Council waste contract ‘likely’ to be renewed
LANDFILL RATES LESS THAN 1% WITH CURRENT OPERATOR
A COUNCIL’S senior members are likely to approve an extension to their borough’s existing waste and recycling contract.
Calderdale Council’s Cabinet will consider a range of options when they meet at Halifax Town Hall next Monday.
These include extending the contract with operator Suez by two years, seeking a new contractor through tendering, forming a local authority trading company with another council to lower procurement costs, or taking services “in house”.
Recent years have seen issues relating to recycling, including missed collections and the council having to allocate £150,000 in its 2022-23 budget to help retain drivers, many having being lost by the contractor to better-paying HGV jobs.
However, the service is performing well, with recycling rates improving under Suez, helped by the public’s efforts, and over the past six years the amount of Calderdale waste ending up in landfill has dropped from 6% to less than 1%.
On balance, say council officers in the briefing papers, the recommendation is to retain Suez. The current contract is due to end on July 31, 2024.
At the moment choosing another operator is tinged with uncertainty – informal meetings with a number of prospective bidders have seen them highlight a “volatile and uncertain” landscape, and with bidders accepting less risk regarding recycling revenue.
The council has been approached by a local authority trading company about the possibility of Calderdale joining to deliver waste and recycling services together, while taking services in-house has also been looked at but would be “high risk” and possibly costly.
Renewing the contract for a limited period would allow more time to explore alternatives while guaranteeing services after 2024, conclude officers – but Cabinet members would need to make the choice.
The contract covers weekly recycling and fortnightly waste collections from all Calderdale homes, plus collections of garden waste, bulky household waste and clinical waste, and delivery of bins and recycling containers.
The council’s Cabinet member for Public Services and Communities, Coun Jenny Lynn (Lab, Park) said the consistently high recycling rate has been the best in West Yorkshire for more than 10 years and in the top 50 of all councils in the country for the past two years.
“As we look ahead to the future of the waste and recycling collection service, the preferred option will be the one that builds on these strengths, provides good value for money and guarantees a regular and reliable service,” she said.