Download scrutiny review of - Pendle Borough Council

SCRUTINY REVIEW OF
ALTERNATIVE WASTE COLLECTION METHODS
To - Scrutiny Management Team
Date of meeting – 16th August 2011
Notes of - David Walker Waste Services Manager
BRIEFING NOTES
___________________________________________
Background
On the 30th June 2010 Brian Norton Parker Councillor for Marsden Ward completed a
request for inclusion of item in the overview and scrutiny work programme.
Within the request Councillor Parker alleged that vehicles run by Operational Services
were causing nearly all the damage to cobbled or stones setts streets within the Borough.
Councillor Parker commented that in particular, damage was evident at the point where
the domestic sewer pipe crossed the highway to join with the main sewer.
Councillor Parker felt that a Scrutiny Panel could recommend to full Council that
Operational Services methods of collection should be altered to the following;





Much wider tyres on vehicles to help spread the load over a wider area.
Drivers of 6 wheeled vehicles to make sure that one set of wheels are not in the
raised position when loading. All wheels must be in contact with the road surface
when loading to spread the weight over a wider area.
Consider using a separate light, low wheel based vehicle to collect bins from 1 back
street at a time to feed them to the main collection vehicle waiting on the main road
/ street.
Try to avoid filling to the maximum load of the vehicle. This will mean more trips to
the depot to unload, but lighter vehicles do less damage to roads and streets.
Working with LCC or other authorities and vehicle design companies to redesign
collection vehicles using lighter materials and to spread more of the load over the
road / street’s surface. Councillor Parker felt that this could be achieved in the same
way that many military vehicles are constructed. I.E Instead of using a central
propshaft to the back wheels, transfer the drive at right angles from the gearbox
using bevel gears to the outer wheels, then using the space in between to fit extra
retractable wheels with wide tyres to take a third of the weight using weight sensors.
This spreads the load over a greater area instead of having a colossal weight
usually concentrated on 4 or 6 small tyre contact areas.
Current Position
On the 23rd June 2011, the Head of Central Services presented a report to the Executive
which included a proposal to extend the current contract hire arrangements with Go Plant
Ltd for a further period of five years.
Highlighted within the proposal was the commitment from Go Plant Ltd to invest £855,000
in 20 new vehicles. This investment will include the replacement of the 23 tonne Dennis
Phoenix High capacity twinpack vehicles currently used on the brown wheeled bin scheme
with 18 tonne Elite 2 refuse collection vehicles. Further investment will include an increase
in the smaller 3.5 tonne collection vehicles which shall be used for the collection of
comingled paper and cardboard from November 2011. It is hoped that the reduction in the
size of the collection vehicles will work towards reducing the environmental impact of the
fleet within the geographical area.
In response to Cllr Parker’s request for drivers of 6 wheeled vehicles to make sure that
one set of wheels are not in the raised position when loading. I advise the committee that
the current fleet which includes Dennis Elite 2 and Dennis Phoenix High capacity twin pack
vehicles are fitted with air suspension which includes an automatic lower facility in line with
GB “authorised weights” regulations. This system automatically lowers the mid positioned
wheel when the vehicle becomes partially loaded.
Unfortunately the suggestion for the redesign of vehicles is beyond the remit and budget of
the Council.
Town Hall,
NELSON,
Report Author: D Walker
Background Papers: none
Ref:
Date:
(Tel:) (01282) 661746 E-Mail: [email protected]