Cheshire to seek PFI partner under 1bn waste plan

The county council and its districts are in the process of procuring four new waste management contracts – altogether worth more than 1 billion.

” Everyone is focused positively on the way forward, we have got our plans right for the long term good of Cheshire. “
– Cllr Andrew Needham, Cheshire CC
At the heart of the procurement exercise is a 25-year waste treatment contract, backed by 40 million from Defra's Private Finance Initiative, which will see adverts seeking private sector interest going out at the end of this month.

Following public consultation carried out last year, the partnership intends to use mechanical biological treatment to deal with waste that cannot be recycled. The council plans to finalise the contract in the first quarter of 2009, with a view to having the first of two MBT plants built by 2012.

Meanwhile, procurement is already underway for two contracts – one for the running of Cheshire's household waste recycling centres, and the other to provide disposal services until the county's first MBT plant is established. This interim disposal contract is expected to see a shortlist announced in November according to John Thistlewood, contract procurement manager at Cheshire.

The fourth contract within the latest round of procurement – covering the provision of green waste and food waste composting services – is expected to go out to tender “soon”.

Support
Commenting on the county's plans, Cheshire county council's executive member for the environment, Cllr Andrew Needham, said: “The project has the support of the district councils and Defra. Everyone is focused positively on the way forward, we have got our plans right for the long term good of Cheshire.”

Current recycling rates are around the 30% mark, but Cheshire has set itself the target of recycling 40% of its household waste by 2010 and 50% by 2020.

Under the government's Landfill Allowance Trading Scheme, the county's annual limits on the amount of biodegradable waste that can go to landfill decreases from 233,204 tonnes in 2005/06 to 167,818 by 2010.

By 2013, just 111,779 tonnes of Cheshire's biodegradable municipal waste can go to landfill – and seven years later the county is limited to 78,215 tonnes.