First signed in 2009 and due to expire later this year, the two-year “bridging” contract covers the provision of household waste collections, street cleansing and ancillary services.
The two-year extension was valued at £33 million, or £16.5 million per year. This is more than double the annual cost of the previous contract which was valued at £8 million per year. The tender noted that the contract has been modified to bring the cost of the contract “into alignment with market conditions for fuel and recycling pricing”.
The total value of the contract between 2009 and 2024 is expected to be £122 million the council said. The additional two-years will now take this beyond that £150 million mark.
A “bridging period” of two years from the extension will give the authority time “to conduct a comprehensive re-procurement exercise for the long-term successor to the contract,” the tender noted.
This new contract will also allow the councils to “asses the risks and uncertainty within the waste services sector” and to factor in changes in environmental legislation.
This enduring partnership is a shining example of our work
- Francis Drew, Biffa
‘Reassuring’
Cllr Sue Cooper, South Oxfordshire district council’s cabinet member for environment, said: “Our joint contract extension with Biffa is reassuring news. This partnership has been successful over the last 14 years – and I’m proud of the fact it has enabled us to be one of the top recycling areas in the country. We now have work ahead of us to create our new waste strategy – which will aim to further this good work and enable us to raise the bar on our goal to be a carbon neutral district.”
‘Vision’
Francis Drew, Biffa’s senior business manager for South and Vale, said: “As the UK’s leader in sustainable waste management, this enduring partnership is a shining example of our work with local authorities and other organisations to drive positive change, sharing our expertise so more people and businesses can participate in the circular economy.
“Alongside re-use and surplus redistribution, recycling produces fewer carbon emissions than disposal and using virgin material to make new goods from scratch. This not only helps in the fight against climate change but ensures the preservation of valuable natural resources.
“It’s wonderful to see so many residents in South Oxfordshire and the Vale of White Horse sharing this vision of a sustainable future, and I’m delighted we can continue to build on the progress we’ve made together so far.”
Recycling rates
The councils have said that during the contract with Biffa, recycling rates have risen to 64% overall in South Oxfordshire and 63% in Vale of the White Horse. This puts South Oxfordshire second and Vale of the White Horse fourth in the rankings of top recycling authorities in England for 2021/22.
According to the councils, the decision to extend the current contract was due to the UK governments delay in clearly outlining its upcoming changes within waste industry legislation.
They say these “extra two years will provide the necessary space to develop a brand-new waste strategy to determine an approach for the next 10 years.”
Residents are also satisfied with Biffa, according to the councils, with a recent waste satisfaction survey on household waste collections showing 82% of respondents had expressed satisfaction or high satisfaction with the quality of the service provided.
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