Tender talks as Brighton and East Sussex push waste awareness

East Sussex County Council and Brighton & Hove City Council have chosen Viridor Tiru and Onyx Aurora as preferred bidders for a joint waste disposal contract. But both councils said that it is their job and not that of the contractor to increase waste awareness in the area which will enable targets to be met.

Talks are now taking place between the preferred bidders and the council on the detail of their tenders with final offers expected to be submitted early next year. The contract should be awarded in March, although this is dependent on the progress of the negotiations.

The 25-year contract covers the disposal of municipal waste in the area and includes running household waste sites as well as setting up composting facilities. The contract sets a target for recovery of more than two-thirds of household waste – at least half of which must be recycled.

The final details of the contract will be based on the waste local plan which is currently in draft form and is being put before the councils this month. The draft plan includes a proposed energy from waste plant and a materials recycling facility (MRF). A final plan should be published next March.

Private Finance
The government has allocated 49 million in Private Finance Initiative Credits to help offset some of the costs of the contract and the council said that the contractor will be given incentives to meet the recovery and recycling targets which could see any excess profits shared.

One industry source said that Viridor's interest was strong because it had landfill in the region while others said that Onyx was likely to offer a strong recycling proposal which could be similar to that it has developed in Hampshire.

Councillor Peter Jones, leader of East Sussex County Council, said: “The decision will allow the two councils to negotiate in further detail with the two companies concerned. There would be a huge financial impact on both councils if a long term contract is not agreed.”

Councillor Ken Bodfish, leader of Brighton & Hove City Council, said: “The city council is keen to increase recycling targets. We already have a reasonable rate but it is not good enough. We hope contractors will work to higher targets.”