Issue - meetings

To consider the report.

Following consideration of the officer report and discussion, the Executive agreed:

a.     To explore and agree devolution of services to town and parish councils at the point of expiration of contracts.

b.     To in source all remaining services under the contract that aren’t devolved to town and parish councils at the point of contract expiration.

c.     The case for applying exemption information provision as set out in the Local Government Act 1972, Schedule 12A and therefore treat the attached confidential Appendix, as they contain commercially sensitive information, and as the case for the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing that information. 

The Lead Member for Communities, Housing and Culture, Cllr Federica Smith -Roberts, introduced the report which concerned proposals for the devolution and in-sourcing, when the current contracts expired, of outsourced ground maintenance and street scene services in the former Mendip, Taunton Deane and West Somerset districts.

It was clarified that: the report related to three different contracts - the former Mendip District Council area which expired in Jun 2025; the former West Somerset District Council area which expired on 30 November 2024, but would likely trigger an automatic 3 year extension clause so it would end in November 2027 and the Taunton Deane Borough Council area which expired on 31 January 2025, but would likely trigger an automatic 3 year extension clause so it would end in January 2028; that ground care was maintenance of parks and open spaces, tree management and play areas; that street cleansing was street sweeping, litter picking, emptying of bins on council land, toilet cleaning and collection of fly tips; how the in-sourcing of all the services at the expiration of the contracts would yield a saving; that a higher saving would likely be achieved by devolving the services to city, town and parish councils and the 5 main towns in the area had all expressed an interest; that the intention was to in-source any of the services that were not devolved and it was likely that street sweeping would be one of the services that would be kept in house; and in summary if was highlighted that members would be advised whether the 3 year extensions for the two Somerset West & Taunton contracts were triggered.

Following consideration of the officer report and discussion, the Executive agreed:

a.     To explore and agree devolution of services to town and parish councils at the point of expiration of contracts.

b.     To in source all remaining services under the contract that aren’t devolved to town and parish councils at the point of contract expiration.

c.     The case for applying exemption information provision as set out in the Local Government Act 1972, Schedule 12A and therefore treat the attached confidential Appendix, as they contain commercially sensitive information, and as the case for the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing that information. 

ALTERNATIVE OPTIONS CONSIDERED: As set out in the attached report

REASON FOR DECISION: As set out in the attached report