Innovative new partnership set to improve environmental services for Rushmoor residents

Serco is set to bring a raft of innovative improvements to environmental services in Rushmoor after being selected by Rushmoor Borough Council to manage waste and recycling collection, street cleaning, and grounds maintenance across the Borough in a new ten-year partnership.

The partnership will see Serco deliver a range of service innovations which have been specifically developed to meet the needs of local people. Improvements Serco will bring under the partnership include:

• Introducing new free kerbside collections of small electrical items, responding to local residents’ feedback on additional items they would like to see collected.

• Launching a ‘Love Clean Rushmoor’ smartphone app enabling residents to report environmental issues such as fly-tipping or broken street furniture.

• Creating a new community plant nursery at Manor Park, providing a building for community use and gardening education.   

• Partnering with the Trussell Trust charity for recycling of old appliances and furniture. The Trust will sell reusable items to local people in need, using the proceeds to support their Farnborough foodbank.

• Investing in new ‘Fido’ dog foul cleaning machines and pressure washers to tackle pigeon droppings.

• Extending town centre street cleaning hours on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, supporting the evening economy.

• Reducing carbon emissions from waste vehicles by 30%, thanks to investment in hybrid technology, sustainable biofuels and on-board carbon reduction technologies.

Serco will continue to provide waste collection services at the same frequency as the current service provider, with weekly collections for general waste, fortnightly collections for mixed recycling and glass, and fortnightly garden waste collections.

Serco will take over responsibility for waste, recycling and grounds services in Rushmoor from 31 July. All staff of the current service provider will have the opportunity to transfer to Serco. The partnership has an estimated total contract value to Serco of £38m over the initial ten year term, with the opportunity to extend the contract for a further ten years, subject to the mutual agreement of Serco and Rushmoor Borough Council. As part of the contract, Serco will also invest in growing and developing a commercial waste and recycling service, to generate financial benefits for the partnership.

Robin Davies, Serco’s Business Development Director for Environmental Services, said:

“We are very proud to have been chosen by Rushmoor Borough Council to deliver and improve these vital services for local residents. All of our plans have been developed by listening to local people, so that we can provide a first-class service that really meets the local community’s needs.

“We’re excited about working in partnership with the Council to put our plans into action, drawing on our experience delivering a broad range of environmental services right across the UK.”

Councillor Martin Tennant, Rushmoor Borough Council’s Cabinet Member for Environment and Service Delivery, said:

“From listening to our residents, we know that a weekly rubbish collection is very important to them. So we are really pleased that as part of the new contract, these will continue, as well as many other exciting improvements, at no extra cost to the taxpayer.

“We are looking forward to working with the team at Serco and building a relationship with them over the next ten years.  We are confident that the new contract will deliver on both quality and cost – helping us to create a cleaner and greener Rushmoor and working with residents to increase recycling.” 

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