Issue - meetings

Report of the Cabinet Member for Commercial Matters.

Cabinet Member for Commercial Matters presented his proposals for re-procurement of the Household Waste Recycling Centre Contract.  He asked the Select Committee to consider the desired contract outcomes suggested in his report and indicate whether they are the correct ones and/or if there are any omissions. The current interim contract for the management of the Household Waste Recycling Centres would end on the 29 March 2022.

It was intended to commence a procurement exercise in early 2021 to secure a provider from 30 March 2022. The County Council has a statutory duty to arrange for the disposal of household waste and some 500,000 tonnes of household waste is generated per annum by the c330,000 households and around 66,000 tonnes of this waste is collected via the network of Household Waste Recycling Centre (HWRC) network. The aim of the scheme was to capture household waste that could be recycled rather than recovered by sending to one of the Waste to Energy plants at Four Ashes and Hanford.

The Cabinet Member said that his focus was on customer care, quality of service and value for money. Waste Disposal Authorities in England traditionally use the 2 main procurement models of in-house or fully out-sourced and his report described advantages and disadvantages of the various options including hybrid arrangements.

The Cabinet Member for Environment, Infrastructure and Climate Change supported the comprehensive list of options and analysis and explained that responsibility for contract delivery was in the portfolio of the Cabinet Member for Commercial Matters, responsibility for service delivery was her responsibility. She wanted a contract to be flexible and acknowledged that Waste Management would be increasingly important in the future with a focus on managing and reducing.

Members appreciated the opportunity to comment on the proposed options and warned against the decision based on cost alone. The Cabinet Member assured members that he would take into account the excellent work being done at the various centres currently and was focussed as much as on quality as value for money.

Members were mindful of sites which worked well and others which were heavily over-used and not fit for purpose. They supported a flexible arrangement which looked to utilise and manage waste better and which would be effective and competitive whilst offering excellent customer service and quality.

RESOLVED That the Select Committee supports the approach of the Cabinet Member looking to re-procure the Household Waste Recycling Centre Contract and request that he return with proposals in the New Year.