Survey
* Your assessment is very important for improving the workof artificial intelligence, which forms the content of this project
* Your assessment is very important for improving the workof artificial intelligence, which forms the content of this project
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]