With picture left to right: Mark Pigott, Urbaser Project Manager with Cllr Graham Burgess, Deputy Leader Gosport Borough Council
Gosport Borough Council has been receiving positive feedback from residents since handing over the contract for its refuse collection and cleansing to Urbaser Ltd, a leading provider of waste collection, cleansing and treatment services. Urbaser’s vehicle partner is contract hire and fleet management company, Specialist Fleet Services Ltd (SFS).
Stevyn Ricketts, Head of Streetscene, Gosport Borough Council said: “We were very specific about what we were looking for and the whole process was transparent. Our aim is to deliver the contract under budget, and because the contract is performance related, it is in both parties interests to work efficiently.”
Stevyn continued: “We were impressed with the quality of Urbaser’s response from the outset. They think outside the box and add value wherever possible. The partnership with SFS is also a big strength. Not only do we have more vehicles to do the job, we have better equipped vehicles, designed specifically to cope with compact, difficult to access areas.”
Within just 8 weeks of the contract start date in April 2011 the authority was already receiving calls from residents commenting on a notably ‘cleaner borough’. To demonstrate their commitment to service improvement, Urbaser will be funding a satisfaction survey on behalf of Gosport Borough Council in the future to monitor the ‘direction of travel’ regarding public opinion.
As a demonstration of its commitment to work with local contractors and suppliers, Urbaser, a subsidiary of Urbaser SA the Spanish-owned waste management organisation, has already TUPE transferred nearly 70 members of staff from the authority.
Javier Peiro, Director, Urbaser Ltd: “We are looking forward to showing how we can continually improve the collection and cleansing service in Gosport and deliver financial savings at the same time. We have been working in this sector for over 20 years and we can bring new and innovative ways of working. We are also very grateful to our vehicle partners, SFS, whose in-depth knowledge and expertise was invaluable in securing the contract.”
The 10 year contract encompasses refuse collection and street cleansing and SFS is providing over 30 vehicles, including 7 Dennis Eagle rear steer RCV’s (2 standard width and 5 narrow width), Scarab sweepers, tippers and various maintenance vehicles.
A member of the Rothschild Group, Specialist Fleet Services Ltd was founded in 1992 and is one of the UK’s most financially robust and established contract hire and fleet management providers.
Bob Sweetland, managing director, SFS Ltd said: “We are delighted that Urbaser has chosen us as its vehicle partner for this prestigious contract. It’s great to hear that the new and improved fleet is already having a positive impact on the collection and cleansing service in the Borough.”
Cllr Graham Burgess, Deputy Leader of Gosport Borough Council, who was involved in the tendering process said: “The contract handover has been seamless. We have superior vehicles and the new rear steer RCV’s from Dennis Eagle are perfect for manoeuvring around Gosport’s back alley’s and small streets. The streets are cleaner, the vehicles are cleaner and I’m very pleased by what Urbaser has achieved in such a short space of time. They were the worthy winners.”
