Waste management services to buy new vehicles
Three new environmental services vehicles are to be purchased by Wolverhampton Council to replace outdated fleet stock. The one-off procurement will also avoid ongoing annual hire costs currently being incurred by the city’s waste management department.
Local authority bosses are set to approve the award of a contract for the supply of two material handlers and one wheel loader when the evaluation process is complete.
A report to the council’s cabinet resources panel, which is due to give the go-ahead to the plans next Wednesday, said: “The replacement of two-wheeled materials handlers and one wheel loader is required for the fleet operated by waste services at the House Waste Recycling Centre sites at Shaw Road near Bushbury, Anchor Lane in Lanesfield, Bilston, and the Waste Transfer Station at Crown Street, just outside the city centre.
“The service is currently operating hired machines in their place, supplied at a total hire cost of £168,440 a year. The new machines will be bought in one-off purchases and will be like-for-like replacements and more environmentally friendly than the older vehicles being used at the moment.
“The total cost of £784,300 will be funded from the existing approved fleet services vehicle replacement capital budget of £4.3 million. Purchased replacements will also avoid ongoing hire costs.
“The intended procurement procedure will be an open tender process. This route has been decided because it encourages a market-wide response for specialist vehicles, includes local suppliers and supports the Wolverhampton Pound,” it added.
“Overall, the evaluation scoring balance will be 60 per cent based on price and 40 per cent on quality, which includes five per cent social value and five per cent equality, diversity and inclusion.
“As a council, we could continue to maintain the wheel loader, which has exceeded its operational life, but this would maintain a risk to service continuity as replacement parts for the current vehicle are both costly and difficult to obtain. The current vehicle also requires excessive maintenance and repairs, and these pose a significant risk to service provision.
“Hiring machines is not best value for money and replacing them with owned machines will avoid ongoing hire costs of £168,440 a year. The replacement of ageing vehicles ensures the council can meet its statutory obligation and ensures that its fleet is operational and cost effective,” said the report.
