Bid to call-in Waste, Recycling and Street Cleansing Cabinet contract award to Veolia

 

Editor: Veolia workers being included in party political tweet and lead member social media

 

A group of opposition councillors have submitted a request to call-in the recent Cabinet approval to award  the Waste, Recycling and Street Cleansing contract to Veolia. The request is in the name of councillors Georgiou, Lorber, Matin, Hirani and Maurice.

Please provide below an explanation as to why you are calling in the decision and if you are calling in all or part of the decision:

 

 

As a service based organisation, Brent Council should be putting residents’ needs and concerns at the forefront of all we do. This call-in is based on our belief that the views of residents have mostly been ignored throughout the tendering process and that the decision made by Cabinet will in fact lead to worsening outcomes for local people for this very important and valued service.

 

We believe the way that this process has been handled has always advantaged the current contractor. In order to increase competition and as a result a better service for our residents the Council should have considered splitting the contract into smaller areas, perhaps the Brent Connects areas, or grouping of wards, which might have resulted in more interest from contractors other than the current contractor.  

 

We are particularly concerned about two key aspects of the decision:

 

The use of sacks for the collection of some recyclable materials (paper and cardboard).

 

A move towards a so called ‘intelligence led’ street cleaning service.

 

Our view is that both changes were highlighted during the consultation period as being unpopular with local people and will in fact not work in practice.

 

During the trial period the size and sturdiness of the sacks to be used was questioned by residents. In the Scrutiny session on this item at the end of last year, numerous Councillors, who were also involved in the trial, highlighted this concern. A recommendation from the Committee, whilst being noted in the Decision, has effectively been ignored, as there is no clear indication that an alternative will be implemented.

 

On street cleaning, we have huge concerns about how a new ‘intelligence led’ approach will impact local roads in our wards. There is already a significant issue in our areas when it comes to upkeep and cleanliness of streets. As admitted by an Officer of the Council at the Scrutiny session last year, this new approach, “will not make the situation better.” If our purpose as an organisation is to improve the standard and quality of our area, it is evident that in fact this decision does not do this, therefore, an alternative needs to be found.

 

We are also specifically concerned about the reduction of Zone A ‘headers’ (side roads) from 50m to 20m. There are already significant issues on roads closest to High Roads and Town Centres. Our belief is that the reduction of this aspect of the service will both be incredibly detrimental to the residential roads close-by and in the long run costlier for the Council to deal with.

 

Please provide below an outline alternative course of action to the decision being called in.

We propose on sacks that the Council agree in full with the recommendations by the Scrutiny Committee that wheelie bins be provided where possible to residents who wish to have them, so as to avoid the possibility of sacks being misused, broken and lost. If necessary, by revising recycling collection routes.

 

To maintain the Zone A ‘headers’ (side roads) to at least 50m, as is the case in the current contract.

 

A review of the way service consultations are conducted so as to ensure they are proper, thorough, and rather than imposition of an already agreed to decision. This will give greater confidence to the residents that the Council are listening to their concerns and acting on them.

 

As suggested during the consultation process with residents, to increase the number of waste and recycling bins on local streets.

 

 

 

Street cleansing road categories explained - are you DH, DM or DL? This will determine the frequency of manual sweeping

 

The documentation for tonight's delayed Scrutiny Commttee regarding changes in recycling and street cleansing contains the above table.

I asked for clarification of the DH, DM and DL categories of zones.

Brent Council responded:

The terms 'high, medium and low' used in a cleansing perspective come from the old Best Value199 and National Indicator 195 classifications for land use types. 

Below is a link to the Code of Practice on Litter and Refuse (COPLAR) which covers this:

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/834331/pb11577b-cop-litter1.pdf

High obstruction would include blocks of flats including tower blocks or large complexes

Medium would involve smaller communal dwellings such as low rise blocks or mid-size complexes

Low would mainly be free standing houses, semi's or terraces.

Typically the more homes there are within an area, the more resources are required to maintain it.

My conclusion is that most suburban streets would be reduced to a minimum monthly cleansing frequency unless 'intelligence' (residents' informing the council) triggered a special clean.

