Content

To award a contract to Romaquip to supply 9 x 14-ton
kerbside sort recycling vehicles including external vehicle wrap at
a cost of £184,421.50 each plus VAT each. 

Total Expenditure - £1,659,793.50

Reasons for the decision

Ubico, on behalf of Cheltenham Borough Council, deliver waste and
recycling collections across the Borough.

 
The
current fleet of recycling vehicles is now over 7 years old and due
for replacement on the 2025/26 vehicle replacement plan (2 vehicles
were replaced earlier as part of the 2024/25 replacement
plan).  The replacement of these
vehicles will support the kerbside sort recycling collection
service in Cheltenham, reduce maintenance/hire costs for the
existing old fleet and reduce operational risks/cost.  The greater capacity of the new vehicles which
will be on a 14T chassis rather than the 12T chassis is also
expected to deliver a fuel and CO2 reduction along with additional
collection time.  It should be noted
that the design of the new fleet has been modified to increase the
amount of cardboard and plastics collected on the vehicle reducing
the number of tips needed and freeing up more collection time to
support current and future housing growth expected over the next
year or so.  The modifications also
accommodate the separate collection of flexible plastics and
cartons to meet the requirements of the Environment Act
2021.  Several of the old fleet of
vehicles will not be disposed of and will remain available as spare
vehicles to cover servicing and MOTs.

 

This procurement is in line with the cabinet decision dated 30
November 2021 approving the move to alternative fuels or away from
internal combustion engines for all our fleet and plant as quickly
as practicable where alternatives are available and within
available resources to support our climate change ambitions of net
zero by 2030.

 
The
vehicles that are being proposed to be purchased will have a Euro 6
Diesel Engines, which are the cleanest and greenest diesel engines,
currently available in this market sector. The manufacturer of this
vehicle also permits the use of HVO fuels, which is now being used
by most of the current Council fleet. In addition, these vehicles
will be fitted with eco-driving telematics to enable drivers to be
taught more efficient driving techniques to further reduce carbon
emissions and raise mpg.

 

Whilst there are electric Romaquip kerbside sort vehicles of this
type available on the market to purchase, these are significantly
more expensive when costed against conventional ICE models, and the
depot would also need significant financial investment in
additional infrastructure to support the power requirement to
re-charge such vehicles.

 

Ubico have carried out a procurement exercise through the TPPL
framework.  A further procurement
exercise to replace the remaining two shorter wheel base vehicles
in the fleet will be taking place as soon as possible.

Alternative options considered

Officers have considered whether the service could continue to be
delivered without these vehicles and concluded that it could not
given the authority’s commitment to kerbside sort
recycling.  These ICE vehicles will be
fuelled by HVO not diesel to reduce carbon emissions. Not replacing
these vehicles at this point in time will not deliver the benefits
set out above and will have a negative impact on the budget.