The Arc21 group of councils currently landfills its residual waste under contracts with Biffa Waste Services Ltd and Alpha Resource Management Ltd, with haulage for its collected waste, recycling and organics material provided by R. Heatrick Ltd.
However, new 18-month contracts are now being sought by the councils for the disposal to landfill of a combined total of around 245,000 tonnes of waste each year, with application deadlines for tenders falling later this week (January 15).
A separate 18-month haulage contract for residual waste, recycling and organic material is also being sought, with a spokesman for Arc21 describing the procurements as being for “the continuation of existing services”.
This comes as Arc21 awaits further news of its recent appeal against the NI Department of the Environment’s decision to refuse planning permission for its proposed £240 million waste treatment project at the former Hightown Quarry on the outskirts of Belfast.
The Arc21 spokesman said no timetable had been set for the planning appeal, but that a final decision was unlikely to be made “any time soon”.
Hightown Quarry EfW
The project would see the Becon Consortium construct an EfW plant alongside a mechanical biological treatment (MBT) facility, an ash treatment facility and a refuse-derived bale store at the quarry in Mallusk (see letsrecycle.com story).
The Becon Consortium originally included E.On Energy from Waste and equity firm EQT Fund, but the former was later bought out by EQT Fund in May 2015.
However, the EfW project has encountered strong local opposition and is now on hold after NI Environment Minister Mark H Durkan refused planning permission in September 2015 due to concerns that it “could discourage recycling” and potentially cause harm to human health.
In his 21 September letter of planning refusal, Mr Durkan said: “This development could result in an increased market for waste disposal and to maintain a facility such as this, in addition to the other approved waste facilities, could discourage recycling. In that context I do not consider there to be any need for this proposal.”
Waste procurement
Procurement of the short-term disposal agreement has been split into two lots, with the first encompassing the disposal of 180,000 tonnes of waste per year to landfill, predominantly from Ards and North Down borough council, Belfast city council and Lisburn and Castlereagh city council.
The second lot, meanwhile, is for the landfilling of 65,000 tonnes of waste per year, predominantly incorporating the municipal waste from Antrim and Newtownabbey borough council and Mid and East Antrim borough council.
“The Department of Environment’s opinion to refuse the application regarding the new waste treatment facilities at Hightown Quarry has been referred to the Planning Appeals Commission.”
Spokesman
Arc21
Both deals also include ‘potential for additional landfill capacity to be required during any extension’.
Haulage procurement
A second contract is also being sought by Arc21 for the loading, haulage and transfer of residual waste, commingled dry recyclables and organic waste from waste transfer stations.
All three Arc21 deals will be for an initial period of 18 months with potential to extend by another 18 months, followed by a further potential period of 24 months.
Arc21
Arc21 previously included 11 councils, but now comprises just six after a number of Northern Irish local authorities merged last year into new ‘super’ councils.
These local government amalgamations increased the population of Arc21 by roughly 100,000 people, with Newry & Mourne district council joining the Arc21 region after merging with Down district to form Newry, Mourne and Down district council in April 2015.
Now, the six Arc21 councils are: Antrim and Newtownabbey borough, Ards and North Down Borough, Belfast city, Lisburn & Castlereagh city, Mid and East Antrim borough and Newry, Mourne and Down district.
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