The contract began on 1 February 2021 and contains an option for a five-year extension to 31 January 2031. A contract award notice published today (10 February) says it has a total value of £26,861,762.
The deal consolidates several waste materials and services into a single contract, covering waste streams emanating from kerbside collections and the council’s nine recycling centres.
Buckinghamshire council says it received two tenders for the contract, from an unnamed bidder (‘Bidder A’) and FCC Environment, trading as FCC Recycling (UK) Ltd (‘Bidder B’). Bidder A’s proposal was rejected because it did not represent “overall value for money”.
A decision document published by Buckinghamshire council and dated 11 November reads: “Bidder B has been selected as the preferred bidder as their solution provides value for money solutions in accordance with the published evaluation, criteria, weightings and methodology.”
In the decision document, the council said a longer-term approach could have been considered, which may have included developing further treatment infrastructure such as open air windrow composting sites. However, it said this was not considered “appropriate” due to “future waste policy and legislative changes”.
Contract
The contract covers the bulking, transfer disposal and treatment of food, green and wood waste, to take place at the council’s facilities for treatment, recycling, recovery and the disposal of contaminated materials.
It also includes the operation and management of the High Heavens waste complex in High Wycombe, which is already run by FCC Environment. The new deal will see FCC Environment receive and shred bulky waste at the complex and transfer it either to the High Heavens residual waste transfer station or directly to the council’s energy from waste Facility at Greatmoor.
Buckinghamshire
Representing an estimated population of more than 540,000, Buckinghamshire council had a recycling rate of 56.1% in 2018/19.
From 1 April 2020, a single, new Buckinghamshire council replaced Buckinghamshire county council and four district councils (Aylesbury Vale, South Buckinghamshire, Wycombe and Chiltern). In January 2020, letsrecycle.com exclusively revealed there would be a move to harmonise waste services in the area following the move (see letsrecycle.com story).
The timing of the change means the procurement process for the new contract was started by Buckinghamshire county council and completed by Buckinghamshire council, for whom the new contract will be provided.
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