URL: https://democracy.thanet.gov.uk/ieDecisionDetails.aspx?ID=5567

Decision Maker: Cabinet

Outcome:

Is Key Decision?: Yes

Is Callable In?: Yes

Purpose: The Council operates an active fleet of 113 vehicles, the majority of which deliver statutory household waste, recycling, and street cleansing services. The existing vehicle maintenance workshop at Manston Road Depot is old, undersized, and no longer meets modern regulatory standards for maintaining Heavy Goods Vehicles (HGVs). It is not economically viable to rebuild or refurbish the workshop in its current location.   Following a thorough options appraisal in 2025, the Chief Executive took an urgent decision on 24 November 2025 to secure a property lease for an alternative, purpose-built vehicle workshop site at Spitfire Way in Manston. The Spitfire Way site was previously used to maintain airport fire engines and is ideally suited for the Council’s fleet maintenance needs.   To bring the Spitfire Way facility into active operation by autumn 2026, refurbishment and modernisation works must be carried out. The total estimated project cost is £1.310m. To deliver this project within budget, the report proposed a capital budget virement of £525,000 from the Manston Infrastructure Project to the Cleansing Services Building Works capital budget.

Content: The Council operates an active fleet of 113 vehicles, the majority of which deliver statutory household waste, recycling, and street cleansing services. The existing vehicle maintenance workshop at Manston Road Depot is old, undersized, and no longer meets modern regulatory standards for maintaining Heavy Goods Vehicles (HGVs). It is not economically viable to rebuild or refurbish the workshop in its current location.   Following a thorough options appraisal in 2025, the Chief Executive took an urgent decision on 24 November 2025 to secure a property lease for an alternative, purpose-built vehicle workshop site at Spitfire Way in Manston. The Spitfire Way site was previously used to maintain airport fire engines and is ideally suited for the Council’s fleet maintenance needs.   To bring the Spitfire Way facility into active operation by autumn 2026, refurbishment and modernisation works must be carried out. The total estimated project cost is £1.310m. To deliver this project within budget, the report proposed a capital budget virement of £525,000 from the Manston Infrastructure Project to the Cleansing Services Building Works capital budget. Cabinet agreed the following:   1.  To approve the key decision to award a contract via a competitive open process for the delivery of the Spitfire Way vehicle Workshop Project with a construction value of circa £980k and a total estimated project value of £1.310m;   2.  To approve a virement of £525k from the Manston Infrastructure Project (used to fund the Manston Road Environmental Compliance Project) to the Cleansing Services Building Works project budget which has been allocated for works at the Spitfire Way workshop site. The decision ensures that the Council can continue to maintain its vehicle fleet safely and in accordance with statutory requirements. Under the council’s HGV Operator's Licence ('O' Licence), the Council has a legal duty to keep its fleet in a safe and roadworthy condition. Failing to secure a modern, fit-for-purpose workshop would expose the Council to health and safety, legal, and reputational risks. 1.  Do nothing: This baseline was rejected as it would expose the Council to critical health and safety, legal, and operational risks. It could lead to fleet maintenance failures and the loss of the Council's HGV Operator's Licence, halting waste collection services. 2.  Refurbish the existing Manston Road depot workshop: This was rejected because the building is too small to meet the needs of a modern workshop. The building is at the end of its life, and cannot be expanded or brought up to standard in its current layout. 3.  Outsource vehicle maintenance: Market engagement indicated a lack of private sector capacity nearby to service a fleet of the size operated by the council. Outsourcing would also exceed current revenue budgets and introduce significant administrative inefficiencies. 4.  Build a new workshop at Manston Road Depot: This was rejected as the estimated cost was unaffordable and the two to three year delivery timeframe was too slow to resolve urgent operational needs. The construction would also cause major disruptions at the live depot.

Date of Decision: June 2, 2026