New company formed to collect bins and clean streets

Great Yarmouth Borough Council has announced it is ending a 20-year agreement with Norse Commercial Services.

That arrangement had seen the creation of a joint venture company called Great Yarmouth Borough Services (GYBS).

It provides many services including refuse collection and recycling, street cleaning, public toilet cleaning and maintenance, buildings cleaning, grounds and vehicle maintenance, footway lighting maintenance, building and civic engineering work, burial services, and pest control.

The contract is due to end in March 2023 and Great Yarmouth Borough Council says it has decided not to renew the arrangements for a further term.

Instead the council intends to create a new company, wholly-owned by the local authority, to deliver services in future.

Council leader Carl Smith said: “The joint venture with Norse has served us very well for nearly 20 years and we are pleased to have been able to work with Norse and the fantastic staff at GYBS to keep improving services over that period.

“However, many things have changed over that time and we think that with the contract coming to a natural end, 2023 is the right time to look again and make sure that services are as responsive to the needs of our residents as possible.

“We will be working with Norse on a smooth transfer in the months to come.”

Norse Commercial Services interim chief operating officer Nick Maddox, said: “The staff at Great Yarmouth Borough Services can be very proud of the services they have delivered to residents for nearly 20 years, as part of the Norse Group.

“We look forward to continuing to work with the council on other services in the future, and we will fully support a seamless transition of current services and staff to the council’s wholly-owned company.”

The 2003 arrangement had been renewed in 2013 by the council and Norse.

For information on services at the moment visit the borough council's website at www.great-yarmouth.gov.uk