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Report
to:
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Lead Member for Transport and Environment
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Date
of meeting:
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17
July 2023
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By:
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Director of Communities, Economy and Transport
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Title:
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Waste Joint Working Agreement (JWA)
between East Sussex County Council and Brighton and Hove City
Council
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Purpose:
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To inform the Lead Member of the
changes to the Joint Working Agreement on waste between the two
authorities and obtain authority to sign the revised documentation
and to request that delegated authority be granted to the Director
of Communities, Economy and Transport to authorise
future updates
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RECOMMENDATIONS: The Lead Member is recommended
to:
(1)
Note the revised Joint Working Agreement.
(2)
Delegate authority to the Director of Communities, Economy and
Transport to approve the updated Joint Working Agreement.
(3)
Delegate authority to the Director of Communities, Economy and
Transport to approve future updates to the Joint Working
Agreement.
1.
Background Information
1.1.
In 2003 East Sussex County Council
(ESCC) and Brighton and Hove City Council (the Councils) entered
into an Integrated Waste Management Services Contract (IWMSC) with
Veolia. The IWMSC will run until March 2033 and is worth around one
billion pounds. The project delivers waste infrastructure and
disposal services for both authorities.
1.2.
The Joint Working Agreement (JWA)
regulates the operation of the IWMSC between the two Councils, and
in particular the apportionment of payments to and from Veolia as
well as between the Councils.
1.3.
The JWA requires review to reflect
changes to the governance arrangements and working practices that
have taken place since it was signed in 2003. Changes were agreed
by the Lead Member for Transport and Environment (LMTE) on 15
December 2014, and an updated JWA was signed on 2 December
2015.
1.4.
Since then, there have been
changes made to the IWMSC which impact cost. Changes now need to be
made to the JWA to reflect these and ensure that the payment
section (section 7) remains fair and equitable for East Sussex and
Brighton.
1.5.
The updated JWA corrects
situations where costs are shared on a basis that is no longer
equitable and more accurate data can be used to share these
costs.
2.
Revisions to the Joint Working Agreement
2.1.
Revisions to the JWA are required
due to:
a) changes to
how Waste Electronic and Electrical Equipment is paid for under the
Contract;
b) changes to
how mechanical street sweepings are processed and paid for under
the Contract;
c) changes to
how certain items taken to the Household Waste Recycling Sites
(HWRSs) are processed;
d) changes to
how bulky items are processed and paid for under the Contract;
e) collection
of commercial recycling by Waste Collection Authorities disposed of
through the Contract; and
f) the
introduction of charging for certain types of non-household waste
at ESCC HWRSs.
3.
Supporting Information
3.1.
Changes that have been made to how
contractual payments and incomes are shared between the Councils
have been built into the Cost Affordability Model underpinning the
IWMSC and risks are provided for through the Waste Risk Reserve.
The proposed changes are to provide the fairest outcome and the
most equitable sharing of the Contract costs.
3.2.
East Sussex officers have worked
closely with colleagues in Brighton to develop and finalise the
necessary changes. This has included modelling of the potential
impact of various scenarios to ensure that any changes or additions
have the intended consequences and are fair to both Councils. The
amended document has been reviewed and approved by the Joint Waste
Board, which manages the implementation and operation of the waste
disposal services provided under the IWMSC.
4.
Conclusion and Reasons for Recommendations
4.1.
The JWA requires the updates to
reflect the current financial practices that are being applied to
the IWMSC. The document has been revised to be consistent with the
joint working arrangements between the Councils. It is therefore
recommended that the Lead Member notes the revised JWA and grants
delegated authority to the Director of Communities, Economy and
Transport to approve the updated JWA.
4.2.
It is recommended that the Lead
Member grants delegated authority to the Director of Communities,
Economy and Transport to approve future updates to the JWA that may
be required to maintain fair and equitable sharing of contract
costs and income between the Councils.
Director of Communities, Economy and
Transport
Contact Officer: Justin Foster
Tel. No. 07701 395157
Email: justin.foster@eastsussex.gov.uk
LOCAL MEMBERS
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BACKGROUND DOCUMENTS
None