components of the proposed service specifications for the waste and recycling, and street cleansing services.

J. That Cabinet noted that the recommended model, and underpinning rationale, for securing service delivery of waste and recycling, and street cleansing services, has been subject to pre-decision scrutiny by the Sustainable Communities Overview and Scrutiny Panel on 13 February 2023, and that any comment or recommendation from the Panel will be referred to Cabinet by the Panel Chair.

K. That Cabinet noted that in accordance with the Council’s Contract Standing Orders the proposed procurement strategy for the waste and recycling service will be considered by the Council’s Procurement Board, chaired by the Chief Executive, prior to final approval to proceed to tender