The Environment and Sustainable Transport Committee of Sutton Council was scheduled to discuss updates on the council's environmental and transport services, the extension of contracts for food and green waste treatment, and the future provision of e-bike services. The meeting's agenda also included a review of key developments and policy contexts relevant to the committee's responsibilities.

Delivering Ambitious for Sutton: Environment and Sustainable Transport Committee

This report was scheduled to provide the Environment and Sustainable Transport Committee with an update on key developments across the areas it oversees. The aim was to inform decision-making and support the committee in scrutinising performance and delivery. The report was intended to outline the committee's role and responsibilities, provide context on key developments and policy, offer a financial overview, and detail progress in delivering the 'Ambitious for Sutton' agenda, including priorities for the year ahead and strategic risks. The committee was asked to note the role and remit of the Environment and Sustainable Transport (E&ST) Committee as set out in the report.

The report highlighted the extensive services overseen by the E&ST Committee, including parks and open spaces, waste and street cleaning, environmental health, parking, transport provision, highways maintenance, and wellbeing services. It also detailed the Council's commitment to action on climate change, noting progress in reducing carbon emissions and ongoing work on decarbonising council assets. The report also covered key developments in highways and transport, including the Mayor of London's responsibilities for Transport for London (TfL) and the Local Implementation Plan (LIP) funding for highway improvements. Updates on parking strategy, road maintenance, street lighting, and waste and street cleaning services were also included, alongside information on leisure and cultural services. The financial overview indicated significant budgets allocated to waste and street cleaning, highways and transport, and parks and open spaces for the 2025/26 financial year.

Food and Green Waste Treatment Services

The committee was scheduled to consider a recommendation to extend two contracts for the handling, haulage, and treatment of food and green garden waste. These contracts are managed by the Royal Borough of Kingston on behalf of the South London Waste Partnership (SLWP). The extension of these contracts is intended to support the 'Ambitious for Sutton' aim of minimising waste and working towards a circular economy, aligning with the Council's Environment Strategy and Climate Emergency Response Plan. This would allow the council to continue offering food and garden waste collection services to residents and maintain high recycling rates. The report indicated that extending the contract with Bio Collectors Ltd for food waste treatment and with Suez Recycling and Recovery Ltd for food and garden waste handling, haulage, and treatment would maintain service continuity and ensure compliance with upcoming government legislation on simpler recycling. The report suggested that extending these contracts would likely offer value for money, with a forecasted saving of approximately £250,000 over five years from the Suez contract.

E-bike Provision and Reprocurement

A review of the current Forest e-bike scheme pilot was scheduled to be presented, along with supporting evidence and data. Based on the review findings, the recommendation was to continue with a dockless e-bike hire service within the borough through a new contract procurement process. This service supports the 'Ambitious for Sutton' corporate priorities of An Inclusive Place for Everyone and Action on Climate Change by facilitating sustainable transport choices. The report detailed the operation of the current scheme, including the number of bikes, hiring process, and key performance indicators (KPIs). Analysis of the scheme showed a significant increase in active customers and ride numbers since its inception. The report also addressed issues related to bike parking and obstruction, noting efforts by the operator and the council to mitigate these concerns. The current concession contract with Forest is due to expire in September 2025, necessitating a reprocurement process. The report outlined key learnings from the current contract to inform the specification for a new contract, aiming to improve area coverage, visibility, KPIs, parking arrangements, and operator service levels. The proposed procurement approach involves a joint exercise with the London Borough of Kingston to potentially transition to a revenue-generating contract.