Agenda item

(To receive a report from Sean Kent, Group Manager – Environmental Services, which invites the Committee to consider and comment on the recommendations set out within the report prior to the decision of the Executive Councillor for Waste and Recycling and the Executive Councillor for Finance and Property on 18 March 2016)

Consideration was given to a report from the Executive Director for Environment and Economy which provided the Committee with details of the following recommendations to the Executive Councillor for Waste & Recycling and the Executive Councillor for Finance and Property:-

1.    Approval from the Executive Councillor for Waste & Recycling for the Council to fulfil its duty under Section 51(1)(b) of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 through the construction and operation from 1 April 2017 of a Council-owned Household Waste Recycling Centre (HWRC) in Boston rather than to contract for the provision of such a centre from a third party as at present; and

2.    Approval from the Executive Councillor for Finance and Property of the scheme appraisal for the capital expenditure in accordance with paragraph B9 of the Financial Regulations forming part of the Council's Constitution.

Sean Kent, Group Manager – Environmental Services, introduced the report and invited the Committee to consider the recommendations and make any comments which would be considered by the relevant Executive Councillors.

During discussion, the following points were noted:-

·       There were five elements to consider for the proposed new site which included the access road, compaction and transport of containers.  The costings for the proposed site were currently unknown but the Committee was assured that it would need to be operationally viable in order to proceed;

·       The current site would require considerable operational work undertaken to bring it up to the required standard.  All the options would be considered alongside a potential new site and a cost comparison provided;

·       If the site on Nursery Road was chosen as the preferred option, the Committee was advised that access to the site would be signed and an access road included within the developers costs.  Service users would, therefore, be signed along Bittern Way;

·       Although Boston currently operated seven days per week and the proposal was to reduce this to four days per week, further consideration would be given to the opening hours through contract negotiations, following which it would be presented to the Committee for further discussion;

·       Although there would be four day opening over the weekends for domestic use, consideration may also be given to additional opening hours during the week for trade use.  There were legal issues around this type of opening, including health and safety, but all options would be considered;

·       Building of new sites could take up to a year to become operational taking in to consideration the required purchase length, granting of planning permission and building.  A decision would need to be taken quickly to ensure that all of these processes were complete prior to the end of the current contract;

·       Savings were already in place in regard to staffing and the changes had improved the effectiveness of each site;

·       The owners of the site were confirmed as FCC Environment, further explained as Fomento de Construcciones y Contratas, and formed part of one of the world's largest environmental services companies, based in Spain;

·       In regard to the recent flooding in Boston, it was confirmed that the risk had been reduced as much as possible but this may not provide 100% protection from flooding.  Lessons had been learned from previous flooding experience and it was thought that the defences implemented were sufficient;

·       The Committee agreed that it would be better to establish a new site but acknowledged that serious consideration would be given to the existing site should the offer from the current owners be beneficial;

RESOLVED

1.    That the recommendations to the Executive Councillors as set out within Appendix 1 to the report be supported;

2.    That the comments of the Committee, as noted below, be passed to the Executive Councillors:-

a.    It was queried whether the cost for the purchase of the existing site from FCC Environment was included in the proposal and if there were any issues with the proposed road access to the site;

b.    Concerns regarding the proposed four day opening hours of the site and the possible wider impact this could have were highlighted.  Concerns were also raised regarding the wider impact of the green waste service provision introduced by Boston Borough Council on the HWRC.  Members sought clarification that additional consideration be given to these points and further information presented to the Committee in future;

c.    Support for the proposed new site was agreed and the Committee thought that the decision should not be held up by discussions with the present contractor regarding the sale of the current site;

d.    Support for the 'invest to save' proposal was noted.  The advantages to Lincolnshire County Council would be the benefit from greater economies and operational efficiencies from revised contracting arrangements at all LCC owned sites;

e.    Concern was raised in relation to possible delays of the purchase of a new site and further delays in opening the revised service in time for the current contract end for April 2017, due to the tight timescales and a risk of potential delays;

f.     Clarification was given that Boston HWRC had been reported as the most expensive facility in the county.  Members gave support to the proposals in light that the payback period for the proposed new HWRC would be 5.3 years.