Purpose

The report seeks ongoing endorsement of
Bournemouth Christchurch & Poole Council’s Fleet
replacement Strategy that will continue to support the council wide
Fleet Management De Carbonising and Replacement Programme for the
next 3 years, 2025 - 2028 that proposes to continue with the
investment in vehicle replacements to ensure a pathway approach
that will help to ensure that BCP Council has fit for purpose,
safe, reliable, cost effective and carbon reduced vehicles, plant
and associated equipment assets, in the right place at the right
time and at the right cost to support the strategic, corporate and
service objectives of the Council.

Content

RESOLVED that
Cabinet: -

(a)         
Noted the good progress made in transitioning the
Council’s corporate fleet assets against challenging
international marketplace conditions and balancing risk exposure on
unproven new vehicle technology market entrants;

(b)         
Endorsed Phase Two of BCP Council’s Sustainable Fleet
Replacement Plan, through an in-house management and maintenance
delivery model to achieve a safe, compliant, ultra-low emission
fleet and future key infrastructure decisions required that will
determine its direction and success; and

(c)         
Acknowledged that without significant investment in suitable
premisses and area wide utilities that will deliver the required
infrastructure to support the continued modernisation and electric
decarbonisation of the BCP fleet in future Phase 3 2028 –
2030, future green fleet transition will be limited unless progress
in alternative fuel technologies are forthcoming especially heavy
goods vehicles.

RECOMMENDED that Council: -

(d)          
Approve the phase two fleet replacement programme of
£19.857m over 3 years;

(e)          
Approve the use of £18.692m new prudential borrowing for
the Fleet Replacement Plan and the capital investment necessary in
increasing associated EV charging infrastructure recognising the
impact of this on the annual revenue budget requirement;
and

(f)           
Approve use of capital receipts from the sales of vehicles of
£1.165m to fund part of the phase 2 fleet replacement
plan.
Voting: Unanimous
Portfolio Holder: Climate Response,
Environment and Energy
Reason

The proposed replacement and management plan is a continuation of
the adopted Sustainable Fleet Strategy that provided Capital fleet
funding and governance for years 2021 – 2024 building on the
existing framework towards achieving a sustainable fleet for BCP
Council and a commitment towards its ambition of becoming carbon
neutral by 2030.
Failure to approve
the fleet replacement plan places the authority at risk as vehicles
reach end of life and require increased maintenance, which impacts
on services risking repeated statutory service failure, associated
reputational damage, increased revenue budget pressure and
potential for breach(es) of Operator Licence compliance.