Decision details

To award a contract to Dennis Eagle Ltd for supply of:

3 x Dennis Eagle Elite 6+ 6x2 Rear Steer 26T RCV’s c/w OL19N Body, CMS Telematics, Driver Behaviours and Camera, VWS on-board weighing, eco-pack, WEE Cage, Juice Tray and optional Epic Media Advertising Frames at a cost of £232,885.00 each plus VAT and 1st Reg Fee/12 Months RFL each @ £505.00 each.

1 x Dennis Eagle Elite 6+ 4x2 Rear Steer 18 Ton RCV c/w OL10N Body, CMS Telematics, Driver Behaviours and Camera, VWS on-board weighing, eco-pack, WEE Cage, Juice Tray and optional Epic Media Advertising Frames at a cost of£223,070.00 each plus VAT and 1st Reg Fee/ 12 Months RFL each @ £505.00 each.

Total cost - £923,745.00 plus VAT

Ubico, on behalf of Cheltenham Borough Council, deliver waste collection services across Cheltenham.

On the vehicle replacement plan for 2024-25 there are three 26t Refuse Collection Vehicles (RCV) - VU67JCX, VU67JCV and VU67JDK, and one 18T RCV VU67 JFN which are now due for replacement due to their age, unreliability and increasing maintenance costs. Two other RCV’s are due for replacement in 2025/26. The Council approved funding for the 2024/25 capital replacement budget at the Council meeting on 23 February 2024.

This procurement is in line with the cabinet decision dated 30 November 2021 approving the move to alternative fuels or away from internal combustion engines for all our fleet and plant as quickly as practicable where alternatives are available within available resources to support our climate change ambitions of net zero by 2030.

The vehicles that are being proposed to be purchased will have a Euro 6 Diesel Engines, which are the cleanest and greenest diesel engines, currently available in this market sector. The manufacturer of this vehicle also permits the use of HVO fuels, which is now being used by most of the current CBC fleet. In addition, these vehicles will be fitted with eco-driving telematics to enable drivers to be taught more efficient driving techniques to further reduce carbon emissions and raise mpg.

Whilst there are electric RCV’s of this type available on the market to purchase these are significantly more expensive when costed against conventional ICE models, and the depot would also need significant investment in additional infrastructure to support the power requirement to re-charge such vehicles

Ubico have carried out a procurement through the TPPL Framework.

Officers have considered whether the service could continue to be delivered without these vehicles and concluded that it could not. These ICE vehicles will be fuelled by HVO not diesel to reduce carbon emissions.