Daventry District Council (DDC) and Norse Commercial Services have entered into a 10-year agreement to work together in a joint services venture – Daventry Norse – which will see a new waste and recycling service for residents in the district.
The partnership will launch on 4 June, 2018, immediately after the Council’s current environmental services contract ends with Enterprise Managed Services Ltd (part of the Amey Group).
Norse Commercial Services Ltd is owned by Norfolk County Council and already provides services with 15 other local authorities, including Wellingborough.
Under the new contract, the Council and Norse will share ownership and control of the joint venture to deliver, shape and improve the following frontline services:
- Waste and recycling collections for households and businesses
- Street cleaning – litter picking and street sweeping on public roads and paths, emptying litter and dog bins
- Grounds maintenance, such as cutting grass and maintaining trees, bushes on roadsides and Council land and maintaining play equipment
- Clearing fly-tipping and removing graffiti in public areas
- Maintaining Daventry Country Park
- Operating Daventry Market and public toilets in Daventry town centre
- Preparing burial plots.
The Daventry Norse venture will also involve significant investment in facilities and equipment for environmental services, including a new fleet of vehicles, machinery and equipment and the redevelopment of the environmental depot and offices at High March Daventry.
Daventry Norse will be introducing new waste and recycling collections to all households when the new contract starts on 4 June. Under the new 1-2-3 collection service, food waste will be collected weekly, a two-weekly wheelie bin collection for mixed recycling will be introduced to replace the weekly box collections of sorted recyclables and residual waste will be collected every three weeks. Households will also be able to opt in to a fortnightly garden waste service for an annual fee.
“As a joint venture that shares the control and ownership of services between the two partners, Daventry Norse is a very different approach to the current arrangement of an external contractor delivering the services on the Council’s behalf”
The new-look service was agreed by the Council in July last year following public consultation and a wide-ranging review of future waste and recycling options launched in summer 2015. DDC is working with Norse on preparing the new service and further details on how collections will change for residents will be available early next year.
Councillor Jo Gilford, Environment Portfolio Holder at Daventry District Council: said: “We are delighted to be entering this new venture with Norse Commercial Services, which will provide a sustainable future for our District’s environmental services, both environmentally and financially.
“As a joint venture that shares the control and ownership of services between the two partners, Daventry Norse is a very different approach to the current arrangement of an external contractor delivering the services on the Council’s behalf.
“When the contract starts next summer, Daventry Norse will be introducing the new 1-2-3 waste and recycling service which will mean households adjusting to some significant changes to their collections. However preparations for the new service are already under way to ensure the transition is as smooth as possible for all our residents.”
Norse Managing Director Dean Wetteland said: “We are delighted to complete the signing of this latest joint venture in our portfolio of partnerships with local councils.
“Norse now operates 16 partnerships around the country, nine of which provide waste, recycling or environmental services. Our unique combination of public sector ethos and commercial flair has built a reputation for cost efficiency, quality and innovation in service delivery. The business model creates new external business opportunities, which generate new revenue streams and profit-share for our council partners.”
