Decision

It was RESOLVED that Cabinet agreed
that:
 
a)             
The preferred option for delivering environmental services from 1
April 2026 is to extend the Current EHN Joint Venture with NORSE
Commercial Services.

 
b)             
Following further detailed contract negotiations with NORSE
Commercial Services, a final report detailing the final contract
arrangements and any variations is returned to the Cabinet for
approval.
 
The Overview and Scrutiny Committee considered
this item at its meeting held on Thursday 9 January 2025 and made
an additional recommendation  for the
Cabinet to consider:
 
“To establish a cross-party group, such
as a cabinet liaison panel, to provide ongoing oversight of the
operation of the environmental services arrangement”.
 
The Leader took the opportunity to thank the
Committee for their thorough consideration of this item.
 
Cabinet agreed not to take the Overview &
Scrutiny Committee recommendation forward, and provided the
following reason that:
 
The Joint venture
has robust Governance and reporting Structures with;

The
Strategic Liaison Board ( which is chaired by the
PH)
The EHN
Norse Board of Directors 
The
Shareholders Sub Committee

 
The Cabinet acknowledged that the
recommendation from Overview and Scrutiny Committee for a mechanism
to engage with the EVS Team and EHN. 
Cabinet proposed that the Environmental Services Team set up twice
yearly All Member Briefings on the operational service delivery; it
was proposed that both EHN and NCS would also attend these
briefings.