Agenda item

To receive and consider the report of the Director of Customer and Digital. 

To approve option b as set out below:

b. Insource all waste collection services to be operated directly by South Ribble Borough Council, commencing 11 June 2022.

As a consequence of accepting this option, Council acknowledges that:

i.        under Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) regulations (TUPE) the contracts of employment of all relevant employees engaged in the delivery of the current FCC waste contract will transfer to the Council.

ii.       specialist advice on insourcing, project management and other support services necessary to facilitate mobilisation of waste services to the Council will be sourced to support the changes.

iii.      due to restricted timescales, contracts with suppliers engaged to facilitate insourcing of waste services including IT hardware and software will be sought and directly awarded.

The Leader of the Council, Councillor Paul Foster, presented the report of the Director (Customer and Digital) which considered options for the future delivery of the Councils waste collection service.

The council provides waste and recycling collection services to over 50,000 households.  This is a significant and high-profile service delivered daily throughout the borough all year round and includes garden waste collections.

The Council has outsourced waste and recycling collection services for around 30 years and to FCC since 2015.  The waste contract is in the final months of a 7-year contract term and due to expire on 10 June 2022.

The governments National Resources and Waste Strategy along with obligations under the Environment Act will impose changes on the delivery of waste services by the council over the next few years.

Other than the impact of the national shortage of HGV drivers, FCC’s contract performance has generally been good, performing well throughout the pandemic. 

The report set out the options, for insourcing the service and continuing the outsourcing.  The Monitoring Officer reminded members to take care when contributing to the debate due to the ongoing by-election.  

A number of members contributed to the debate, including Councillor Jane Bell, Matthew Tomlinson, Aniela Bylinski Gelder, Ange Turner, Keith Martin, Will Adams, Margaret Smith, Chris Lomax, Mick Titherington, James Flannery, Barrie Yates and David Shaw. 

Members debated the proposals and commented on the excellent service delivered by the operatives during the pandemic and how much the residents appreciated how operatives went above and beyond during that time. 

A desire to give operatives access to the same pension scheme offered to South Ribble employees and the living wage was expressed.  A proactive recruitment drive for women operatives was suggested.  A TUPE process would be undertaken if the service was insourced. 

The risks were considered, and noted that unforeseen costs would be recharged back to the council in either circumstance and benefits to community wealth building if the service were to be insourced.  The experience of insourcing the Leisure contract would also be useful although FCC have expertise in delivering this type of service. 

Members of the public were invited to make representations.  Comments included the risks of losing staff (some operatives had expressed a wish for the service to be insourced), some operatives had also stated they wished to benefit from the local government pension scheme and flagged the cost of living increases and that operatives were able to gain a higher wage as an agency worker and that turnover of staff was an issue.  Operatives had been greatly appreciated during the pandemic and the principle of insourcing the service was supported. 

It was proposed by the Leader of the Council, Councillor Paul Foster, seconded by the Deputy Leader of the Council, Councillor Mick Titherington, and subsequently Resolved (by majority 25:19:0)

To approve option b as set out below:

b. Insource all waste collection services to be operated directly by South Ribble Borough Council, commencing 11 June 2022.

As a consequence of accepting this option, Council acknowledges that:

i.        under Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) regulations (TUPE) the contracts of employment of all relevant employees engaged in the delivery of the current FCC waste contract will transfer to the Council.

ii.       specialist advice on insourcing, project management and other support services necessary to facilitate mobilisation of waste services to the Council will be sourced to support the changes.

iii.      due to restricted timescales, contracts with suppliers engaged to facilitate insourcing of waste services including IT hardware and software will be sought and directly awarded.

For: Councillors Will Adams, Jane Bell (Mayor), Renee Blow, Aniela Bylinski Gelder, Mal Donoghue, James Flannery, Derek Forrest, Paul Foster, Harry Hancock, David Howarth, Clare Hunter, Susan Jones, Chris Lomax, Keith Martin, Colin Sharples, David Shaw, Mick Titherington, Caleb Tomlinson, Matthew Tomlinson, Matthew Trafford, Angela Turner, Kath Unsworth, Ian Watkinson, Paul Wharton-Hardman and Carol Wooldridge.

Against: Councillors Damian Bretherton, Julie Buttery, Matt Campbell, Carol Chisholm, Colin Coulton, Mary Green, Michael Green, Jon Hesketh, Jim Marsh, Jacqui Mort, Peter Mullineaux, John Rainsbury, Margaret Smith, Phil Smith, David Suthers, Stephen Thurlbourn, Karen Walton, Gareth Watson and Barrie Yates.