A review of the city council’s waste management service has warned that the local authority’s older vehicles are likely to result in higher fuel consumption, greater emissions and increases in maintenance costs.
The environmental consultants Wood Environment and Infrastructure Solutions UK Ltd have published their service review into the way rubbish is collected by the city council.
The review, which was commissioned as part of the agreement which ended the industrial dispute that affected bin collections in early 2019, found that the current management structure ‘does not provide sufficient operational oversight of the depots’.
It warned of poor communication and advised the council to produce a rationalised waste collection policy document. It also recommended the council develop a fully integrated ICT which ensures consistency between the routing system and operational delivery system.
The environmental consultants also said that the use of hired vehicles would be expected to result in increased costs compared to vehicles which the council owns and operates. However, it noted a full procurement process was underway to replace all older and hire vehicles.
Cllr John O’Shea, cabinet member for Street Scene and Parks, commented: ‘We are grateful for the work that has been independently carried out over the past few months.
‘It has offered a fresh perspective on things and confirms many of our beliefs about how the waste service can be improved and supports the improvements we have already started to put in place, such as the replacement of our ageing vehicle fleet.’