I asked for a list roads by zone classication so readers could identify how their road woul be affected, The answer:

We are not able to share a list of all roads by zone classification at this stage as this is commercially sensitive and subject to an ongoing live procurement process.

The Scrutiny Committee can be viewed on Live Stream HERE from 6.30pm

Council Tax increase of 1.99% would raise £1.4m over two years and add £21 to Band D residences

The debate on a possible Council Tax rise of 1.99% may be helped by the following figures I have obtained from Brent Council:

A council tax increase of 1.99% would provide £1.7m (gross) and £0.7m (minus the freeze grant) in each year. 

Therefore the council's ongoing resources would be £1.4m higher after two years of council tax increases. This assumes the freeze grant would continue to be added as permanent funding by the government in subsequent years (which is the current arrangement).

A 1.99% increase would be equal to a £21 increase for Band D residents.

Readers can see the full range of proposed cuts HERE but it may be useful to see the value of a few key cuts in relation to that £700k achieved each year from a Council Tax increase:

Adult Home Care: The proposals are to cut home visit times from 30 minutes to 15 minutes saving £600k

Stonebridge Adventure Playgroun : Proposed ceasing funding to save £118k

Welsh Harp Environmental Education Centre: Closure to save £13k

Energy Solutions: Cease grant to save £50k

Closure of Leisure Centre:  saving £400k

Reduction in Street Cleansing (inc no litter clearance in Zone 5 residential roads): saving £400k

Slippery statement from Brent on leaf clearance

Last autumn Brent Fightback launched a campaign to reverse street cleaning cuts.  Amongst the concerns was the ending of the seasonal autumn leaf clearance. Instead, responsibility for cleaning leaves this was to be combined with normal street cleaning of litter with street sweepers now cleaning streets less regularly.

A section of the petition to the council stated:

The ending of the seasonal leaf service will result in hazardous conditions for pedestrians as leaves rot and will open the council to compensation claims for injuries. (September 2011)

The impact depends a lot on conditions - dry weather results in crisp and crunchy leaves but wet conditions and frost result in slimy, slippery leaves that rot on the street. Last year conditions favoured the council but this year there has been wet weather which has produced complaints from residents and criticism from Cllr Daniel Brown at the council meeting earlier this week. In response Cllr Jim Moher seemed to imply that residents should clean up their own leaves.

Brent Council issued this statement:

We are operating a reduced leaf clearance programme in 2012. In previous years we deployed extra, seasonal resource to clear leaves. That resource was removed this year.

The onus is now firmly on street sweepers to clear leaves as they go about their normal duties.

Dealing with this extra workload is obviously more difficult, especially as litter clearance remains our firm priority.

We must reasonably expect that leaves will take longer to remove this year and full clearance will only be done over a number of weeks.

We are coming to end of the period of 'leaf fall' so things should start to improve.

For a reminder of last year's campaign watch this video: (apologies for the horrible pic of me on screen - can't get rid of it!)

Barnet may opt out of public realm 'supercontract'

On Wednesday 7 November 2012 Barnet Council Cabinet Resources Committee is considering a recommendation to support the One Barnet in-house Street Scene Project. The One Barnet Street Scene Project includes the following services:

·         Refuse, organic waste and recycling collections

·         Waste strategy

·         Street cleansing

·         Greenspaces

·         Highways operational team

Earlier this month the Brent Executive approved a joint 4 borough procurement for a contract of up to 16 years  which would have covered the first four of the above items. Barnet was one of these partner boroughs, another,  Richmond recently dropped out. If the recommendation is approved by Barnet Council only Brent and Hounslow would remain in the 'super public realm' contract.

A proposed  Brent and Hounslow joint appointment of a Public Health Director was withdrawn before the Brent Executive meeting after encountering opposition from within the Labour Group.
John Burgess Barnet UNISON Branch Secretary said: “This is fantastic news for residents and 700 council workers delivering these services. I want to take the opportunity to applaud the Council for at last recognising the potential of in-house services to be able to compete with the private sector. We are now calling for the Council to halt the current outsourcing plans for the other two contracts (1), worth in excess of a Billion Pounds public money. We are asking for the Council to work with staff, unions and the community to develop efficient, innovative services for Barnet residents and ensure savings go back into the pockets of the council tax payers.” 

