Council’s ‘astonishing’ failures over waste deal
BIRMINGHAM City Council has been heavily criticised for an ‘astonishing ’ failure to re-procure its 25-year waste disposal contract – with bosses saying they have not had enough time.
Veolia currently manages the city’s five tips in Sutton Coldfield, Perry Barr, Castle Bromwich, Tyseley and Kings Norton as well as the incinerator at Tyseley.
The contract technically expires on January 16 but a two-year interim agreement was previously approved taking it up to 2021.
However, a host of ‘essential works’ are required to some of the facilities which will not be completed by then.
Consequently the council cabinet this week signed off on a proposal for the interim agreement to be extended to five years.
A report tabled before bosses stated there was ‘insufficient time’ to carry out a full re-procurement process for the waste disposal contract.
Opposition were scathing developments.
Conservative group leader Cllr Robert Alden (Erdington) said: “It is a truly astonishing situation that the council can’t consider re-procurement for a full contract because there isn’t enough time.
“You have had 9,125 days. It’s also councillors of the latest truly astonishing this report comes 36 days before the contract is due to expire. “It’s an absolute mess.” Liberal Democrat group leader Cllr Jon Hunt echoed the sentiments, saying many of the councillors were ‘keen’ for the authority to be out of the current contract with Veolia.
Council leader Ian Ward (Lab, Shard End) admitted he could not ‘disagree’ with the criticism and said: “This authority has a long, long history of failing to renew contracts in a timely manner.
“We are where we are with this but going forward this is one of the issues we need to sort out.”
Waste chief Cllr Majid Mahmood (Lab, Bromford and Hodge Hill) also agreed. He said there had been ‘inconsistent officer leadership’ around the contract due to three different people leaving the council and added: “Standard practice is that when you are two-thirds of the way into a contract the procurement process should start.
“This should have started around 2011/12.
“We are now in a good position in terms of negotiating with the current provider.
“We want to procure the best value for the city and this is one of the council’s largest contracts.”