Environmental and commercial services service plan 2025-28

A. Overview

Organisation chart

Achievements in 2024/25

The things your service delivered over the past year.

Shared Waste Management Partnership

• Processed over 57,000 tonnes of household waste from Reading residents, including 9,700 tonnes of kerbside mixed dry recycling, 6,200 tonnes of garden waste and 6,600 tonnes of food waste.  
• Supported over 10,000 RBC households as part of a nationally important recycling trial for flexible plastic (bags, wrappers, film etc.)  
• Received over 300,000 visits, by residents, to the Smallmead recycling centre. 
• Achieved an overall user satisfaction rate of 92% at the Smallmead Recycling Centre. 
• Achieved a provisional recycling rate of 67% at the Smallmead Recycling Centre.  

Recycling and Waste Collections Services

• The service collected a total of 6.748m bins an increase of 5.4% on the previous year 
• The total number of missed bins 6488, a reduction of 5%. 
• The service received and responded to 294 formal complaints a reduction of 44%. 
• Changed operational working practices to remove local agreement. 
• Preparation for route optimisation. 
• Enhanced Environmental Enforcement. 

StreetScene Services

• Planted 356 new and replacement trees. 
• Collaboration with the BID to improve Town Centre cleansing with the Glutton. 
• Completion of Waterloo Meadows play area CIL project £200k. 
• Recycled 736 tonnes of street sweepings. 
• Victoria Park play area opened 
• Installation of new artificial cricket wicket at Kensington Road Recreation Ground – CIL project £8k 
• Replanted 10,000m² wildflower meadow. 
• Installation of a new water main for Waterloo Meadows Allotments 

Fleet and Transport Services

• Completion and commissioning of the construction of a 4-bay extension of fleet maintenance workshop. 
• 6-month Interim Fleet maintenance agreement whilst full 3-year plus 2-year tender is live in the open market for April 2025 commencement. 
• Introduction of the Workshop module of Truckfile to complement the services work programme and management of vehicle maintenance with contractor. 
• Recruitment of Senior Fleet Workshop Officer to enable full control of the Fleet maintenance operations. 
• Full implementation of Driver’s using tachograph cards and Tru-Tac to manage driver’s hours. 

Highways & Traffic services

• New pedestrian footbridge Thames Towpath at Kings Meadow 
• Refurbishment of Scheduled Ancient Monument Bridge at Duke Street (High Bridge) 
• Refurbishment of Reading Station Subway 

Parking Services 

• Management of TRO restitution process 
• DfT approval to use bay suspension signs 
• Reduction in cash collection and enforcement costs 
• Restructure of permit review process. 
• Selection of 2^nd Enforcement agent 
• Procurement of new pay & display machines

Business-as-usual services 

The things your service does for residents or to support staff every day

Recycling and Waste Collections Services

• Domestic recycling, waste, and food collections. 
• Garden Waste Collection (Paid for service). 
• Bulky Waste Collections. 
• Bin deliveries. (Domestic and Trade). 
• Trade Waste Collections. 
• Clinical waste collections. 
• Recycling education & environmental enforcement. 

StreetScene Services

• Grounds maintenance of parks and open spaces, (inc. allotments sites, woodlands and waterway margins, highways verges, and public rights of way). 
• Arboriculture – survey, maintenance (scheduled, ad-hoc & commercial), tree planting. 
• Play areas – inspection, repairs and delivery of capital refurbishment play area programme. 
• Cleansing of Reading’s public realm, (including local centres & parks, graffiti removal, litter picking & street sweeping.)  
• Waste Transfer Station segregating and further treatment of waste. 

Fleet and Transport Services

• Management of the Councils fleet of vehicles 
• Maintenance and compliance of the Council’s Operator License (O-License) 
• Management of the outsource vehicle maintenance contract. 

