Agenda item

Waste, recycling, street and beach cleaning and other associated services would be provided by Biffa Municipal Limited from 29 June 2019.  It was noted that Hastings Street Cleansing and Bulky Waste Services would be provided directly by Hastings Borough Council and therefore sat outside the remit of the Joint Waste and Recycling Committee.  The local authorities were currently working with Biffa to mobilise the new Contract. 

Throughout June, Project Review Meetings were being held with Biffa to progress the project plan and review mobilisation risks, as well as ICT workshops and conference calls.  Arrangements had also been made for Biffa to meet Veolia South Downs Ltd and East Sussex Highways.

The project risk register had been updated to capture specific transfer and mobilisation risks.  Risks were being monitored and updated on a weekly basis.  Members were updated on the risks considered significant at the previous meeting:

1)    Service Data: Collection rounds and other data from each Local Land and Property Gazetteer (LLPG) system had been imported into the new Waste Management System.  A further up-load would be undertaken mid-June and cross checked.  This risk would not be de-escalated until all tests and checks were completed. 

2)    Depots: Leases were agreed as of 7 June 2019, pending one matter in regard to the Bulverhythe Depot.  It was anticipated that all paperwork would be finalised within the next 7/10 calendar days.

3)    Customer Contact (arising from public communications): Bin hangers would be hung on bins prior to 28 June to advise residents they should no longer present their black glass box for collection.

4)    Customer Contact (arising from operational issues): This risk had been de-escalated pending confirmation of the scale and intended implementation date for collection round changes.

5)    Development of Waste Management System: Biffa’s Whitespace System was being integrated with each Partners Firmstep System.  Each system operated independently therefore, each Council was responsible for undertaking their own integration work.  It was anticipated that some services would not be integrated by 29 June, which meant that interim solutions would be required.  This was considered a significant risk and was high priority for the Project Manager.

6)    Service Transfer: Service requirement dates had been agreed, as follows: last date to request a replacement container would be 14 June.  Some delays would be inevitable at the start of the contract.

All risks would be monitored and the risk register updated accordingly.

In terms of client mobilisation, contract execution had been planned for 7 June.  Invoicing, payment and cost recovery processes were being reviewed and refreshed to minimise the issues at the start of the contract. 

Arrangements to handle the disposal of dry mixed recycling were being procured by East Sussex County Council (ESCC).  ESCC had appointed Viridor (3 years) to dispose of and handle all materials from 29 June.  All materials would be taken to Pebsham (Hastings/Rother) and Maresfield (Wealden) Transfer Stations.  Glass would be co-mingled with all dry mixed recycling.  As a result of global market changes, Members were advised that the new contract would not include the collection of cartons and Tetrapacks e.g. long-life milk, fruit juice etc., for recycling.  All changes and a full list of recyclables would be communicated to residents via the bin hangers delivered in June.  ESCC would contribute to and work with the Partnership authorities on future communication activities in order to increase recycling and to increase the quality of recycling collected.  As cartons and Tetrapacks were no longer collectable items, Members agreed it would be extremely important that clear and robust messages were delivered as part of the Partnership’s Communications Strategy.  Clarity was sought on how much material was disposed of abroad and how much recycled in the UK?  Information was not available at the meeting.  ESCC agreed to liaise with Partnership officers to strengthen the message on non-collection of cartons and Tetrapaks, collate disposal statistical data and provide a report to each authority’s Lead Member.  A report on “the journey of a plastic bottle (recycled materials) from roadside collection to disposal” was requested.  ESCC to provide at the next meeting scheduled to be held on Friday 27 September 2019.

An update position of each individual Partner’s local service preparations was provided as follows:

Hastings Borough Council: Arrangements for the street cleansing service was progressing well with all user acceptance testing, 1:2:1 and staff meetings completed.

Rother District Council: Site visits with Biffa had been undertaken to view examples of access issues e.g. hot spot areas, as well as beach cleaning arrangements at Camber Sands and cleansing operations for fast roads and town centres.  Monitoring of these areas would be ongoing, particularly during the peak summer season.  Rother was introducing a new daily (Monday to Friday) waste collection service for four main streets in Bexhill town centre (Devonshire Road, Sackville Road, St Leonards Road and Western Road).  Therefore focus between June and July would be to ensure that affected residents were fully aware of this improved service. 

Wealden District Council: Primary focus was ensuring IT integration was developed to enable key service processes to be in place for the start of the contract.  A key issue would be to improve street cleansing to a consistent level, particularly along fast roads.  Consistent and reliable staffing levels would be essential, as well as preparatory work on potential round changes in the autumn.  

RESOLVED: That:

1)    progress with regard to mobilisation activities through to Service Commencement Date be maintained and noted;

2)    East Sussex County Council liaise with Partnership officers to strengthen the message on changes to non-recyclable materials, collate disposal statistical data and provide a report to each authority’s Lead Member; and

3)    East Sussex County Council to provide a report on “the journey of a plastic bottle (recycled materials) from roadside collection to disposal” at the next scheduled meeting.