Havant Borough Council has approved plans to bring environmental services including bin collections, street cleaning and grass cutting back in-house, ending its partnership with contractor Norse South East from 2028.
The decision was taken at a cabinet meeting on 4th June, marking a significant shift in how waste collection, street cleaning and grounds maintenance will be delivered across Havant, Waterlooville, Emsworth, Bedhampton and Hayling Island.
Norse South East, a joint venture between Havant Borough Council and Norse Commercial Services Ltd (part of Norse Group), currently handles these services throughout the borough.
The changeover will commence on 30th March 2026 when the existing service agreement with NorseSE expires, with full in-house operation achieved by 1st April 2028.
Cabinet members approved recommendations to extend the current service level agreement with NorseSE for two years, ensuring continuous service delivery whilst facilitating a seamless transition to council-run operations.
The current NorseSE costs stand at £7.923m for 2025/26, followed by £7.362m for 2026/27 and £7.579m for 2027/28.
Cabinet commercial lead Councillor Netty Shepherd (Green, Hayling East) described it as “the most important decision we are going to make this year,” noting that NorseSE represents “the front face of Havant Borough Council to most residents.”
Whilst acknowledging that NorseSE “largely performs well on collecting waste,” Cllr Shepherd criticised the streetscene management, stating that “town centres are poorly managed with litter, dirt and signs of neglect that has been going on for a number of years.”
She explained that amongst seven available options, the impending local government reorganisation – which will see Havant Borough Council dissolved – influenced the decision-making process.
“If we are not going to exist in three years’ time, setting up a new company would not be the smart thing to do,” she explained.
The contract, operational since 2016, currently achieves only 30 per cent waste recycling. A new service manager will oversee improvements during the transition to in-house delivery.
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Cabinet members expressed concerns about maintaining NorseSE’s performance standards during the two-year transition period.
Cllr Shepherd acknowledged the challenge of motivating “a company that knows it won’t be working with you in two years’ time,” but emphasised that staff would transfer to council employment, providing incentive for continued good performance.
When questioned about the partnership’s difficulties, Cllr Shepherd described the situation as “unfathomable.”
Councillor Philippa Gray (Lib Dem, Bedhampton) described the service as having “two halves,” with some aspects representing “a shiny beacon of how to show off the best of NorseSE.”
Councillor Amy Redsull (Lab, Leigh Park Hermitage) expressed cautious optimism, noting visible differences in service quality: “In Leigh Park you can tell what part of the road has been done by Portsmouth City Council and what has been done by NorseSE. It is actually quite upsetting and disheartening but I am cautiously optimistic.”
Cllr Shepherd concluded: “Havant, like all local authorities nationwide, is facing enormous financial challenges, and with the initial 10-year joint venture agreement drawing to an end, now is the right time for the service to begin the transition back to the council.
“An in-house service model will provide the council with direct control over the delivery of services that will enable us to flex the service and be responsive to our residents’ needs. It will also enable better alignment of the services with the council’s corporate priorities, including the Biodiversity and Climate Change strategies.
“NorseSE is the largest contract this council has, and the implications of this change are not insignificant. Extending the current service with them for a defined period will allow us to ensure the transition to an in-house service model is performed as effectively and efficiently as possible.”
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