Agenda and minutes

To approve as correct the notes of the meeting held on 30 June 2016.

The group approved the notes of the meeting held on 30 June 2016.

Forward Plan item scheduled for Cabinet 22 September 2016.

Members heard that the council disposed of commercial (trade) waste collected from businesses across the district. The waste collected was then transported to Burgess Hill transfer station which was operated by Viridor Waste Ltd on behalf of West Sussex County Council.

For many years the council had incurred higher disposal costs which had impacted on the commercial competitiveness of the service. Horsham District Council was not legally bound by any agreement with West Sussex County Council as the Waste Disposal Authority, however a reasonable period of notice would be required to withdraw or amend current arrangements with West Sussex County Council; intention of such had been made in November 2015.

Soft market testing was undertaken which concluded that a tendering exercise was required to secure a preferable disposal tariff set against a range of waste and recycling materials, with preferred options available for selection based on a best price basis. In addition to this the tender included the need for each supplier to consider any logistical benefits linked to transfer site locations which would offer reduced carbon footprint and to minimise transport costs.

The cabinet would be asked to award a five year contract with a total value of over £250,000 for the disposal of trade waste. The group discussed the draft report to cabinet and considered:

·         The saving offered by the preferred supplier, its location and track record

·         Additional productivity gains, such as fuel savings

·         The potential impact of a change from the existing arrangements

·         Whether the period of the contract could be changed

Officers explained

·         Any financial risk was low and would be outweighed by financial benefits

·         Conversations had been ongoing about the existing arrangements and due notice had been served

·         The period of the contract had been set at the tender stage, and would be subject to review at the appropriate time in the contract

The group commended officers for their work and supported the recommendations to Cabinet.

Forward Plan item scheduled for Cabinet 22 September 2016.

The Director of Community Services explained that the current contract for the supply of wheeled bins has expired and therefore it had been necessary to undertake a tendering exercise to obtain wheeled bins at the most competitive price, balanced against quality and the ability to supply. A mini tender exercise had been conducted through a framework agreement managed by

Yorkshire Purchasing Organisation (YPO) and the submissions had been evaluated accordingly. Key considerations of the tender exercise included unit costs, phased supply to assist with optimum storage requirements and the ability to supply in a timely manner to meet local demand.

Members’ considerations were:

·         The potential cost saving

·         Whether the council logo should appear on the bins

·         The saving that could be achieved by collective purchasing

Officers explained that:

·         The new contract would be at a lower price than the existing contract which provided a significant cost saving over a 4-year period

·         That the council logo helped with identification and that alternatives such as stickers would not be of satisfactory quality

·         The use of a national framework agreement ensured that the council benefitted from economy of scale

The group endorsed the recommendations to cabinet.

To note the Forward Plan extract (if any) for the Waste, Recycling and Cleansing Portfolio

The group noted the forward plan extract.