Decision Maker: Cabinet, Council

Outcome: Recommendations Approved

Is Key Decision?: Yes

Is Callable In?: Yes

Date of Decision: November 19, 2025

Purpose:

Content: RESOLVED   i)               The conversion of the Old Ambulance Station (‘the premises’) into a workshop to be used primarily for servicing food waste vehicles (‘the workshop’) be approved;   ii)              That authority be delegated to the Director of Resources to apply for any relevant grant funding to be used towards the costs of converting the premises;   iii)             That authority be delegated to the Director of Place in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Enterprise and Property to approve the final designs for the workshop;   iv)             The award of any contracts required to give effect to the conversion of the premises and the acquisition and installation of all required equipment (including an additional workshop van) be approved; and   v)              That authority be delegated to the Director of Place in consultation with the Head of Legal and Democratic Services to finalise the terms and conditions of, and to approve the entering into of, any contracts or other documentation required to give effect to the conversion of the premises and the acquisition and installation of the required equipment.   RECOMMENDED TO COUNCIL   i)               To approve a capital budget of up to £488,000 for the 2025/26 financial year for the conversion of the premises and the acquisition and installation of the required equipment, to be funded from the Food Waste earmarked reserve; and   ii)              To approve a revenue budget of £17,585 for the 2025/26 financial year to cover the running costs of the workshop and the loss of income from the tenant for the last quarter of the financial year, to be funded from the Food Waste earmarked reserve.   REASONS   i)               A new workshop is required to service and maintain the additional vehicles procured for domestic food waste collections commencing in March 2026. Following assessment, the Property Team has identified the conversion of a Council-owned premises as the most suitable of 5 options that were assessed.   ii)              Full Council must approve capital and revenue budgets.     ALTERNATIVE OPTIONS CONSIDERED BUT REJECTED AS IDENTIFIED IN THE REPORT   i)      There are insufficient facilities to service the new vehicles in the existing depot and insufficient space for it to be extended, even if hours of operation are increased.   ii)     A premises was briefly available at £55,000 per annum, but the Property Team were unable secure it or find another premises with the required height or with an existing maintenance pit.   iii)    An existing tenant was potentially closing their business, meaning a premises in Southwater Business Park would have been available. However, the rental foregone would have been £35,000 per annum and the tenant subsequently decided to carry on and remain in the property.   iv)    It is unsustainable to put the vehicles out to contract maintenance. Outsourcing costs have been put together based on a quote received for the work which would be required. It is estimated that there would be an annual cost of £185,000 to maintain the 15 vehicles. This would be an ongoing annual cost and is likely to increase as the vehicles age. Additionally, vehicles will need to be moved to and from third party workshops which adds time onto the servicing and maintenance and means we lose control of managing timescales for the vehicles to be back in use