Provision of Abandoned Vehicle Services and the Provision of Vehicles for Fire Training

The Warwickshire Abandoned Vehicle Partnership was established in 2004 to combine the powers that can be used to remove nuisance and abandoned vehicles from communities within Warwickshire. In 2008 the partnership obtained devolved powers from the DVLA to remove unlicensed / untaxed vehicles.

The Partnership comprises of the following public bodies:

• North Warwickshire Borough Council (NWBC),
• Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough Council (NBBC),
• Rugby Borough Council (RBC),
• Warwick District Council (WDC),
• Stratford District Council (SDC),
• Warwickshire Police,
• Warwickshire Fire and Rescue Service and
• Warwickshire County Council - Waste Management Group.

The abandoned vehicle aspect of the Contract covers the recovery, storage, and disposal of abandoned vehicles across the whole of Warwickshire. Currently the partnership has a cost neutral contract in place, where all income associated with reclamation of vehicular materials and / or sale of vehicles at auction is retained and used to cover the cost of the collection, storage, and administration. The number of vehicles recovered in 2025-26 was 151.

The waste element is a statutory service, with five district and borough councils acting as key stakeholders. There are significant implications for local safety, amenity and the environment if the service does not operate effectively.

Where an abandoned vehicle service is poor, vehicles can be left on the highway for extended periods. This creates safety risks, including increased potential for arson or anti-social behaviour, and undermines public confidence. It also places a disproportionate burden on limited waste officer resources, with time diverted to chasing the contractor, resolving disputes, and managing complaints rather than delivering other pressing statutory waste objectives.

The Council requires a contract that delivers a reliable, responsive service with clear lines of responsibility, ensuring that vehicles are removed promptly and efficiently. This will enable officer time to be used effectively and proportionately. We would expect this element of the service to be broadly cost neutral, with the exception of caravans.

There is also a requirement for the provision of diesel and petrol vehicles to support training and operational preparedness by Warwickshire Fire and Rescue Service. Fire and Rescue Services have a statutory duty to plan, prepare for, and respond to emergencies, and access to suitable vehicles is essential to maintaining this capability. The number of vehicles required per annum typically ranges between 60 and 180. These vehicles are used in realistic training scenarios and are routinely cut up and/or dismantled as part of rescue exercises.

This service must therefore include full depollution, delivery to, and collection from Warwickshire Fire and Rescue Service locations, as well as recognition that vehicles supplied for this purpose will be destroyed while fulfilling a critical public safety function.

As part of this Market Testing, we are seeking to address the structure of the subsequent procurement exercise i.e., should this remain as one Contract, or should this be split into Lots, or, separate procurement exercises altogether.