Agenda item

To receive a report providing an update in relation to the shared re3 PFI Contract since the Management Committee’s last meeting on 18 September 2014 and to receive a presentation from representatives of Sue Ryder.

The Board received a report providing an update on the progress made in terms of the management of the joint waste PFI contract since its last meeting.  The report included an update on the results of the most recent user satisfaction survey, visitor numbers, supplier audits and the Materials Reclamation Facility (MRF) at Smallmead.  A presentation was also given on the work of Sue Ryder and the contribution that the donations collected from the Household Waste Recycling Centres (HWRC) made to Sue Ryder’s work.

It was reported that recent User Satisfaction Survey results showed that residents continued to be satisfied with the facilities at Longshot Lane and Smallmead HWRCs with 95% of Longshot Lane users rating the facility as good or very good and 94% of Smallmead users rating the site as good or very good.  Although cleanliness at both sites was considered to be good or very good the ratings had fallen slightly when compared to the previous year’s results (Longshot Lane results fell from 97% in 2013 to 95% in 2014 and Smallmead results fell from 95% in 2013 to 92% in 2014).  It was thought that the increased use that both sites were experiencing was a significant contributory factor to these reductions. It was however disappointing to note that the percentage of users who felt that staff were helpful had fallen at both sites.  It was explained that the specific question on cleanliness had been revised in the latest survey and this made it difficult to draw a direct comparison with previous survey results.  However, the matter had been raised with the contractors by the Councils’ Client Team and the situation would be monitored over time.

Traffic counters had now been installed at both Smallmead and Longshot Lane and these were showing that both sites were experiencing up to 11,000 visitors a week.   

It was reported that Wokingham Borough Council would cease to provide its Amenity Waste Collection Service from 1 February 2015.  It was hoped that this would help reduce the volume of waste being disposed of through land fill and increase the levels of waste being recycled.  It was questioned what impact the removal of the service might have on fly tipping.  It was agreed that the impacts would be looked at in more detail at the Board’s next meeting.

Sue Ryder Presentation

Sandy Lunn and Gemma Wise gave a presentation in respect of the work that the charity Sue Ryder did across the region and how the reclamation of furniture and other goods from the HWRCs was contributing to this work.

Sue Ryder, a national healthcare provider providing palliative end of life care and neurological care across the country, required annual funding of £49million to meet all the demands placed on it across Berkshire alone, in 2014 services were provided to 2,600 patients in Berkshire.  The majority of funding was provided by the NHS however funding levels were falling and there was currently a funding gap of approximately £800,000 in the Berkshire service.   

In 2011, the Sue Ryder entered into an agreement with the re3 Councils to recover good quality furniture and small electrical products from the HWRCs and sell them through their high street shops. Year on year the volume of good recovered from the HWRCs has increased and in 2014, 40,050kg of goods were recovered and sold by the Charity.  Over the four years that the scheme has been operating the sales of reclaimed goods have raised £90,197 of additional funding.

In the past year, a new initiative to recover and sell discarded bikes had been set up.  Between 30 and 40 bikes a week were collected and taken to Mount Prison where they were repaired and refurbished by prisoners before they were then sold through Sue Ryder shops. In addition to the work experience prisoners involved in the programme were also able to achieve an NVQ qualification that could be used when they were released.  Adult bikes were sold for an average of £40 a bike and children’s bikes were sold for £10 and over the past year the scheme had raised approximately £12,000.

The workshops at Mount Prison had the capacity to work on up to 100 bikes a week and it was hoped that the scheme could be expanded further with the development of a bespoke bike shop in Reading which could be staffed by former prisoners.  It was noted that Reading Borough Council was working with the Bike Kitchen, a community project providing space for people to undertake maintenance work on their bikes with the help of experienced mechanics and it was suggested that links with the Bike Kitchen could be developed by Sue Ryder.

The Board commended the work that Sue Ryder was doing and it was suggested that the re3 Councils publicise the initiative through Council meetings and Publications.