Issue - meetings

The Cabinet considered a report on options for replacement of the existing refuse collection vehicle fleet due to serious reliability problems which were being experienced.  It was noted that no actual decisions were being taken at this stage, with Officers continuing to work on the available options and to carry out the required negotiations to cover the long term changes and interim arrangements necessary to facilitate such changes, and to allow the service to continue operating in a more robust manner than at present. 

RESOLVED:

(a)       that officers continue to pursue an improvement in vehicle reliability through negotiation and discussion with the manufacturer;

(b)       that officers continue to pursue an alternative method of refuse collection using a standard type of refuse collection vehicle and seek part payment of some of the new fleet from the manufacturer through a compensation claim;

(c)        that officers continue to discuss future disposal options for collected waste with the County Council and their Contractors Severn Waste, or to modify the existing transfer station to be suitable for a standard type of vehicle;

(d)       that changes to the recycling service be co-ordinated with the opening of the new Material Reclamation Facility (MRF) in November 2009;

(e)       that the completely revised service becomes operational from April 2010 assuming that the new MRF is available from late 2009; and

(f)        that the revised service would link residual waste with recycling materials on an alternating week basis and that the green waste will be collected independently of the other materials on an 'at request' basis.