Shared Waste Management Partnership

• Waste recycling, reuse and disposal 
• Management of the c£550m shared re3 waste management contract 
• Operation of two public recycling centres (the tips) 
• Shared communications and marketing 
• Statutory reporting 

Highways & Traffic services

• Maintenance of the Public Highway in compliance with the Highways Act 1980 and ‘Well Managed Highway Infrastructure: A Code of Practice’ through an Asset Management approach including the cyclical risk-based inspection and maintenance programme of all public highway roads, pavements, structures, ditches, traffic signals & CCTV assets. 
• Delivery of the Capital Investment programmes including Residential Road Resurfacing, Pavements, Traffic Signals, CCTV, Bridges & Structures, Road safety, Local Transport Plan (LTP) for Bridges & Carriageways Grant, Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) & Section 106 (S106) Capital programmes.  
• Compliance with our Lead Local Flood Authority obligations, Sustainable Urban Drainage requirements & delivery of Flood Alleviation schemes to reduce flood risk in Reading.  
• Compliance with our Traffic Management Statutory Obligations and ensuring that planned works are co-ordinated on the highway network. 

Parking services 

• Manage off-street parking facilities throughout the borough. 
• Carry out regular maintenance & H&S inspections of car parks. 
• Maintain all equipment required to ensure the smooth running of car parks. 
• Manage on street and off-street permits process for residents and business’s. 
• Manage contract for Penalty Charge Notice processing contract. 
• Review new and amended TRO. 
• Manage the on street and off street enforcement contract. 
• Enforce Moving Traffic Contraventions through CCTV.  

B. Key Performance Indicators 

The metrics that tell us how well our business-as-usual services are performing and whether we are delivering the objectives set out in section C overleaf. 

You should aim to have a KPI which describes how well each key business-as-usual activity is operating.  This could be the quantity of work (e.g. bins collected) or/and the quality of work (e.g. missed bins).  These should be focused on the main business-as-usual activities that need tracking and are specifically of interest to senior management and Members. They should be within the Council’s control and are your ‘normal level’ of activity. 

If you are proposing to improve the service, through a project or initiative that you may be including below, then you should have a target which shows what that improvement/change will bring (e.g. normal number of bins missed is x%, target following project is y%). 

Under “definition” explain how the indicator is defined and the formula used. E.g. recycling rate = household waste recycled in the month / total household waste collected (kg). “Target type” should say whether the target is “flat”, i.e. the same each month/quarter (e.g. 50%), or cumulative, i.e. increasing each month/quarter (e.g. for measuring total library visits in the year to date). If the target has a variable profile/seasonal targets, please detail this. 

Measure	Definition	Unit	Better (bigger or smaller)	Frequency (monthly, quarterly)	Target type (flat or cumulative)	Normal level/ Target 25/26	Normal level/ Target 26/27	Normal level/ Target 27/28	Council Plan KPI (Y/N)	Data provider
Missed bins		No. per 100,000 collections	Smaller	Monthly	Flat	80	80	80	Y	Marcus Hermon
Household waste recycled or composted (% of total)		% of total	Bigger	Quarterly	Flat	51%	51%	51%	Y	Sarah Innes
Residential roads in good condition (not requiring further investigation or work) (% total)		% total	Smaller	Annual	Flat	80%	80%	80%	Y	RIchard Ponchard
New trees planted on Council owned land (No.)		No.	Bigger	Annual	Seasonal target?	300	300	300	Y	Chris Camfield
Percentage of fly-tipping investigations resulting in a Fixed Penalty Notice (FPN) or prosecution		%	Bigger	Monthly	Flat	26%	26%			Holly Tough
Percentage of food waste recycled (as percentage of total household waste)		%	Bigger	Monthly	Flat	14%	14%			Holly Tough
Recycling contamination rate		%	Smaller	Quarterly	Flat	25%	25%			Sarah Innes
Percentage of actionable (40mm depth) potholes repaired within 28 days		%	Smaller	Quarterly	Flat	99%	99%	99%		Sam Shean
Number of PCN issued per CEO per shift.	Output	%	80%	Quarterly	Flat	80%	80%	80%		Phil Grant
Number of PCNs cancelled due to CEO error.	Output	%	1%	Quarterly	1%	1%	1%	1%		Phil Grant
% of annual car park permits renewed.	Output	%	80%	Quarterly	80%	80%	80%	80%		Phil Grant
% of enforcement staff employed living in the borough	Output	%	80%	Quarterly	80%	80%	80%	80%		Phil Grant
% of car residents permits renewed (Post EBC)	Output	%	80%	Quarterly	80%	80%	80%	80%		Phil Grant
% of P&D transactions (Post EBC)	Output	%	80%	Quarterly	80%	80%	80%	80%		Phil Grant

