Agenda item

To receive an update on the progress of the new South London Waste Partnership (SLWP) Lot 1 contract which commenced for Street Cleansing in March 2018 and Waste and Recycling in September 2018.

Officers introduced the item and item and provided a presentation which updated the Sub-Committee on the following:

·         There had been 22m collections in the last 18 months with 99.78% collection rates.

·         The service provide 8,000 households with assisted collections.

·         The percentage of reported fly-tipping, street cleansing and litter bin being emptied had increased significantly.

·         There was still an issue with fly-tipping mainly in black bags where people have dumped their household rubbish

·         Staff wellbeing and welfare remained a priority.

·         During periods of hot weather, staff were encouraged to take frequent breaks and provided with water bottles, hats and sun cream. Bin collections started earlier in the morning and managers were on hand to provide support to staff.

A Member highlighted that it was important that presented figures to include contextual and comparative data where possible. It was asked how the figures were collated as there was a concern that there may be a level of under reporting of issues. Officers advised that the data was collected via the Councils CRM database, the data was traceable and there may even be an element of over reporting experienced.

It was further asked if Veolia, as the contractor, collected any qualitative data. Officers responded that a survey was conducted in March 2019, with 83% of residents indicating they were happy with the collection service. Members asked for a copy of the survey to be circulated after the meeting.

In response to a Member question on whether Veolia operated a locally focused recruitment process and if equality and diversity training was part of staff induction, officers advised that they worked closely with Croydon Works and had a diverse workforce.

A Member asked if street cleansing included gulley’s and drains, and was informed that this was part of the highways contract. It was challenged whether it was reported by Veolia staff when they observed that cleaning was required. Officers responded that staff were encouraged to report, but it was acknowledged that there was not a robust enough system in place to promote reporting amongst staff.

A Member challenged that whilst waste collection figures appeared impressive, in reality some streets shown as collected had not been. Officers said that they had been made aware of problems around incorrect reporting and audit checks had been conducted. There had been some genuine mistakes that had occurred where some crews assumed that another crew had collected which resulted in a reported collection when the collection was still outstanding.

In response to a question on what guidance was in place for new housing developments and their waste provision, officers said that a planning document for all developers on requirements and how to plan their waste provision had been produced and made available to developers.

Information was requested on the take up and collection rate of garden waste. Officers responded that there was currently approximately 20,000 households using the service and the aspiration was for more households to sign up. As it was a seasonal service, there had been no issues with missed collections.

A question was asked on the impact that Brexit would have on the service and how many of its fleet were sustainable vehicles. Officers replied that the service would continue to run to high standards with a robust business continuity plan in place. All fuel supply had been outsourced, they were doubling up on parts and equipment and there were no concerns regarding staffing levels. Some hybrid vehicles were used in the fleet and options would be explored for the use of more sustainable vehicles in the future.

Officers were thanked for attending and their responses to questions.

Information request by the Sub-Committee

The copy of the resident satisfaction survey conducted in March 2019 be circulated to Members after the meeting

In reaching its recommendations, the sub-committee came to the following CONCLUSIONS:

1.    Officers were thanked for their presentation and report

2.    The data evidence supplied in the report was not sufficient to enable detailed analysis of the performance of Veolia.

3.    Staff turnover may affect the quality of service of street cleansing.

4.    It was important to explore different ways to encourage reporting of street cleansing issues.

5.    There were concerns regarding the ability of elderly and vulnerable residents to report issues outside of digital means.

6.    It was evident that whilst there has been some improvement in performance due to recently introduced changes to collection of communal waste, it was important that the service continued to be closely monitored.

7.    It was important that the Council ensure that its webpages contain up to date information.

8.    More work was needed to improve methods of communication with the wider community.

9.    The Sub-Committee recognised the need for wider government response to shipping of waste.

The sub-committee RESOLVED to:

1.    Recommend that data presented be contextual, longer than 3 months with comparative data with other boroughs;

2.    Recommend that Veolia staff working in the community report incidences of flytips and street cleansing if and when observed;

3.    Recommend that improved means of communications be explored to ensure that residents and businesses were made aware of work that was being carried out as well as any changes;

4.    Recommend that the information on the FAQ’s page on the Council website be reviewed on a regular basis and kept up to date;

5.    Recommend that the Council lobby government to develop new recycling infrastructure to combat micro shipping of waste, in particular plastic to other countries.