Agenda item

The Cabinet is requested to consider the agenda report and its appendix and make the recommendations to the Council as set out below:

1.     That the Cabinet recommends to the Council the release of £392k from reserves and £200k from the Asset Replacement Programme to fund the resurfacing and improved drainage at Westhampnett depot.

2.     That the Cabinet also recommends to the Council the release of a further £31,000 from general fund reserves to purchase a new fuel storage facility.

RECOMMENDATION TO THE COUNCIL

1.     That the Council releases £392,000 from reserves and £200,000 from the Asset Replacement Programme to fund the resurfacing and improved drainage at Westhampett Depot.

2.     That the Council uses Brexit funding of £31,000 to purchase a new fuel storage facility.

RESOLVED BY THE CABINET

That the Cabinet delegates authority to the Director of Corporate Services, following consultation with the Cabinet member for the Environment and Contract Services, to include the environmental enhancements proposed ad supported during the meeting, as options for inclusion with the procurement specification. The decision as to whether these will be included will be determined by Cabinet when the bids have been received.

Mrs Lintill welcomed Mr Carter to his first Cabinet meeting. Mrs Plant introduced the report. She explained that the project relates to major site improvements at the Westhampnett Depot and the creation of an additional facility. The proposal for the west side of the site would overhaul the foul water drainage system and improve the washdown facility for all vehicles including provision of a pumped connection to the main sewer on Stein Street which would be made available to the Gypsy and Traveller Transit site. An overhaul of the storm water drainage system would also provide new soakaways, new gullies and a fuel interceptor. The HGV parking area would be levelled and resurfaced. It is proposed to purchase an above ground bonded fuel facility to remove the requirement for the council’s vehicles to refuel offsite.

With regard to the type of container/fuel tank to be installed Mr Carter confirmed that the system would be protected by a steel container. The tank would also have a data system to log the amount of fuel being used. Mr Carter confirmed that the type of fuel would be diesel.

Mr Ward explained that the council were entitled to a government grant for emergency planning as a result of Brexit. The funding was not originally included in the plans due to the original timescale for Brexit. Mr Ward confirmed that now Brexit is delayed until October the £35,000 could be used for this project.

Mrs Lintill then invited Mrs Sharp to read questions she had submitted in advance of the meeting:

1)    Could the plans outlined for Chichester Contract Services (CCS) be made more environmentally friendly? Hamburg, Greenwich and Sheffield are starting to use electric-powered rubbish collection vehicles. Authorities there are looking into either buying new or converting diesel-powered vehicles to battery-electricity or hydrogen power. In the light of climate change and air pollution, is this something we could look into? Investing in a bonded fuel tank to store diesel may save money short term, but it locks old technology into place just when know the future will be different. And it completely fails in our responsibility to reduce our carbon footprint.

2)    Have any plans been made to incorporate a green roof or walls, solar panels or rainwater harvesting on the Vehicle Wash-Down facility or elsewhere on site?

Mrs Plant provided the following responses:

1)    Approximately 60% of the waste collection fleet is due up for replacement in two to three year’s time at which point the option of electric and/or alternative fuel vehicles will be reviewed. The examples of where waste collection’s vehicles are currently being used are predominately in city and urban areas. With Chichester District being one of the largest geographical district or borough within England there remains every likelihood that there will still be a requirement for the more conventional vehicles to be required at least for the next vehicle replacement cycle. Having already supported the purchase of some new electric cars, CCS are already looking at installing electric charging points to support the service / repair of these vehicles. As part of the resurfacing project, consideration will also be given to installing some of the charging infrastructure that will be required to support the recharging of larger electric vehicles in the future. The enhancements to alternative fuel technology that will be necessary to replace all of the council’s fleet to provide a universal service across the whole district are a number of years away and as such the provision of a new fuel storage and filling system remains for the short / medium term is still recommended.

2)    To add a storm water catchment system to the wash down structure is relatively easy to accommodate. To do this in isolation will be of minimal benefit whilst to capture and then to make effective use of the storm water that falls across the whole depot surface would be of greater use. As part of the resurfacing project’s final design phase CCS will review the feasibility (cost and practicality) of upgrading the new storm water drainage system to capture and store, storm water that then could possibly be utilised by the CCS road sweeper vehicles. Being designed specifically only to reduce the amount of storm water entering the foul water drainage system no consideration for the installation of a green wall or roof has been made within the current proposed design. Being designed specifically only to reduce the amount of storm water entering the foul water drainage system no consideration for the roof to support and incorporate solar panels within its design has been made. A review of the installation of solar panels at the depot was undertaken a number of years ago. Whilst not directly related to the proposed wash down facility project the outcomes of this review will be revisited

Decision

The Cabinet then voted unanimously to make the recommendations and resolution below:

RECOMMENDATION TO THE COUNCIL

1.     That the Council releases £392,000 from reserves and £200,000 from the Asset Replacement Programme to fund the resurfacing and improved drainage at Westhampett Depot.

2.     That the Council uses Brexit funding of £31,000 to purchase a new fuel storage facility.

RESOLVED BY THE CABINET

That the Cabinet delegates authority to the Director of Corporate Services, following consultation with the Cabinet member for the Environment and Contract Services, to include the environmental enhancements proposed ad supported during the meeting, as options for inclusion with the procurement specification. The decision as to whether these will be included will be determined by Cabinet when the bids have been received.