Purpose

To
note an update on the purchase of the new site

Content

It was
RESOLVED: -
 
1.1         
That delegated authority be given to the Director
of Property, Development and Regeneration, the Director of
Operations and the Mid Suffolk Cabinet Member for Housing and
Property, to authorise improvement works, secure short-term storage
and parking space, and any other associated spend in line with the
financial commitments set out in this paper in order to extend the
useful economic life of these assets by a minimum of five
years.

 
1.2         
That Cabinet recommended to Council increasing
the capital programme by £250,000 to accommodate the changes
required to the depots as outlined in section 6.6 of the report and
that the necessary adjustments are made to the Councils Treasury
and Capital Investment Strategy.

 
1.3         
That Cabinet noted the progress that has been
made towards finding and specifying a new single depot for the
delivery of the Council’s services and agreed to now pause
any further work until the boundary changes and implications from
Local Government Reorganisation are better
understood.
 
REASON FOR
DECISION
 
A
suitable site with existing planning permission for a new single
depot has not been identified in the optimal location. The
Devolution and Local Government Reorganisation process has further
complicated the determination of the optimal location. Despite
this, the deadline of April 2026 for the introduction of new weekly
food waste, twin stream recycling, and three-weekly residual waste
collections must still be met.
 
Extending the life of the existing depot for an additional five
years is considered the most cost-effective and low-risk option.
Enhancing the standard of accommodation for our staff at this site
remains a priority.
 
Alternative
Options Considered and Rejected:
 
Option 1 - Doing nothing to Creeting Road Depot is not a viable
option as the current locations as configured cannot support the
additional vehicles required for the introduction of the new
mandatory food waste and recycling collection services for Simpler
Recycling in 2026. Some revenue running costs are already higher
than expected due to postponed capital investment. Failing to act
now, could lead to service wide objectives being compromised, the
separation of waste and public realm services, increased costs,
reduced resilience, and a decline in service quality, all at a time
when the Council is facing increasing budget pressures. 
 
Option 3 - Relocating to a new depot. Searches for available
sites with established planning permission and capacity to relocate
our existing consolidated service requirements by 2026 have not yet
resulted in any viable options. Further to this the questions posed
from Local Government Reorganisation do not allow this option to
proceed confidently at this time based on existing local authority
boundaries.
 
Any Declarations of Interests Declared: None
Any Dispensation Granted: None