This month’s piece is a little more functional than usual, and is primarily an update with the latest on the bin situation.
Waste Update
At the Environment and Climate Change Committee meeting on 16th July, the committee agreed to undertake a Scrutiny Review of the Suez contract, which will examine the performance and implementation of the new waste and street cleansing contract, focusing on key areas such as resources, staffing, data management, contract and project management, and communications.
To facilitate the review, a Scrutiny Panel has been established, consisting of five members of the Environment Committee, with one representative from each political party.
The review will involve a thorough collection and analysis of data. Members of the panel will engage with officers from all of the departments involved in the contract mobilisation and representatives from Suez.
Resident and stakeholder engagement will be a crucial component of the review. The Panel will be seeking input from residents through area committees, online questionnaires, and a Parish Councils Liaison Forum scheduled for September. Public discussions will be facilitated during Area Committee meetings in September, and an online resident survey may be conducted to gather structured feedback.
The review will focus on several critical areas. It will assess resources and staffing, examining recruitment, training, culture change, staff welfare, fleet and vehicles, and the delivery of new and replacement bins. Data and rounds will also be scrutinised, including an evaluation of pre-contract data, the IT systems, round routing processes and road access issues.
Contract and project management will be another key focus. The review will investigate the project setup, ongoing monitoring, contract documents, default and rectification processes, and the Recovery Plan created by Swale officers after the first few weeks of the new contract. Additionally, the effectiveness of communications, both internal and external, will be evaluated. This will include pre-service resident communications, reporting forms, social media, and the overall communications plan.
The outcomes of the review aim to provide assurances on project delivery, gather and address resident feedback, identify lessons learnt and highlight areas for improvement.
Local Transport Plan Consultation
A consultation has recently opened to invite views on Kent County Council’s new draft of their Local Transport Plan.
The consultation is open from now until the 8th October 2024 and more details can be found online at www.kent.gov.uk/ltp5.
Rich Lehmann
rich.lehmann@kent.gov.uk
