Agenda and minutes

To sign as a correct record the minutes of the meeting held on 31 August 2022.

The minutes of the meeting held on 31 August 2022 were signed as a correct record.

None declared.

The Operations Manager of Allerdale Waste Services presented to the Committee a quarterly progress report of the company for the period July to September 2022.

The Committee noted a comparison of the amount of tonnage of waste and recycling that was collected against the same quarter in the previous year and the number of missed containers during that period.

The figures were showing a return to pre-pandemic levels.

As in the previous quarter there had been a considerable amount of work carried out on both missed containers and identifying hot spots for frequently missed containers resulting in a reduction in numbers.

The figures showed a collection rate of 99.946% for the quarter, well within the Performance Management Framework and an improvement on the previous two years. For hot spots, those figures had reduced to 11 recorded properties compared to 28 for the same period in the previous year.

The report also highlighted the main health and safety activities that had been undertaken and staffing profile and absence report.

The sickness absence rate had reduced dramatically from 8.38% in April 2022 to 1.95% in October 2022 which was a great improvement.

Members congratulated staff on the great statistics in this quarters report.

Members asked questions in relation to the one reportable accident recorded, the quality of segregation of waste and feedback from residents following a rebalance of collection rounds for a number of properties.

Resolved

That the quarterly progress report be noted.

“That under Section 100A (4) of the Local Government Act 1972, the public be excluded from the meeting for the following item of business on the grounds that they may involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in paragraph 3 of part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Act.”

The Managing Director of Allerdale Waste Services presented a report for the committee to consider the Management Accounts for September 2022 and the Annual Service Charge.

The Management Accounts had been considered by the Company Board on 10 November 2022. The accounts were showing a current forecasted deficit. The forecasted increases were predicted upon actual spend over the first six months of 2022-23 along with an updated position in relation to the main areas of expenditure and income. The additional forecasted spend was in the main due to increases in fuel, labour and premises.

The committee discussed price and suppliers of fuel, the age of the current fleet including costs of repairs and maintenance and anticipated new contractual arrangements with the new Cumberland Authority from 1^st April 2023.

The Managing Director of Allerdale Waste Services asked the Council to clarify the governance arrangements required to enable the Annual Service Charge to be adjusted in time for the final quarterly payment to be made to the Company, by the Council, in early January 2023.

It was agreed to take the question away and come back in writing with a response.

A vote was taken on the motion as set out in the report, the motion was unanimously agreed.

Resolved

1.  That the report be noted;

2.  That the Committee ensures that the Annual Service Charge be adjusted in time for the final quarterly payment to be made to the company by the Council in early January 2023.