Havering delays Urbaser contract by three months

The pushback comes after after construction and other delays and is expected to incur an expense of £1.927 million. Rather than Urbaser starting work this summer, Havering is extending its existing contract with waste firm Serco until 21 October 2023.

The eight-year £90m Urbaser award was announced earlier this year. The council estimate that work needed ahead of the contract will mostly be complete by 11 September, but small-scale work will take longer. The east London council said however that these small-scale works “will not prevent Urbaser from delivering services from the revised commencement date of 22 October.”

Optimistic

Despite the delay, Councillor Ray Morgon, the leader of Havering council, remains optimistic about the partnership with Urbaser Ltd. Cllr Morgon said “We know that our waste and recycling service along with street cleaning are among the services most valued by our residents. It’s important that with this new contract, we provide continuity of the high level of service that residents have come to expect.”

Options

The council had considered several options prior to delaying the contract.

The first option, doing nothing, was ruled out. Option 2 proposed delivering the services from an alternative depot belonging to the London Borough of Newham. However, it was discovered that Newham already had a contract in place with another tenant.

The last option considered by the council was setting up a temporary alternative depot. But further investigation revealed that no sites could be used within the timescale presented by the council and it was unlikely a permit could be granted within the timeframe.

Contract

Under the new contract (see letsrecycle.com story) Urbaser is to take on the borough’s waste and recycling and weed control services from Serco. It will also be responsible for the current in-house street cleansing service, green garden waste collection service, fly-tipping clearance, graffiti cleaning and the collection of clinical and bulky waste.

A range of environmental improvements are also included in the contract including a new fleet of waste, recycling and street cleansing vehicles which will see 20% of vehicles and equipment being electric-powered.

And under the new contract residents will see glass bottles and jars being added to their orange sack recycling collections for the first time in the area. Plastic collections are also being expanded by the company to include pots, tubs, and trays.

When asked about the addition of glass, Cllr Morgon, said “We’re pleased to be offering the collection of glass and more items that residents can recycle. We want to work together with Urbaser Ltd to help encourage our residents to recycle more and be able to reduce waste, which in turn, will help the environment.”

‘Prosperous’

Javier Peiro, managing director of Urbaser UK, expressed enthusiasm about the contract saying: “We are thrilled to have been awarded this contract and look forward to building a long and prosperous relationship with Havering Council by providing an innovative and sustainable service that delivers significant social value and environmental benefits.

“Urbaser is excited to build upon our experience operating in London and the south-east of England to enhance the existing services provided across the London borough whilst meeting all Havering residents’ expectations.”