372 Pest Control Service Review
The Council currently operates an in-house pest control service and this report explains the review that has taken place and contains the findings and recommendations.
Additional documents:
Decision:
Cabinet
RESOLVED – That
(1) Option 3.5 to outsource the Council’s Pest Control Service be approved; and
(2) Delegated authority be given to the Group Head of Technical Services, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Technical Services and Section 151 Officer, following advertisement and assessment of tenders, to award the contract following the principles set out within the Council’s Purchasing, Procurement, Contracts & Disposals Procedure Rules.
Minutes:
(Prior to the discussion on this item, Councillor Purchese confirmed that he wished to make the following declaration of personal interest. He confirmed that he wished to make this meeting aware that he had been asked a number of questions about the confidential business to be discussed and that had neither supported or opposed the proposals in responding to these questions. He did have questions of his own which he stated he intended to put to the meeting.
He confirmed that he had an open mind regarding this item and would listen and consider all the relevant issues and interests presented to the meeting and would reach his decision on merit. For the record, Councillor Purchese requested that his declaration be fully recorded in these minutes).
The Cabinet Member for Technical Services, Councillor Stanley, then introduced this item confirming that the Council currently provided a pest control service, delivered in house. Legally, there was no duty for the Council to provide such a service and that there were numerous private businesses in the area that did provide this service. Although there had been some increases in revenue secured in past years, Councillor Stanley explained that the pest control service continued to be operated at a cost to the Council. As part of an ongoing review of the cost effectiveness of this service, different approaches had been considered and he invited the Group Head of Technical Services to provide further information on the options open to the Council having received information explaining the outcomes of review.
The Group Head of Technical Services then provided detail on each of the options that had been considered all of which had been detailed in the report and he emphasised that as part of the review the practices used in other local authorities had been fully considered. The option of working with other authorities jointly to provide this service had also been fully explored.
Having fully explored all of the options and considered comments, the Cabinet
RESOLVED – That
(1) Option 3.5 to approve to outsource the Council’s pest control service be approved;
(2) Delegated authority be given to the Group Head of Technical Services, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Technical Services and Section 151 Officer, following advertisement and assessment of tenders to award the Contract following the principles set out within the Council’s Purchasing, Procurement, Contracts and Disposals Procedure Rules.
The Cabinet confirmed its decision as per Decision Notice C/033/13012020, a copy of which is attached to the signed copy of the Minutes.