C. Objectives for 2025-28 

The most important changes your service is aiming to deliver over the period of this service plan. 

This should include Council Plan objectives and any additional objectives at service level. 

Example: “Prevent the escalation of children’s needs through developing family hubs.” Objectives should: 

• Clearly and concisely state the outcome we are trying to achieve and how we will deliver it. 
• Be realistic given available resources and relevant to the priorities set out in the Council Plan. 
• Have an associated KPI that tells us whether we have achieved the objective. 

See the annex for a full list of Council Plan priorities and objectives. 

Objectives (one objective per row)	Council Plan objective? (Y/N)	Relevant Council Plan priority
Keep Reading moving by delivering investment in highways, including roads, bridges, streetlighting and traffic signals.	Y	Promote a sustainable and healthy environment and reduce Reading’s carbon footprint
Continue moving towards a net zero, resilient Reading and Council by 2030.	Y	Promote a sustainable and healthy environment and reduce Reading’s carbon footprint
Further improve the physical environment of Reading by improving air quality, access to green space, and the quality of public spaces.	Y	Promote a sustainable and healthy environment and reduce Reading’s carbon footprint
Plan and begin to deliver major changes to our waste and recycling service, with our re3 partners, to ensure compliance with new legislation.	Y	Promote a sustainable and healthy environment and reduce Reading’s carbon footprint
Highways & Drainage – Deliver safe, efficient, timely & effective Highways & Drainage Maintenance Services using in-house teams and contractors as appropriate	N	Promote a sustainable and healthy environment and reduce Reading’s carbon footprint
Highway Engineering and Asset Management – monitor condition of highway and procure and deliver major highway maintenance programmes in a safe, efficient, timely & effective manner	N	Promote a sustainable and healthy environment and reduce Reading’s carbon footprint
Network Services – Ensuring good governance of regulatory & technical support to Highways and Parking Services and provide safe, efficient, timely & effective management of the traffic network	N	Promote a sustainable and healthy environment and reduce Reading’s carbon footprint

D. Projects 

The specific activities and programmes work that will deliver the objectives set out above. 

Projects should be: 

• Focused on tangible deliverables rather than outcomes (e.g. “build a new library and reception area in the Civic Centre” would be preferable to “celebrate Reading’s arts, culture, and heritage”). 
• Time-limited (with a defined beginning and end) and distinct from BAU activity (ongoing activities should be reflected in the “business as usual” section).

