Decision details

(i)  To approve the draft Waste Improvement and Transformation Plan 2022- 2027.

(ii)  To delegate authority to implement the Waste Improvement and Transformation Plan 2022-2027 to the relevant Chief Officers having responsibility for plan functions following consultation with the Cabinet Member for Customer Service and Transformation.

(iii)  To delegate authority to the Head of City Services to make minor amendments to the Waste Improvement and Transformation Plan 2022- 2027 as required during its implementation (annually as a minimum).

The WITP offers an opportunity to make Southampton City Council a leading waste collection and disposal authority. The WITP will achieve improvements in recycling performance, customer satisfaction and budget efficiency.

Without a clear plan in place and agreed by Cabinet, it is unlikely that the council’s ambitions on waste can be achieved.

Running more than one waste collection shift a day. Under this proposal there would be ‘early’ and ‘late’ collection shifts, with the late shift running into the afternoon and potentially evening. This option offers significant efficiencies in vehicle usage as the number of vehicles required is potentially halved. However, this option is considered to carry considerable risk of traffic disruption and would require contract renegotiation with the Tripartite partners (see paragraph 2.5) and Veolia Environmental Services, and has therefore been rejected.

Merger of the Waste service with a neighbouring authority is possible but is believed not to offer substantial benefits as economies of scale do not apply to an ultra-local service such as bin collection. This option has not been formally considered, but opportunities are being taken to share ideas, to align policy, and to look at options to share depot facilities and procurement of bins and vehicles.

Privatisation or outsourcing of all or part of the Waste service has not been considered in any detail as it is believed that the improvements required can be delivered in[1]house.

Not to develop a waste improvement and transformation plan. Rejected due to the clear need to overhaul and modernise the service in readiness for the mandatory collection and disposal changes that will be imposed by the Environment Act 2021.