Issue - meetings
Waste and Environmental Services Review
Meeting: 15/01/2025 - Executive (Item 283)
283 Waste and Environmental Services Review 
PDF 178 KB
Purpose:
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.
Recommendations:
That the Executive resolves to recommend to Council to:
- Note the content of the report and the Activist service review report, attached as Annex A; and
- Agree to extend the waste and environmental services contract with Ubico to March 2027 (circa £9m per annum); and
- Agree to undertake a detailed review of all waste and environmental services provided by Ubico; and
- Agree to inform Ubico of the potential to vary the contract from April 2026 or earlier by mutual consent; and
- 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 resolves to:
- Endorse and support the principle of ‘Working Collaboratively’ in the future with other local authorities in Oxfordshire on environmental and waste services; and
- Agree 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 terms of reference for the programme, and the associated governance and programme plan; and
- Appoint 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 the Council’s Lead Officer; and
- Allocate £150,000 from the Council’s New Initiative Fund to support The Oxfordshire Waste and Environmental Services Transformation Programme in 2025/26; and
- Request that Officers report back to the Executive Transformation Group periodically on progress with the Waste and Environmental Services Transformation Programme.
Additional documents:
Minutes:
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:
- Note the content of the report and the Activist service review report, attached as Annex A; and
- Agree to extend the waste and environmental services contract with Ubico to March 2027 (circa £9m per annum); and
- Agree to undertake a detailed review of all waste and environmental services provided by Ubico; and
- Agree to inform Ubico of the potential to vary the contract from April 2026 or earlier by mutual consent; and
- 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:
- Endorsed and support the principle of ‘Working Collaboratively’ in the future with other local authorities in Oxfordshire on environmental and waste services; and
- 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
- 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.
Meeting: 08/01/2025 - Overview and Scrutiny Committee (Item 86)
86 Waste and Environmental Services Review PDF 177 KB
Purpose
To provide an update on the review of the waste and environmental services contract with Ubico and to outline the proposed Oxfordshire Waste and Environmental Services (WESP) Transformation Programme.
Recommendation:
That the Overview and Scrutiny Committee resolves to:
1. Agree any recommendations it wishes to submit to the Executive on 15 January 2025.
Additional documents:
Minutes:
The Chair explained that the report contained an exempt annex and that if the Committee wished to discuss this it would need to resolve to go into a private session.
The purpose of the item was to update the Committee on the review of the waste and environmental services contract with Ubico and to outline the proposed Oxfordshire Waste and Environmental Services (WESP) Transformation Programme
At the Chair’s discretion, this item was taken as the last one on the agenda.
Lidia Arciszewska The Executive member for the Environment introduced the item, and explained that;
- 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.
- 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.
The Publica Assistant Director for Commercial Development provided an overview of the work, explaining that the project tied in to Government proposals intended to simplify waste collection and opportunities which would be provided by devolution.
Members of the Committee discussed the report, raising the following points of discussion and clarification;
- The report highlighted that the cost of waste collection across the County was very high and welcomed the proposals for their ability to save money.
- The Publica Assistant Director explained that the Council had been awarded an Extended Producer Responsibility Grant, which would likely be ringfenced to pay for costs such as commissioning and secondment associated with the work.
- Simpler recycling was a separate work stream and it was important to get it right so that residents would understand changes.
- The figures on page 64 related to annual returns provided by local authorities.
Councillor Liz Leffman proposed noting the report, welcoming the proposals and this proposal was seconded by Councillor Nick Leverton.
The recommendation was voted on and agreed unanimously.
RESOLVED: That the Overview and Scrutiny Committee noted the report.