Cabinet members at both councils agreed the move at meetings on 23 September 2026, following a review launched after a procurement process to find a partner to repair and operate the facility ended without a contract being awarded.
The councils said officers had recommended decommissioning the Derby and Derbyshire Waste Treatment Centre (DDWTC) and seeking alternative longer-term arrangements for managing the city and county’s household waste.
Around £147 million has been spent jointly on the project to date.
Derby City Council leader Councillor Nadine Peatfield said the councils had been unable to secure commercial terms which provided sufficient protection from the financial and technical risks involved.
Peatfield commented: “While the technology could potentially have been made to work, we could not secure commercial terms that gave the councils sufficient protection from the significant financial and technical risks involved.
“Having carefully considered all the options available, both councils have agreed that withdrawing from the project is the right course of action.”
Derbyshire County Council leader Councillor Alan Graves added: “The harsh reality is that this project has already cost a lot of public money which cannot be recovered.
“But evidence from the latest review demonstrates that further commitment to the project can no longer be warranted on commercial, financial or risk grounds.
“This is a complex project which dates back more than 20 years and has suffered a number of setbacks which were out of the control of the two councils.
“Now, we must move forward with a clear direction, to minimise future risks and costs while continuing to secure reliable arrangements for treating Derby and Derbyshire’s waste.”
Procurement collapse
The latest review follows the collapse of a procurement exercise intended to identify a partner to repair and operate the Sinfin facility.
The process formally ended in April 2026 without a contract being awarded. Biffa and Thalia had previously been shortlisted and invited to take part in competitive dialogue, but neither ultimately submitted a final tender.
The councils said the procurement process had indicated that the technology at the facility was viable and that the site could be repaired, but agreement could not be reached on commercial terms.
At the time, the councils said they would not extend the procurement process or continue negotiations and would instead carry out a rapid review of the project’s future.
The facility had previously been expected to be commissioned in June 2028, following the procurement process which was launched with the intention of appointing an operator and contractor.
Venture began in 2009
The two councils jointly own the Sinfin waste treatment centre and reaffirmed a commitment first made in February 2023 to work together to bring the facility into operation.
Under the procurement timetable, bidders were shortlisted in February 2025, with a contract expected to be awarded by December 2025.
The facility had been due to be commissioned in June 2028.
The Sinfin plant has faced a long history since Resource Recovery Solutions (RRS) – a joint venture between Interserve and Renewi – signed a 27-year contract worth around £900 million with the councils in 2009.
The agreement included operating the 190,000 tonne-per-year waste treatment facility in Derby.
However, the councils terminated the contract early in August 2019 following a series of operational problems at the plant, including excessive odours and technical faults.
At the time, both authorities said it would be “more cost-effective for Derby and Derbyshire council taxpayers” to pursue alternative arrangements for managing household waste over the following decades.
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