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Agenda item

Presentation on the Environmental Services Innovation Programme (ESIP) 2021/22 (Case Study)

Purpose:

To provide the Committee with a presentation on the Environmental Services Innovation Programme (ESIP) 2021-22 (Case Study), and benefits delivered by the Litter Bin Placement and Renewal Programme (Case Study).

 

Recommendation:

That the Committee notes the presentation, and provides comment and feedback where needed.

Minutes:

Scott Williams the Business Manager - Contracts, Environmental Services Manager and assisted by Louise Oddy – the Service Designer, gave two slide presentation to the committee. The first on Environmental Services Innovation Programme (ESIP), followed by the Waste Bin Placement and Renewal Programme.

 

Environmental Services Innovation Programme (ESIP) is a partnership between Cotswold District Council (CDC), Forest of Dean District Council (FoDDC), West Oxfordshire District Council (WODC), Publica and Ubico to deliver shared innovation projects.

Bill Oddy, the Group Manager - Commercial Development, Leadership and Management Team, added that WODC were spending £7.5 million per year and the service has an the impact on climate change.

The Contracts Business Manager focused on the main priority areas and ESIP Year 1 (2021-22) achievements, concluding that the initial targeted £400k worth of additional income/savings and have achieved £850k.

The next presentation was on the Waste Bin Placement and Renewal Programme, focusing on the programme, challenges and year 2 (2022/23) key projects.

Copy of the slides are attached to these minutes, with a copy of the case studies.

Following the presentations Mr Williams invited the committee to ask questions and comment on the service.

 

Councillor Coles thanked Scott Williams and Louise Oddy for their work and commitment, however he was not convinced that the service was not as successful as we thought, given the savings could more bins be provided. He did not believe the message take litter home was getting through, especially dog waste and questioned accuracy of the recycling waste as it was deposited into the same bin. Councillor Coles also reported that a resident had informed him that a call to WODC re bins was referred to Town Council. Problem is residents are being told to refer to Town Council and then Town Council are referring back to WODC. Councillor Coles also confirmed he had offered to meet Ubico to show them where a bin is desperately required near Springfield Oval.

The Service Designer clarified that waste was in clear bags so that when collected recyclable waste could be clearly visible, and therefore checked and can be delivered to recycling.

The Group Manager – Commercial Development stated all the bins are paid for, supplied by and installed by WODC, whether they are highways (responsibility of Town/Parish council), or on private land. Confusion may lie where bins lie on private land, collections are paid by Town/Parish Council but still done by Ubico. There has been an increase in capacity to reduce overflow bins and the data available suggests there is a dramatic reduction in reports of overflowing bins, so this is working. New dog waste bins are 90 litres, whereas the old ones were only 30 litres. Ubico will continue to look at locations to improve services as an on going process. In residential areas, a significant number of bins were located in ex council estates. The councils new policy is to encourage residents to take litter home, if there is a particular problem in a certain area we would look at it.

The Service Designer added that she speaks to every customer personally and responds to all enquiries. The Group Manager – Commercial Development added that some of the scripting in customer services where the complaints go initially have not been updated for a while. Therefore they would pick that up as an action to confer with customer Services and update them on the latest scripts, so that calls are directed to the right teams. Residents will not know which bin is responsible of WODC and which is Town/Parish council, WODC needs to take ownership of the enquiry and follow through to resolution, and we will contact Town/Parish councils if needed.

Councillor Ashton asked for clarification if the Town Council paid for bins on parklands for example. Group Manager clarified that all bins are paid for by WODC, the empty costs if on adopted highway land is the responsibility of Town Council, WODC would do this and recharge the Town Council. WODC were going to give Town and Parish councils time to budget for the recharge and this will be adopted next financial year.

Councillor Ashton added he had complaints of smelly bins. The Service Designer did clarify they had not received any complaints, however they would look at each complaint if it came through to them and ensure the bin was collected. Bill Oddy added that a service review was on its way and part of the review would be street cleansing. They wanted to introduce a new way of managing bin collection, for example some bins may have a seasonal collection type, bins emptied more frequently in the summer. This will involve the in cab technology solution that Scott Williams eluded to in his presentation. We will be able to identify hot spots, and target Ubico teams for collections, in a smarter way. Not only saving money but also saving carbon, not having to go to a bin that does not need a collection.

Councillor Hill congratulated the team on getting the new bins delivered and installed, and the fact that missed collections shows on line and that you can report a bin full on line.

The Group Manager confirmed that the on line facility will be promoted, as it was a new service.

Councillor Jackson wanted it on record his appreciation of Bill Oddy, Scott Williams and Louise Oddy, and the teams efforts, he had no complaints to the new open bins.

Louise Oddy thanked Councillor Jackson and thanked the Ubico teams for their hard work, in all weathers and all locations.

 

The Vice-Chair, thanked Scott, Bill and Louise for the update.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Supporting documents:

 

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