Issue - meetings
Ubico Business Plan 2025-26
Meeting: 23/04/2025 - Executive (Item 332)
332 Ubico Business Plan 2025-26 
PDF 81 KB
Purpose:
To consider the Ubico Business Plan 2025-26, which has been produced by Ubico in consultation with the Directors and Shareholders, and to recommend that the Leader (as Shareholder Representative) approves the plan.
Recommendations:
That the Executive Resolves to:
1. Note the Ubico Business Plan 2025-26; and
2. Note that, subject to feedback from the Executive, the Leader of the Council, as Shareholder Representative, will sign the written resolution to approve the Ubico Business Plan 2025-2026 in due course.
Additional documents:
- Final Draft Ubico Business Plan 2025.26, item 332
PDF 640 KB
- Webcast for Ubico Business Plan 2025-26
Minutes:
Councillor Andy Graham, Leader of the Council, introduced the item the purpose of which was to consider the Ubico Business Plan 2025-26, which had been produced by Ubico in consultation with the Directors and Shareholders, and to recommend that the Leader (as Shareholder Representative) approve the plan. It was noted that the plan had been to the Overview and Scrutiny Committee on 4 December 2024 which had made the following recommendations:
1. That the Council asked that Ubico reviewed its policy on the use of pesticides and herbicides.
2. That the Council asked that Ubico reviewed the content of the HVO (hydrogenated vegetable oil) fuel and assessed whether it contained palm oil.
3. That the Council asked that Ubico reviewed flood support and emergency plans in areas with frequent flooding to address provisions for missed bin collections in the instance of flooding.
4. That the Council considered how it communicated with its residents on how to recycle glass, for instance by including this information in the council tax leaflet.
Councillor Graham summarised the Executive’s response to the recommendations, which had been circulated at the meeting, as follows:
1. This recommendation was agreed. It was noted that Ubico had reviewed its policy on the use of pesticides and herbicides. Ubico had considered alternative methods of weed control and to include products such as New Way and Finalsan. However, officers had completed extensive research on the options and associated costs, and had established that locally the quantities applied on Council owned land had been reduced to 12 litres per season at a cost of £200. Changing to alternatives like New Way and Finalsan would have cost between £7-10k a year. Treatments only took place in public car parks, Depots, and at Woodgreen and not in playgrounds or open spaces.
2. This recommendation was not agreed. It was noted that Ubico did not use hydrogenated vegetable oil (HVO) in any council vehicles.
3. This recommendation was agreed. It was noted that this review was done as part of Ubico’s Business Continuity Planning. There was a business continuity plan in place between West Oxfordshire District Council through the Emergency Contingency, and Flooding Teams and Ubico. This detailed how Ubico would respond to meet the Council’s needs, and how waste and recycling would be collected should adverse weather impact on the daily services.
4. This recommendation was agreed. The council had an annual communications plan and this included key messages about waste and recycling which was distributed through various communications channels. The Council regularly communicated with residents via the web site, bin hangers and stickers, as well as publicity on vehicles, social media, direct mailing, and via e-newsletters
Councillor Graham proposed the Executive’s response to the recommendations of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee on the Ubico Business Plan 2025-26 be agreed.
Councillor Lidia Arciszewska, Executive Member for Environment, seconded the recommendation.
This was voted on and approved unanimously.
RESOLVED: To agree the Executive’s response to the recommendation put forward by the Overview ... view the full minutes text for item 332
Meeting: 04/12/2024 - Overview and Scrutiny Committee (Item 72)
Ubico Business Plan 2025-26 (presentation)
Purpose:
To provide a Presentation on Business Plan engagement.
Recommendations:
That the Committee resolves to:
1. Agree any recommendations it wishes to submit to the Executive on 11 December 2024.
Invited:
Councillor Lidia Arciszewska – Executive Member for Environment
Bill Oddy – Assistant Director, Commercial Development
Beth Boughton – Managing Director, Ubico
Additional documents:
Minutes:
The Managing Director of Ubico provided a Presentation on Business Plan engagement.
A presentation that contained the five pillars of Ubico’s business plan engagement was shared and included elements of staff engagement, operational performance goals including benchmarking, reduction of climate emissions, waste reduction measures and business innovation.
The following points and suggestions were noted by the Committee:
· The choice of using HVO as a fossil fuel alternative was an issue that the Council needed to consider.
· The collection of bio-plastics was also a further option for the Council to consider and how to collect these items could be discussed further.
· In terms using proactive measures and emailing the Council to explain why a street was missed during rubbish/recycling collections, the issue would be discussed with Officers as the data did exist but it was a case of how to find an efficient way to get that information through from the Ubico back office and then communicated to the Council.
· Reduction of pesticide usage and targets was again a Council decision and there was ongoing work around looking for partners to see what new alternatives could reduce pesticide use.
· Information was provided on cross boundaries for waste/recycle vehicles which was provided in conjunction with Council costs, achievements and performance. Pilot projects were underway to increase information around fleet management and to ensure unit costs could be provided.
· Ubico did have long term sickness staff issues which meant that there were agency staff in place and this caused a loss of knowledge at times. To solve the issue, teams were made up of a mixture of experienced and temporary staff. There were not many vacancies; however, Ubico were looking to build a pool of staff to cover holiday and sickness and have spare drivers. It was confirmed that staff sickness issues were not around work-related injuries or work related; issues were often related to mental health and stress.
· In terms of emergency plans, areas not provided with service due to inclement weather conditions were being constantly surveyed to see when access could be provided and services reinstated. Work would be done with Publica colleagues to ensure any areas that consistently encountered issues could be proactively dealt with.
· Glass recycling and heavy bin (due to uncollected bins) communication was mixed and Councillors requested clarity. Ubico would look into this matter. Members welcomed this as there was general confusion around glass recycling and it was confirmed that residents should separate glass from other recycling accordingly in the appropriate collection bin.
· Technology around bar codes was expensive and the INCAB system could provide similar information but it would take longer as it was a manual process. Ubico would take this way and consider possible options.
· Ubico was updated on changing central government regulation and meeting with Officers on a regular basis to discuss what needed to be done.
RESOLVED that the Committee noted the report and agreed to submit the following recommendations to the Executive on 11 December 2024:
1. That the Council asks that ... view the full minutes text for item 72