Project name	What will this deliver and what will the benefits be?	Start date (month-year)	End date (month-year)	Budget	What resources is this project dependent on? (e.g. finance, legal, IT)	Relevant Council/Service Plan objective (from table above)	Council Plan project? (Y/N)	Data provider
Complete the £8M programme of work to improve residential roads and pavements.	Improved road condition, safer public highway network, reduced potholes	2024	2027	RBC Capital	Legal	Keep Reading moving by delivering investment in highways, including roads, bridges, streetlighting and traffic signals.	Y	Sam Shean
Town Centre Hostile Vehicle Mitigation	Contribute to the review, risk assessment and delivery if a change is identified	March 2025	March 2026	TBC – survey work UKSPF further work  unfunded	Legal, Finance, Planning, Strategic Transport, Network Management, Legal	Highway Engineering and Asset Management – monitor condition of highway and procure and deliver major highway maintenance programmes in a safe, efficient, timely & effective manner	N	Sam Shean
Plan and deliver major changes to our waste and recycling service, with our re3 partners, to ensure compliance with new legislation.	Capacity to operate in compliance with legislation.	Nov 24	Glass April 2026  Plastics April 2027	TBC (funding provided to councils through EPR)	Finance, Legal, Procurement, re3 Project Team, Waste Operations, Communications	Deliver major changes to our waste and recycling service to ensure compliance with new legislation.	Y	Oliver Burt/Graeme Rasdall Lawes
Work with our partners and regional neighbours to review the Council’s waste disposal arrangements and plan how we will provide these services for the future.	Capacity to deliver a statutory service in compliance with legislation. Partnership offers the potential to share costs and risks.	Oct 24	Dec 31	TBC	Finance, Legal, Procurement, re3 Project Team, Waste Operations, Communications	Deliver major changes to our waste and recycling service to ensure compliance with new legislation.	Y	Oliver Burt
DTRO Project (Digital Traffic Regulation Orders)	Improved efficiency, less error and challenge	April 2025	Oct 2027	£750k	Finance, Legal, Consultancy, Procurement	Delivers major changes to Network Services, improving efficiency and ensure compliance with legislation and enforcement requirements	Y	James Penman
Review & refine Waiting Review programmes	Improved efficiency, provide correct resource levels and improved satisfaction levels	April 2025	On-going		Legal, Members, Network Management	Deliver improvement in scheme selection, removal of older schemes of lower priority	N	James Penman
Allotments – review charges	Carry out a review of charges and introduce new charges	March 2025	October 2025		Legal services	Ensure Reading Borough Council is fit for the future	N	Graeme Radsall Lawes
Allotments – Henley Road	Develop a moving strategy	March 2025	October 2025		Legal Services	Ensure Reading Borough Council is fit for the future	N	Allotment Officer – not yet appointed
Enforcement – External	Introduce a third-party enforcement body to supplement the team	March 2025	October 2025		Procurement and Legal services	Ensure Reading Borough Council is fit for the future	N	Holly Tough
Route Optimisation	Introduce revised rounds		July 2025		ICT, Customer Services Communications	Ensure Reading Borough Council is fit for the future	Y	Marcus Herman
Ash Die Back and Oak Processionary Moth management programme	Develop and commence and programme of tree management (felling and replacement)	April 2025	2028		Finance	Ensure Reading Borough Council is fit for the future	N	Chris Camfield
Depot future use	Assist with design and implementation of new depot design and EV infrastructure	March 25	Ongoing		Finance, legal, assets	Ensure Reading Borough Council is fit for the future	N	Graem Rasdall Lawes
Food waste Trials at hard-to-reach properties	Simpler Recycling requires food waste at all properties – this will allow us to explore and decide how best to meet this requirement at hard to service properties	June 2025	October 2025		None	Ensure Reading Borough Council is fit for the future	N	Holly Tough
Targeted free bulky waste programme	Development and delivery of replacement programme to for universal free bulky waste	April 2025	Ongoing		None	Ensure Reading Borough Council is fit for the future	N	Holly Tough
Introduce Emissions based charging for on street parking.	Encourage motorists to consider alternative modes of transport other than the private motor vehicle.	May 2025	July 2025		Legal Services Street scene services	Improved air quality	N	Phil Grant
Introduce Emissions based permit charging for residents and businesses on street parking.	Encourage motorists to consider alternative modes Of transport other than the private motor vehicle.	September 2025	December 2025		Legal services	Improved air quality	N	Phil Grant
Review pay by phone contract and introduce additional providers	Consider alternative methods of paying for contractor services.	October 2025	January 2026		Legal services; Procurement	Potential for developing an additional income stream.	N	Phil Grant
Retender for Parking Enforcement (Civil Enforcement Officer) contract in partnership with other Authorities if possible.	By working in partnership will increase the contract value significantly making it more attractive to a larger number of potential suppliers.	April 2025	June 2026		Legal services; Procurement	Secure an improved enforcement contractor.	N	Phil Grant
Review of Parking Strategy and Enforcement policy.	Bring the current parking and enforcement policy up to date and in line with legislative and technological advances.	April 2025	March 2026		Strategic Transport, Highways and Traffic Services Members,	Promote a sustainable and healthy environment and reduce Reading’s carbon footprint	N	Phil Grant
Introduce additional debt recovery Enforcement Agent.	Increase recovery rates of bad debt.	April 2025	Sept  2025		Legal services, Procurement	Ensure Reading Borough Council is fit for the future	N	Phil Grant
Tender debt recovery Enforcement Agent contract.	Increase recovery rates of bad debt.	October 2025	April 2026		Legal services, Procurement	Ensure Reading Borough Council is fit for the future	N	Phil Grant

