Contract refuse: is it practical?
Page 40
Page 41
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
John Durant visits a local au ority with a part council, part-contracted rubbish collection Pictures by Brian Weaterle,
THE IDEA that local authorities should contract out their refuse collection is very much in the air at present, although there are one or two pioneers in this field. It's a political question to the extent that parties control councils.
While it may be that Conservative councils are likely to be the first to move to contract refuse collection, will other authorities dare to lag behind if the figures show that there is ratepayers' money to be saved? This year's dustmen's strike is another important ingredient to be taken into consideration.
In one area, in the Home Counties, now administered by Mid-Bedfordshire Council, some contract refuse collection has been carried out for years. At present the refuse collection is 60 per cent contract, 40 per cent direct labour. But the council also takes care of any special bulky collections in the contract areas.
The council employs three contractors, who are paid according to the size of their area: one at £350 a week, another at £1000 and the third at £1900.
The largest of these operators is John Gooderson Ltd, of King's Lynn, Norfolk — a family business which started in the early 1800s, moved into waste disposal in 1937, and also has contracts with the Ministry of Defence. Another side of the business is in municipal vehicle plant hire and sales.
John Gooderson, managing director, told me that the firm deals with an estimated 165,000 bins of dry refuse each month, plus 13,500cuyd of bulk, mainly in East Anglia, East Midlands and the Home Counties. The company has more than 60 vehicles.
For Mid-Beds Council it clears some 13,000 houses, shops and other premises in Biggleswade, Sandy, Potton and the surrounding district including about 20 villages. Refuse is taken to the council landfill site at Patton.
It covers this area with four vehicles and two spares, and employs 15 men and foreman David Faulkner, who keeps in contact with the council. But they have run so low on dery lately that the spare tanks have had to be drained in order to run the usual vehicles. One garage has talked of diesel at £1.50 a gallon — if they run out and so need more supplies urgently.
Why should councils use contract refuse services? -Obviously, they only contract out if it's cheaper,'" replied John Gooderson, who, if necessary
still takes phone calls at midnight. His men start at 5am — possibly earlier than most local authorities, he said. But the job, like council collection, is still task and finish — before lunch on Thursday for a free weekend.
-We believe more local authorities may go to private contractors, but as a gradual process," he said. "The labour force will probably transfer while remaining the same in number.
"Where there's muck there may be a small profit — not money. Where there's refuse there's work, provided you like work."
Plastic bags
The council supplies Gooderson with plastic bags and the company distributes these to householders — more than one each if requested.
The company owns various types of vehicles, but on this contract, because the plastic bags suit this make, employs Dennis. It mainly does its own maintenance except where its vehicles are a long way from base.
However, contract refuse is not to everyone's liking. In fact I only had to call at the Biggleswade council offices to meet a firm opponent — none other than William Davis, district engineer, and the man in charge of the operation.
"I hate it," he said. You can't get much firmer than that. However, he agreed that the operation has settled down and is running smoothly with currently only the usual problems.
Then why does he dislike the arrangement? "Because the split does not work for efficiency or economy," he said.
"I have very mixed feelings over contract refuse labour; one of my worries is that the vehicles they use are often local authority cast-outs.
"And although I have no reason to think this will happen with our three contractors, what could happen it one went intc liquidation? This is a statutor) service.'' Another local authority ant one known to be looking into th( subject is the South Oxfordshirc District Council. At a meetinc this year one councillor raise( the question whether this coun cil might benefit by changinc from its existing direct labou refuse collection to one operate( by external contract, and a mo tion on these lines was referrec to the technical services corn mime for further investigation.
Bulk refuse collection ID, contract for councils alreach happens, and a ten-year con tract for the bulk removal o domestic waste has now beer awarded by Buckinghamshiri County Council to Twickenham based Willment Brothers. Chie executive Bill Sandall told mi that his company already doe work for Surrey County Counci and has a contract with the De partment of the Environment fo the removal of all waste from thi Royal Parks. The Bucks con tract, he said, calls for th removal of about 20,000 tons year of refuse to a landfill tip ping site at Gerrards Cross.
Bulk removal
He told me that he believes is becoming more obvious t local authorities that for them t have dustbin wagons carrying or 6 tons any distance is vet expensive and that landfill sitE are getting further apart and ar not conducive to good vehicl maintenance.
"Local authorities would I better off contracting this woi at a fixed price per ton and ni suffering damage to the vehicles,he said. -After al bulk removal is our forte.
WO!men/ Brothers hav bought their first Rolonof coi tamer handling vehicles, mac by Powell Duffryn Engineerinr in order to obtain maximui vehicle utilisation on this col tract.
At the same time the cor pany has bought two POWE Duffryn 40cuyd open col tainers, which will be located Chilton Council refuse statiol Street refuse collection vehicli working in Buckingham will c to the station and tip their was into one or other of the col tainers, which, are sited belo ground level.'While the co tainers are being filled a
Rolonof is free to do other wor I asked Bill Sandall wheth his company is interested in cc lecting rubbish on a house-t house basis. "We'll move in street operation if the price right" he said