The councils have been invited to submit outline business cases to secure PFI credits for their projects under Defra's Waste Infrastructure Delivery Programme (WIDP).
The scheme intends to help speed up the development of infrastructure for treating residual waste and the nine councils which have just been invite to draw-up detailed plans to be considered by Defra, are;
-
Bradford Metropolitan District Council
-
Suffolk County Council
-
South Tyne and Wear, which includes Gateshead Council, South Tyneside Council and Sunderland City Council
-
South London Partnership, which is made up of the London Boroughs of Croydon, Kingston, Merton and Sutton
They must submit details of their plans including a reference project focusing on specific facilities they are considering using, by October 31.
If approved the schemes will be advertised in the Official Journal of the European Union in spring, 2008.
Bradford
Bradford Council has already drawn up a draft outline business case for its PFI project, which will be tendered in a contract lasting 25-years.
It said in its papers that it has chosen “a hybrid option of mechanical biological treatment, in-vessel composting and thermal treatment as its reference project” for its outline business case.
It added that this option was chosen because it can “achieve landfill diversion targets in full, regardless of the availability and security of markets for output products”, it can be “located on a site owned by the council” and can “contribute significantly to recycling, composting and recovery targets”.
The closing date for councils who want to submit an “expression of interest” for the next PFI award round is September 30. Successful authorities will be required to submit their outline business case by April 2008 with approval expected in the summer.
Register for free to comment