Decision details

The Council provides a commercial cesspool collection service in and around the Borough of Dacorum. The collections from cesspools require a suitably adapted collection vehicle (tanker) to clear the tanks.

The Council requires a smaller sized tanker, due to the terrain of where these properties are built, these are mainly in rural areas as they are unable to be connected into the disposal network of sewers.

The delivery time or ‘lead time’ for all commercial vehicles is long at present owing to a combination of a backlog of orders built up during the pandemic, general supply chain problems and a particular issue with the supply of microchips. Specialist vehicles lead times are now in excess of 12 months.

The Waste Services team has been able to locate a new tanker which is available for delivery, and that would replace the current vehicle (T628) being used and no longer is fit for purpose.

Decision made and reasons:

Decision

To retrospectively set aside the Council’s Procurement Standing Orders and award a direct contract to purchase the new Cesspool Tanker.

Reasons

The Council have the opportunity to purchase a vehicle with a very short lead time but need to place the order urgently to secure the vehicle.

The vehicle would replace an existing vehicle that has started to have regular breakdowns and is causing the Service issues when trying to deliver the Cesspool Service to fee paying customers.

The Strategic Director and Head of Service for the Cesspool Service both support the procurement of this replacement vehicle.