The Head of Environmental Enhancement to report.

The Committee received an update on the Material Recovery Infrastructure project and a summary of the summer rounds performance, from the Head of Environmental Enhancement.

The Head of Environmental Enhancement presented the following:

·         The summer months, June, July and August, were a busy period for the collections crews with the added challenge of the infrastructure project works taking place this year.

·         Over the summer of 2023, 133 complaints were logged, in comparison, over the summer period of 2024, 47 complaints were logged.

·         Overall, the collection rate was high with the number of complaints, recorded due to missed collections, down on the previous year.

·         The actual number of collections made per week stood at 79,000.

·         The number of days with vehicles off road for the year of 2023 was 609 whereas in 2024 it was 402.  This was because of better vehicle reliability, improved in-cab technology and 10 additional permanent staff (as opposed to agency Staff).

·         The steels in the sorting hall were being repaired, cleaned and painted.

·         The conveyor pit and drainage pits had been dug in preparation for phase 3 of the works to commence in the second week of October 2024.

·         The existing 15 tonne baler had to be moved to allow the digging of the pit.  A metal plate now covered the pit to allow the baler to be returned to service.

·         Preparation for the installation of the fire suppression water tanks had been completed.  Two concrete plinths had been created ready to hold two 45,000-litre water tanks.

·         The Environment Agency requirement was for the site to hold 90,000 litres of water, which was enough to provide one hour of firefighting provision.

·         The Helios system was used in over 50 material recovery facilities around the country with evidence showing that any fire in these depots had not lasted longer than three minutes.

·         The five modular sections were now in place ready for fitting out internally.  Staff should be able to move back into the new office space in mid-November 2024.

·         The pit for the new weighbridge was ready for concreting.  The new glass collection building was awaiting delivery of the steel framework and then extension work would begin.

·         The works were currently on schedule to complete in December 2024.

·         The new baler should be delivered in December with installation starting in January 2025.

·         Once the new baler was up and running, expected to be March 2025, the old baler would be decommissioned and recycled.

·         The total cost of the project was around £3.7M and currently totals were under budget.

·         A 36 tonne E-Collect vehicle was trialled; it worked well for the local town rounds. The electric lorry had a 100-mile range but struggled to cope with a run to Witheridge.

·         Cost savings on fuel was good; diesel fuel would have cost £994 but the electric charge only cost £26.

·         The Council was working with Ecomotus to trial a Hydrogen Electrolyser.

·         The electrolyser de-ionised water, which produced hydrogen and this run through a diesel engine helped reduce emissions.

The Head of Environmental Enhancement gave the following responses to questions asked:

·         It took ½ a day to charge the vehicle and there was a mobile, three pin charger in the cab.

·         The vehicles were leased and the upfront cost was the biggest outlay.

·         A switch to electric would require some infrastructure changes to install charging points.

·         The cost of this against fuel cost savings would need to be reported; as technology was improving costs were reducing.

·         Alerts to inform the public of known missed rounds helped filter out complaints about missed collections.

·         A formal complaint was noted once three collections were missed at a property over a 12-month period.

·         If 15 properties all had three missed collections over a 12-month period then that would count as 15 complaints.

·         Torridge District Council had been invited to share the facilities and remained open.

The Lead Member for Economic Development and Strategic Planning Policy had recently attended the Energy 361 event at the Barnstaple Pannier Market and the use of electric vehicles was mentioned in their presentation.  An invite should be made requesting they attend a future meeting to present to Committee.

The Committee noted the update given.