Cumbria gives green light to 700m contract with Shanks

At a meeting in Kendal, the full council agreed to the signing of a public private partnership (PPP) contract with waste management company Shanks Group plc – a move that is likely to see much of the county's waste sent to two 70,000 tonnes capacity mechanical biological treatment (MBT) plants in Barrow and near Carlisle where it will be turned into an environmentally friendly fuel (see letsrecycle.com story).

Councillors unanimously approved delegating the authority to sign the contract to the chief executive, with the contract due to be officially signed early in the New Year and the partnership set to commence on February 2.

Council Leader Cllr Stewart Young told the council chamber: “This is a good deal for the council and a good deal for council tax payers. Negotiations between us and Shanks have been robust. There are some issues that are so big that they transcend party politics and the future of waste disposal is one of those issues.”

Ian Goodfellow, managing director of Shanks UK, added: “We are delighted with the award of this, our fourth, PFI/PPP contract in the UK. It's a clear demonstration of our ability to deliver on our strategic plan and such a deliverable and proven technology is, we believe, the right solution for the people of Cumbria.”

MBT

Under the plans for Cumbria, MBT plants will be built at Hespin Wood in Carlisle and a site in Barrow which is yet to be confirmed, while three transfer stations will be constructed at Flusco near Penrith, Kendal Fell and Distington, which could be up and running by 2012.

The council claimed that the development of the MBT facilitates would help reduce the amount of waste Cumbria sends to landfill by around 80%, and would also reduce the amount of methane the county produces and save it from having to pay millions of pounds in fines.

Estimates indicate that Cumbria could face an additional cost of £1.9m for 2011/2012 and £3.3m for 2012/2013, rising to £5.2m in the following years if landfilling at the current rate continues.

Cllr Tim Knowles, Cumbria County Council's cabinet member responsible for waste management, said: “This 25-year contract with Shanks shows a long-term commitment to providing the people of Cumbria with a modern, green and cost-effective way of dealing with their waste. The decision made by the council today will bring huge benefits for generations to come.”

“It is probably the biggest single thing we as councillors will ever do to reduce our county's carbon footprint. It will make Cumbria one of the greenest counties in Britain and will put us at the forefront of the national waste scene,” he added.