Work gets underway on Cumbria PPP deal facilities

Representatives from the county council and the Milton Keynes-based firm attended a ‘spade-in-ground' ceremony at the Hespin Wood site near Carlisle to mark the beginning of work on a 75,000 tonnes-a-year capacity mechanical biological treatment (MBT) facility.

The development, which received planning permission in April 2009, is one of two planned MBT facilities being developed in Cumbria by Shanks under a 25-year public private partnership (PPP) contract signed by the two parties in June this year (see letsrecycle.com story).

Commenting on the construction work, councillor Jim Buchanan, leader of Cumbria county council, said: “Our contract with Shanks really will revolutionise the way we deal with waste in Cumbria and ensure we have a greener, more cost-effective system of managing rubbish for years to come.

“I'm delighted building work is now getting underway at Hespin Wood as this really marks a big step forward in our adoption of MBT technology,” he added.

Shanks, which plans to have the Hespin Wood MBT operational by 2012, is set to handle 220,000 tonnes of Cumbria's waste each year as the county seeks to divert 67% of its household waste from landfill by 2015.

The second MBT, at Barrow, is set to become operational in 2013 and Shanks has said solid recovered fuel (SRF) produced by the facilities could be used by local businesses as well as being burnt through the company's existing contracts with cement kiln operators.

Stewart Young, deputy leader of Cumbria county council, added: “We are no longer able to simply send large amounts of waste to landfill. The two MBT plants, at Hespin Wood and Barrow, are the key component of the landmark deal we've signed and the fact building work has now started is excellent news.”

Shanks

Commenting on the significance of today's ground-breaking, Tom Drury, group chief executive for

 Shanks Group, said: ‘We are delighted to have commenced construction of this facility which will play a major part in enabling Cumbria to divert 67% of its household waste from landfill by 2015, meeting Government targets.

“We look forward to working with Cumbria county council and providing the residents of Cumbria with a truly sustainable and top class waste management service,” he added.

Related Links
Cumbria county council – http://www.cumbria.gov.uk/planning-environment/waste-management/Default.asp