(1)  The first One Barnet project known as New Support Customer Services Organisation (NSCSO) will be for back office services such a Finance, Revenues & Benefits, Estates, IT, HR & Payroll etc, it is estimated to be worth up to £750 million.
 

It involves approximately 700 council workers. There is a high probability that the winning bidder will not deliver these services from Barnet so there is a high risk of significant redundancies at the moment of transfer.
 

This contract will be awarded to either Capita or BT at the Barnet Council Cabinet Resources Committee on Thursday 6 December 2012.
 

The second One Barnet project is known as Development & Regulatory Services (DRS) which includes the following services:

Trading Standards & Licensing, Land Charges, Planning & Development, Building Control & Structures, Environmental Health, Highways Strategy, Highways Network Management, Highways Traffic & Development, Highways Transport & Regeneration, Strategic Planning & Regeneration, Cemeteries & Crematoria.

This contract, worth up to £275 million pounds, will be awarded to Capita Symonds or EC Harris at the Barnet Council Cabinet Resources Committee on 8 January 2013.

Making Brent A Dirty and Dangerous Borough

Brent Fightback supporters demonstrated on Kilburn High Road on Saturday morning against Brent Council's proposed cuts in street cleansing and school crossing patrols.

Most residential streets will now be only swept once a week, compared with three times under the previous administration which vowed to make Brent  'a cleaner borough'. The seasonal leaf service will be stopped with even Labour councillors warning of accidents when elderly residents slip on wet, decomposing leaves. Local solicitors should open their files now ready for a rush of custom in October when the cuts are implemented and the leaves (and the elderly) fall.

The Labour council are still reviewing school crossing patrols but intend to cut them forcing schools which want to ensure that their children are safe to pay for the crossing patrols themselves. This is a departure from the basic understanding that road safety is a responsibility of the whole community and provided through that community's local council which residents  fund.

I was just going to add as a joke that perhaps local businesses will start sponsoring lollipop patrols with their logo on the back of high visibility coats - then realised that this Council will probably leap on the idea. Or perhaps we'll end up with 'pay as you cross' with the kids thrusting 10p into the hand of the crossing patrol officer to see them across the busy roads with the ones unable to afford it having to cross at their own risk!

Protecting the vulnerable?

The full report on the street cleansing cuts can be found HERE

Brooms and Lollipops Protest in Kilburn

Brent Fightback are to hold a protest in Kilburn Square, Kilburn High Road from 11am on Saturday.

Supporters will be bringing brooms and 'lollipops' to protest against Brent Council's cuts in street sweeping and school crossing patrols. Veolia, the borough's cleaning contractor will make up to 50 street sweepers redundant in October and details of the numbers of school crossing patrols to be cut is currently under review.

The street sweeping cuts will mean that outlying residential streets will be swept just once a week instead of the three times they were swept under the previous administration.  All street sweeping in the borough will end at 2pm on Saturday and Sunday. Council officers said the event days at Wembley Stadium, when local streets are often scattered with beer cans and takeaway cartons, will come under a different budget but details have not been made clear.

The additional seasonal leaf clearance service will also end. Officers said leaves will be cleared in the normal scheduled sweep but as that it only once a week it is unclear whether workers will be able to keep on top of the job. Previously leaves were bagged and sent for composting and again it is unclear whether that will still be done. If it isn't Brent green credential will take a battering.

Concerns have been raised by residents about street safety if rotting leaves are left on pavements and become wet and icy in the autumn months.  Safety concerns have also been expressed about the safety of school children if school crossing patrol cuts go ahead. Both groups of workers suffer from low pay but are vital to the well-being of the community.

Brent Fightback welcomes any support. Please bring brooms and home-made lollipops, plus placards to Kilburn Square at 11am on Saturday.