Decision Maker: Mid Suffolk Cabinet, Babergh Cabinet, Babergh Council, Mid Suffolk Council

Outcome:

Is Key Decision?: Yes

Is Callable In?: Yes

Date of Decision: May 6, 2025

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 Cabinet Member for Finance, Assets and Investments, 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 the report 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 £345,000 to accommodate the changes required to the depots as outlined in section 6.5 of the report and that the necessary adjustments were made to the Councils Treasury and Capital Investment Strategy.   1.3          That Cabinet noted the progress that had been made towards finding and specifying a new single depot for the delivery of the Councils services and agree to now pause any further work until the boundary changes and implications from Local Government Reorganisation were 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 depots 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 our depots 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 a planning allocation 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