Annex: Council Plan priorities and objectives 

Vision: Our Vision is to help Reading realise its potential and to ensure that everyone who lives and works here can share the benefits of its success.

Priority 1: Promote affordable housing and more equal communities 

• Tackle economic inequality by taking a place-based approach to how we deliver all our services, and enhance access to education, skills, and training opportunities.  
• Deliver new energy efficient council homes and improve tenant satisfaction with social housing.  
• Prevent the escalation of children’s needs through developing Family Hubs. 
• Promote best practice across Reading’s schools, helping to improve educational attainment and narrow the gap for disadvantaged and vulnerable children. 
• Prevent and reduce health inequalities within the population of Reading and improve and protect the health and wellbeing of all its communities. 
• Through the community safety partnership, focus on reducing community-based drug activity, knife violence, violence against women and girls and youth reoffending. 
• Work with partners to prevent homelessness, provide value for money accommodation for those that are homeless, and move people onto settled accommodation as quickly as possible. 

Priority 2: Secure Reading’s economic and cultural success 

• Enable the delivery of over 800 high-quality new homes a year in Reading, along with the infrastructure to support new development. 
• Promote the economic success of Reading by working with councils across Berkshire and the wider Thames Valley. 
• Maximise the benefits available for Reading from opportunities arising from the English Devolution White Paper. 
• Continue to deliver quality cultural and leisure services and facilitate exciting improvements to our cultural offer through grant-funded projects. 

Priority 3: Promote a sustainable and healthy environment and reduce Reading’s carbon footprint 

• Make use of central government funding to deliver improvements to public transport, cycling and walking infrastructure in Reading. 
• Keep Reading moving by delivering investment in highways, including roads, bridges, streetlighting and traffic signals. 
• Continue moving towards a net zero, resilient Reading and council by 2030. 
• Further improve the physical environment of Reading by improving air quality, access to green space, and the quality of public spaces. 
• Deliver major changes to our waste and recycling service to ensure compliance with new legislation. 

Priority 4: Safeguard and support the health and wellbeing of Reading’s adults and children 

• Reduce the number of children in care and the number of children in residential care. 
• Improve our local Special Education Needs and Disabilities (SEND) offer and support education settings to develop inclusive practice, so children receive high quality education locally, and achieve their potential. 
• Support those who need social care services to live as independently as possible in a place they call home with improved wellbeing. 
• Improve our offer for unpaid Carers, ensuring they are supported to live well and can sustain their caring role. 
• Work with our partners in health and the voluntary sector to provide support solutions for those with complex health and social care needs to improve outcomes. 

Priority 5: Ensure Reading Borough Council is fit for the future 

• Deliver good, accessible services for our customers. 
• Invest in technology that is secure and helps deliver effective services. 
• Use procurement of goods and services to secure greater social value and spend locally. 
• Bring Brighter Futures for Children (Children’s Services) back to the council. 
• Be a fair employer with an attractive and competitive offer and a workforce that is representative of the local community.