Issue - meetings

BCP Council’s current Capital Investment Programme (CIP) (2019/20 to 2021/22) includes £9.8m approved budget resource for fleet vehicle replacement. To date, £5.8m of this budget has been committed/spent leaving a ‘uncommitted’ fleet replacement capital budget of £4m. 

The Council’s declaration of a Climate and Ecological Emergency will require development of a strategic Sustainable Fleet Strategy that embeds this declaration into front-line service fleet operation requirements and the Council’s transformation programme. This Strategy must also address potentially substantial funding pressures that will arise from the Council’s corporate ambitions to become carbon neutral by 2030 and the historically varied approach to fleet funding adopted by preceding Councils. For the Sustainable Fleet Strategy to be financially viable, sufficient budgetary resource must be identified/allocated within annual revenue budgets to fund the future replacement of a vehicle as its useful life expires.

It is recognised that transition to a properly rationalised, costed and fully funded strategic Sustainable Fleet Strategy will take time. Ahead of this strategy, it is recommended that Cabinet authorise the use of the remaining £4m ‘uncommitted’ fleet replacement capital budget to fund the acquisition of critical, ‘high priority’ vehicles needed to maintain front-line service delivery and avoid adverse impact to service users whilst future service transformation option programmes and decisions can be given time to be fully realised.        

RECOMMENDED that:-

(a)          the development of a rationalised, long-term BCP Sustainable Fleet Strategy be endorsed;

(b)          the financial impact of the varied approach to fleet replacement by legacy Councils on the BCP Sustainable Fleet Strategy be acknowledged; and

(c)          the Service Director for Environment be authorised to use up to £4m of uncommitted fleet capital budget to acquire critical, high priority vehicles in the transition period to the Sustainable Fleet Strategy.

Voting: Unanimous

Portfolio Holder: Environment and Climate Change

Reason

To consider and approve the future fleet replacement strategy.

The Portfolio Holder for Environment and Climate Change presented a report, a copy of which had been circulated to each Member and a copy of which appears as Appendix 'B' to these Minutes in the Minute Book.

Cabinet were requested to consider and approve the future fleet replacement strategy.

In presenting the report the Portfolio Holder stressed the importance of sustainability going forwards with the ambition of the Council to be carbon neutral by 2030, and that with this in mind it was important to develop a strategic Sustainable Fleet Strategy that embedded this declaration into front-line service fleet operation requirements and the Council’s transformation programme.

Further to this Cabinet were advised that there were currently different policies in different areas, and that there was no previous revenue for the replacement of vehicles.

The Chairman of the Overview and Scrutiny Board expressed concern that the report wasn’t detailed enough and did not contain all of the information required in order to assess the risk. 

RECOMMENDED that:-

(a)          the development of a rationalised, long-term BCP Sustainable Fleet Strategy be endorsed;

(b)          the financial impact of the varied approach to fleet replacement by legacy Councils on the BCP Sustainable Fleet Strategy be acknowledged; and

(c)          the Service Director for Environment be authorised to use up to £4m of uncommitted fleet capital budget to acquire critical, high priority vehicles in the transition period to the Sustainable Fleet Strategy.

Voting: Unanimous

Portfolio Holder: Environment and Climate Change