10.12.19
Three Norfolk councils agree joint £250m waste services contract
Three Norfolk councils have agreed behind closed doors a waste contract worth £250m, having agreed to purse a joint waste services contract back in 2017.
The three councils are Breckland Council, North Norfolk District Council and King’s Lynn and West Norfolk Borough Council.
Councillors voted on their preferred bidder to award the £250m contract to during a meeting on December 6, 2019. The decision will be subject to a formal contract agreement and is expected to be made public after a period of ten days.
At a full council meeting, it was also agreed to spend £5m in capital funding to purchase waste vehicles and equipment.
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The new contract will replace Breckland’s current deal with Serco, who provide all waste-related services in the area, and begin in the district from April 2021.
Councillors decided not to start food waste collection service in the spring but said they would review the decision periodically, but the contract will cover waste collection, recycling collection, grounds management services and street cleaning services.
A report into the expected benefits of the new contract stated “a new modern, up-to-date contract, utilising new technology” and a “competitively priced and enhanced recycling service”.
It also has the potential to generate income for the council the report stated, though the additional benefits of the service remained confidential in an appendix to the report which was kept out of the public domain.