LAPV - Local Authority Plant & Vehicle

Leeds City Council has approved a £2m contract to purchase eight new refuse collection vehicles (RCVs) as part of its ongoing fleet replacement programme. The contract, awarded directly to specialist supplier FAUN Zoeller (UK) Ltd, covers eight 26,000kg vehicles at a total cost of £2,081,200. The 12-month contract runs from 6 April 2026 to 5 April 2027.

A Scottish islands council is to auction an electric refuse vehicle it purchased for around £456,000 but stopped using within months of its delivery. Comhairle nan Eilean Siar bought the lorry in 2023 using a Zero Waste Scotland grant, but took it out of service in January 2024 following a fault. Repairs proved impossible after the vehicle’s supplier went into administration, the BBC reports.

The family of a 19-year-old killed when his bicycle collided with a refuse lorry are calling for stricter training standards for drivers of large council vehicles. Jack Bruce, from Wilmington, Kent, died on 15 September 2021 after a bin lorry unexpectedly turned into a side street in Swanley. An inquest ruled his death an accident and a police investigation found no wrongdoing, the BBC reports.

Bolton Council has outlined proposals to procure new large mechanical sweepers to support its statutory street cleansing service, according to a recent report. The report highlights that the current fleet, last purchased in 2015 and delivered in 2016, has exceeded its recommended operational lifespan. As a result, vehicles are becoming less efficient, with rising maintenance costs and increasing difficulty sourcing replacement parts.

Local highway authorities in England face losing up to a third of their roads funding if they cannot demonstrate it is being spent on road maintenance. The Government has held back £525m of its £1.6bn local roads allocation, which councils will only receive if they meet new transparency requirements. These include publishing reports confirming all highways funding is spent solely on road maintenance, setting out long-term maintenance plans, and improving training for highways teams.

Mid and East Antrim Borough Council has reduced carbon dioxide emissions from its commercial vehicle fleet by 27.7 tonnes over three years, following a switch to an exclusive Michelin tyre policy, the tyre manufacturer has announced. The council, which operates a 160-strong fleet including 100 vans and 60 HGVs, has fitted its vehicles solely with Michelin tyres since 2021, procuring them through the Crown Commercial Service (CCS) framework agreement RM6535.

Each year, the Association for Public Service Excellence (APSE) undertakes its State of the Market survey of local authority Street Cleansing Services, providing a snapshot of the sector. APSE Principal Advisor and report author, Abi Ademiluyi, provides a summary of this year’s findings. Budget pressures and long-term outlook Fewer councils are predicting severe reductions compared to last year, though the longer-term outlook still suggests continued pressure on resources.

East Riding of Yorkshire Council is expanding its fleet with 38 new refuse collection vehicles (RCVs) from Dennis Eagle. The Elite+ vehicles are equipped with 6×2 mid-steer chassis, Olympus 21 bodies, and OmniDEL electric bin lifts, supporting the council in operating efficiently across the 920 square miles of its collection area.

Two of the Isle of Wight Council’s fleet vehicles have been involved in road accidents since the weekend. The separate traffic collisions affecting council-owned vehicles took place on Saturday and Tuesday morning, with the emergency services being involved in the management of the incidents. Saturday’s collision saw an electric Volkswagen Up damaged significantly in a crash with a Ford Kuga.

Half of local authorities expect their street cleansing budgets to shrink over the next year, according to a new national survey that warns financial pressures could threaten the quality of public spaces. The Association for Public Service Excellence’s (APSE) State of the Market 2026 report found that 80% of councils anticipate budget changes in the year ahead, with 50% expecting cuts.