After a year of negotiations over the 650m waste contract, the councils today said they were now one step closer towards awarding the massive contract for management of household waste. East Sussex County Council said Onyx Aurora offered “the best potential outcome for residents in East Sussex, Brighton and Hove”.
East Sussex cabinet member for the environment, councillor Tony Reid said: “I am pleased that we have got to the position of working more closely with one company to finalise the contract. The tender from Onyx Aurora is seen to offer the best potential solution, subject to final negotiations, in terms of environmental impact, cost and sharing of risks.”
Recycling targets
Each bidder had to meet certain criteria within their tender proposals; these included: meeting “rigorous recycling targets.” The councils said that the long-term contract would help it meet with the demands to achieve high recycling rates.
Each bidder also had to work with waste collection authorities to collect separated recyclable materials; provide a materials recovery facility to sort these materials; provide composting facilities; increase recycling levels further at household waste recycling sites; provide a network of waste transfer stations to reduce the number of lorry movements across the area and provide for energy recovery incineration.
Locations of facilities identified in the preferred tender that are identified within the councils’ Draft Waste Local Plan as: energy from waste in north Quay in Newhaven and a MRF with a waste transfer site in Hollingdean in Brighton.
The tender also includes some sites not identified in the waste plan, including enclosed composting in Golden Cross in Hailsham; a waste transfer station and household waste recycling site in Maresfield Camp and a waste transfer station, which could possible include a new household waste recycling site in Pebsham.
Best balance
Councillor Reid concluded that the contract reflected “the best balance of solutions to the whole problem.” He admitted that, “waste sites are not popular with all residents but are obviously essential. The Waste Local Plan does include criteria for managing planning decisions for sites not specified in the plan. If these sites remain in the contract at the conclusion of negotiations there will be the usual consultation and planning permission process. My cabinet colleagues and I will be looking critically and closely at the sites not identified in the waste local plan.”
If negotiations go well and offer the best value for the public, according to the two councils, it is expected that the contract will be awarded in the New Year.
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