Issue - meetings

Report of the Director of Neighbourhoods and Development attached.

Decision made (Unanimously):

1.    That Cabinet approves the capital spend budget of up to £1,247,000 on the vehicle and plant replacement programme.

2.    That Cabinet approves the evaluation criteria.

The Cabinet Member (Finance, Property and Assets), Councillor Matthew Tomlinson, presented a report of the Director of Neighbourhoods and Development that sought approval to spend the proposed capital budget of up to £1,247,000 on the vehicle and plant replacement programme. The report also sought agreement for the procurement evaluation.

The Council’s approved vehicle and plant replacement programme for 2020/21 included for the replacement of 20 vehicles and items of plant. The Council has expressed its commitment to develop the greenest possible fleet thus reducing the amount of pollutants produced and will give priority to the purchase of full electric or hybrid vehicles.

Considering this commitment, Members queried the 5% criteria weighting placed against Environmental Impact. The Cabinet Member agreed that this was low and had already requested a review of the weightings for future tenders. Part of the reason for this was that much of the green technology for vehicles is currently cost prohibitive but this will change. All the vehicles and plant would next be up for procurement in five to seven years.

Decision made (Unanimously):

1.    That Cabinet approves the capital spend budget of up to £1,247,000 on the vehicle and plant replacement programme.

2.    That Cabinet approves the evaluation criteria.

Reason(s) for the decision:

To enable the continued delivery of services to residents of the borough through the provision of efficient and suitable vehicles. 

Alternative Options Considered and Rejected:

1.    The Council has expressed the desire to whenever possible procure goods and services from companies based within the borough. This is not possible on this occasion due to the specialist nature of the equipment and a lack of suitable suppliers and manufacturers within the borough.

2.    Consideration was given to the retention of the existing vehicles and equipment; however, the likelihood is that these vehicles would over time become unreliable leading to a deterioration in the delivery of services. Retention of vehicles would also remove the opportunity to reduce the current levels of particulates released into the atmosphere and reduce air pollution within the borough.

3.    Consideration was given to contract hire and an exercise carried out to establish the whole life costs of existing vehicles, in the case of refuse collection vehicles the average cost of leasing compared to outright purchase and in-house maintenance demonstrated an increase in costs of 30% per year based on a seven-year period.