This follows a public challenge from the council at the start of the year to improve services in the area (see letsrecycle.com story).
The cabinet meeting took place on Monday, 10 July, when a private report compiled by Optimum Professional Solutions was put before the council, which recommended bringing the service in-house following “a review of of all the options”.
In a statement on the council’s website, Epping Forest said it plans to take full management control, which will include a council owned operating company, buying, or leasing and maintaining its own vehicles and building a new operations hub at North Weald to support the vehicle fleet and crews.
Councillors will not extend the current contract with Biffa, signed in 2014, beyond the November 2024 break point. Many of the current waste and recycling staff will transfer under the TUPE regulations, the council said. Additional recruitment opportunities are also expected for other people wishing to join the new operation.
Councillor Balcombe said: “Waste and recycling collections are expensive, but we are not racing to the bottom. Value for money is much more important than the cheapest option. The new service will need to hit environmental targets as well as customer expectations. Our residents need and deserve the best possible service.”
There may be bumps in the road ahead
- Councillor Balcombe, Epping Forest
Deal
Biffa won the £50 million contract in 2014 (see letsrecycle.com story), fending off six other bidders to win the contract which saw it replace Sita UK (now Suez). It had the option of a 10 year extension.
However, in recent years Biffa has faced some problems with the contract including what the council reported last summer as an “unprecedented” 32% employee turnover in the 12 months to July 2022 (see letsrecycle.com story).
In August 2022 a meeting between Biffa and Epping Forest also heard that vehicles were getting older and that supply chain problems had made repair and replacement harder.
The council explained that based current market trends and discussions with waste contractors, the council’s current £6.6 million budget could go as high as £10 million a year for a new commercial contract. The report examined other options and found that an in-house service was the best option against a shared service joint venture with another council or a new contract
Agility
Councillor Balcombe said: “Any changes to our current contract always involve lengthy contractor negotiations. Switching to our own wholly owned company will make us much more agile.
“We will be able to try out new methods of collection, keep up with the latest advances in IT and technology, and promote the cleanest environmental services. Hand on heart – I know this is a major transition. There may be bumps in the road ahead, but this really is the best long-term plan for our residents and our district. The future looks good.”
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