Mike Cockburn, Assistant Director for Parks and Environment, introduced this report which provided an overview of the appraisal exercise undertaken to consider options for future weed control across the borough.

Members discussed the options and explored a further option of having an in-house service to cover a variety of tasks. There were concerns over the financing and recruitment this would require and it was estimated that it would take a year to plan and implement. The existing contract could be retendered with an option for extension if an in-house service proved to be uneconomic.

Councillor Michael Collins proposed a motion to have a reduced term contract to allow for investigations and planning for an in-house service.

Resolved:

That the Committee does not support the option presented in the report to procure a weed control contract for a term of up to 4 years and wishes to have more information before deciding on a long term option for weed control.

Committee would like further information on a fully integrated in-house service, covering all aspects of edge of highways and street maintenance including but not necessarily limited to grass cutting and weed control.

Committee therefore requests that the Director of Neighbourhoods reports back to the Committee as soon as possible with the above information. In the meantime the Committee agrees to the commencement of a tender process for the procurement of a weed control services contract for a period of one year with an option to extend for 1 year.

The Committee also agrees to give delegated authority to the Director of Neighbourhoods to award the one year contract with an option to extend for 1 year within approved budget and in accordance with the Most Economically Advantageous Tender (MEAT) criteria.