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    25

    Oct 2023

    Last Updated: 24/10/2023
    Environment
    Environment

    Council hires West Yorkshire company to clean Ripon toilets amid staffing issues

    by Calvin Robinson Chief Reporter

    | 25 Oct, 2023
    Comment

    0

    publictoiletsripon
    Public toilets in Ripon.

    North Yorkshire Council has hired a West Yorkshire company to clean toilets in Masham and Ripon amid staffing issues.

    Cleaning at public toilets in both areas of the Harrogate district were previously carried out by the local authority.

    However, council officials said the service had been “failing” due to a lack of staff and the toilets were at risk of closure if a contractor was not brought in.

    As a result, a £32,760 contract has been directly awarded with no competitive tender to Marsden Contract Services.

    According to the government's contract portal, the company is based on Hollins Lane in Keighley although its website says it is based in Skipton.

    Karl Battersby, corporate director for environmental services at the council, said the move was necessary as a recruitment process had found “no suitable applicants” to take on the cleaning roles.

    When asked why the service was not put out to competitive tender, Mr Battersby added:

    “Toilet cleaning has been undertaken in Ripon and Masham by staff from North Yorkshire Council, and previously the former Harrogate Borough Council, but the service had been falling behind due to staffing issues, and our recruitment process had found no suitable applicants to take on the roles.
    “A direct award was made with a trusted contractor as the service needed immediate attention.
    “Failure to act quickly would have resulted in a fall in cleaning standards or closure of sites and neither of these options would have been acceptable.
    “This contract is for one year to help us maintain our services, after which, if needed, we will follow a competitive tender process.”