Focsa re-awarded multi million pound Chester contract

The £21 million contract will see the Rochdale-based firm, which is owned by Spanish construction and services company FCC, build on its existing role as the council's waste management contractor by introducing a three bin system and reducing Chester residents' dependence on refuse bags.

The contract, which will come into force in April 2009, was due to be awarded in June of this year, however, the decision was called in to be discussed at an environment scrutiny committee meeting by opposition Labour and Liberal Democrat councillors.

Despite fears being raised that the deal would not meet the city's recycling targets and that the expense involved had been understated, the city council chose to award the contract, claiming that they were introducing what residents said that they had wanted during consultation.

In addition to the introduction of a new bin system, Focsa will now also be charged with a £1 million upgrade of the city's existing materials recycling facility at Bumpers Lane in the west of the city. The site was previously run by Chester city council.

The shadow authority for Cheshire West, which together with Cheshire East will replace Cheshire county council in April, has approved the extension of the contract and hopes it will boost the city's existing recycling rate of 31% to above 40%.

Cllr Neil Ritchie, Cheshire West and Chester shadow council executive member for the environment, said: “Chester residents voted overwhelmingly in favour of retaining weekly collections when the new contract starts next year and I am delighted that Chester city council, with the new authority's full support, has been able to do this.”

“This is a great opportunity to prove that the modern weekly collection system brought in with the fully support of residents can achieve the same recycling rates as the fortnightly collections,” he added.

Bins

Focsa has been the city's waste management contractor since the mid 1990s and will change the designation of wheeled bins currently in use and introduce a three bin system for 51,500 properties in the city.

Residents' existing 140 litre wheeled bin for garden waste will be rebadged general waste, and Focsa will introduce two additional 240 litre bins for recyclable materials.

The first will be used for garden waste, with the second collecting tins, cans, textiles, paper, card and plastics and including a 40 litre caddy for batteries and glass. The bins will be collected fortnightly, alternating with garden waste.

Residents living in terraced or ‘hard-to-reach' properties will continue to use single-use bags which will be issued on a roll with six months' supply, and have garden waste collections using paper bags.

John Harris, Fosca operations director, said: “We're delighted to have been awarded the contract. Our association with Chester goes back to 1995 and our success is due in no small part to the efforts of our manager, Gary Jones and his local team, who will no doubt continue to provide an excellent service to the residents of Chester.”

The contract will also see Focsa introduce 20 new, more efficient fleet vehicles on more effectively managed routes in a bid to meet new carbon emission targets set out by the council.