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Decision details

Waste and Environmental Services Review

Decision Maker: Executive, Council

Decision status: Recommendations Approved (subject to call-in)

Is Key decision?: Yes

Is subject to call in?: Yes

Decisions:

The purpose of the item was to update the Executive on the review of the waste and environmental services contract and to outline the proposed Oxfordshire Waste and Environmental Services Transformation Programme.

 

Councillor Lidia Arciszewska introduced the item and proposedaccepting the recommendations. Councillor Arciszewska explained that;

  • The contract for waste and recycling collection with Ubico was due to expire in March 2026 and the Council was seeking to extend it to 2027.
  • In partnership with Cherwell District Council and Oxford City Council, The Council had commissioned Activist to undertake a review of options for these services. Having already worked together to complete a dry mixed recycling procurement project, the three councils had common goals and could work together to achieve this at scale.
  • What was proposed was an extensive transformation project which would achieve economies of scale.

 

Councillor Alaric Smith seconded the recommendations stating that it was in line with the Council’s goals.

 

In response to a question from another Executive Member, Councillor Arciszewska stated that the Council would seek to involve Town and Parish Councils where it made sense to do so.

 

The recommendations were taken to a vote and unanimously agreed.

 

RESOLVED:

The Executive recommended that Full Council:

  1. Note the content of the report and the Activist service review report, attached as Annex A; and
  2. Agree to extend the waste and environmental services contract with Ubico to March 2027 (circa £9m per annum); and
  3. Agree to undertake a detailed review of all waste and environmental services provided by Ubico; and
  4. Agree to inform Ubico of the potential to vary the contract from April 2026 or earlier by mutual consent; and
  5. Delegate Authority to the Council’s Director of Finance, in consultation with the Assistant Director Commercial Development, to extend the contract with Ubico and to negotiate any variations to the contract; and

 

That the Executive:

  1. Endorsed and support the principle of ‘Working Collaboratively’ in the future with other local authorities in Oxfordshire on environmental and waste services; and
  2. Agreed to support the creation of The Oxfordshire Waste and Environmental Services Transformation Programme and delegate authority to Assistant Director Commercial Development, in consultation with the Executive Member for Environment, to negotiate and agree the governance framework for the programme, and the associated programme plan; and
  3. Appointed the Executive Member for Environment to be the Council’s lead Member for the Oxfordshire Waste and Environmental Services Transformation Programme and the Assistant Director Commercial Development to be the Council’s Lead Officer; and 9. Allocate £150,000 from the Council Priority Fund to support The Oxfordshire Waste and Environmental Services Transformation Programme in 2025/26; and 10. Request that Officers report back to the Executive Transformation Group and the Executive Member for Environment periodically on progress with the Waste and Environmental Services Transformation Programme.

 

 

Report author: Bill Oddy

Publication date: 16/01/2025

Date of decision: 15/01/2025

Decided at meeting: 15/01/2025 - Executive

Date comes into force if not called in: 24/01/2025

Call-in deadline date: 23/01/2025

Current call-in Count: 0

Accompanying Documents:

 

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