Six private sector companies submitted tenders for the six-year collection contract with the partnership of three boroughs. The contract, given the slogan “How Green Can You Go”, aimed to phase out black bin bags and introduce wheeled bins and recycling boxes.
”The expense was just too high and would have had a major impact on the council's overall budget and, therefore, on Council Tax levels. “
– Wyre Cllr Russell Forsyth
Fylde borough council's direct works department also submitted a tender for the contract, and was the only bid “in accordance with the contract and specification”. But following a “detailed evaluation”, councillors from all three boroughs decided they could not afford the quoted price.
Wyre's social environment portfolio holder Russell Forsyth said: “It was just too high and it would have had a major impact on the council's overall budget and, therefore, on Council Tax levels.”
The contract has been put back a year while councillors are now considering amending the contract specifications and conditions before re-tendering it “early in 2004”.
Mr Forsyth said: “There has been a lot of hard work put in by all members of the Partnership and, naturally we are all disappointed at the way this has turned out. But we already have an excellent recycling record in Wyre and we can continue to build on that despite this setback.”
While Blackpool and Fylde have recycling rates a little under the national average at 13% and 11% respectively, Wyre is the third best waste collection authority in England, recycling 33% of its municipal waste in 2002/03.
Wyre borough council is now in talks with its existing contractor SITA UK about extending their collection and recycling service for another 12 months.
Register for free to comment