Council mulls over £200,000 bin lorry

BANBRIDGE council has approved the opening of tenders for an advanced design new bin lorry estimated to cost in the region of £200,000.

But the decision was only taken after a lengthy discussion on the financial implications of the move at the council’s full monthly meeting last week.

In the end, the council decided to press ahead with the opening of tenders after Director of Environmental Services, Mr David Lindsay, pointed out there was small window of opportunity in relation to applying for grant aid for the vehicle which would be part of a pilot scheme to be rolled out on a trial basis across a selected number of residential bin collection routes.

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The council was told the proposed new ‘split body refuse collection vehicle’ could cost around 200,000, weigh in the region of 32 tonnes, as opposed to the standard 26 tonnes, and would come equipped with special features to enhance efficiency.

As a larger vehicle, the number of necessary journeys would be limited, although the initial cost is estimated to be 20 per cent more than a standard vehicle.

Mr Lindsay pointed out that the council was due to replace a lorry this financial year and if the scheme was not profitable, the ‘split body’ vehicle could be still be used as regular bin lorry.

An earlier report from the Technical Services Department stated the proposed residential kerbside collection pilot scheme would be evaluated closely in terms of cost and recycling rates achieved.

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It also stated that microchipping would be used to monitor recycling participation in different areas of the district and “would therefore be helpful to the council in its marketing and educational campaign”.

At the June meeting of the Environmental Services Committee at which this report was considered, Councillor Joan Baird proposed the council proceed with implementing the pilot scheme and apply for DoE grant funding in support of it.

This was seconded by Councillor Carol Black and carried by eight votes to one, with Councillor Paul Rankin not taking part.

When it came to ratifying the proposal at the full council meeting last Monday, Councillor Black pointed out that the council was in need of a new lorry anyway and she believed it was a “fantastic idea” and would reinforce the council’s reputation for showing the way forward in waste management.

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But not everyone was happy and Councillors Frank McQuaid and David Herron queried the cost, with Mr Herron saying he was hesitant about pressing ahead without being in possession of all the facts.

“In the current economic situation across our country, where we are in a financial ‘black hole’, I don’t think we can purchase an expensive bin lorry on a whim,” he said. “We don’t know the percentage of grant aid available and we have never before decided to purchase anything in this council without first knowing the exact costs.”

However, he agreed to the council applying for grant aid and opening tenders on the grounds there would be further discussion before a final decision was taken on the matter.