Issue - meetings

To consider the report of the Cabinet Member for Recycling & Waste

RESOLVED

i)          The purchase and contract award of two electric compact sweepers for the town centre and install electric charge points in Black Horse Way Car Park at a cost of £400,000.

ii)         The refurbishment and contract award of one of the collection vehicles RCV’s at an estimated cost of £80,000.

iii)        To approve the refurbishment of the two highway sweepers at a cost of £101,000.

REASON

i)          The two town centre sweepers have reached the end of their useable life. We need to replace as they have become unreliable and expensive to repair. Electric vehicles are best suited for this purpose as the majority of vehicles/sweepers cover short journeys, they are also quieter for early morning use. Some infrastructure work is required to install charge points within Black Horse Way Car Park which is Council property. We are awaiting quotes for this work. The town centre cleansing team will become emission free with 2 x Battery Electric Vehicles (BEV) compact sweepers. This will be in line with our climate change action plan and will be highly visible to the general public in the town centre.

ii)         To refurbish one 26 tonne refuse collection vehicle. This will enable the vehicle to be used for a further 5-6 years to allow alternative fuel options to be more available at a reasonable cost and refuelling infrastructure to be in place.

iii)        Highways sweepers – these are reaching the end of their useable life. To refurbish them means we are reducing our maintenance costs and ensuring we don’t have increased downtime.

Councillor Toni Bradnum, Cabinet Member for Recycling & Waste, summarised the proposals for the purchase and refurbishment of vehicles in the Council’s fleet of cleaning and refuse collection vehicles. 

Maintenance costs for the sweepers had risen because of their age.  The compact sweepers would be replaced with two electric sweepers, leading to a reduction in carbon emissions.  The highway sweepers would be refurbished and continue to run on HVO with a view to replacing them with electric or hydrogen powered vehicles in five years’ time. 

The Cabinet Member stated that the current fleet of refuse collection vehicles would continue to be used and refurbished as required, on the assumption that electric and hydrogen technology will advance and costs fall over the next five to six years.

RESOLVED

i)          The purchase and contract award of two electric compact sweepers for the town centre and install electric charge points in Black Horse Way Car Park at a cost of £400,000.

ii)         The refurbishment and contract award of one of the refuse collection vehicles (RCVs) at an estimated cost of £80,000.

iii)        To approve the refurbishment of the two highway sweepers at a cost of £101,000.

REASON

i)          The two town centre sweepers have reached the end of their useable life. We need to replace as they have become unreliable and expensive to repair. Electric vehicles are best suited for this purpose as the majority of vehicles/sweepers cover short journeys, they are also quieter for early morning use. Some infrastructure work is required to install charge points within Black Horse Way Car Park which is Council property. We are awaiting quotes for this work. The town centre cleansing team will become emission free with 2 x Battery Electric Vehicles (BEV) compact sweepers. This will be in line with our climate change action plan and will be highly visible to the general public in the town centre.

ii)         To refurbish one 26 tonne refuse collection vehicle. This will enable the vehicle to be used for a further 5-6 years to allow alternative fuel options to be more available at a reasonable cost and refuelling infrastructure to be in place.

iii)        Highways sweepers – these are reaching the end of their useable life. To refurbish them means we are reducing our maintenance costs and ensuring we don’t have increased downtime.