Derby city and Derbyshire county councils have shortlisted waste firms Shanks, Waste Recycling Group and services company United Utilities for the 25-year deal.
” We are keeping an open mind about our preferred waste treatment options “
– Cllr John Williams, Derbyshire CC
The bidders will now have until April 2007 to give detailed outlines of their proposals for the” most cost effective and environmentally friendly” alternative to landfill, to treat Derbyshire's 500,000 tonnes of residual waste a year.
Proposals will be required to include two waste treatment plants, each capable of processing up to 200,000 tonnes of waste a year. One plant will be located in the north of the county and the other in the south. However, Derbyshire's waste strategy lays down no specific recommendations concerning a preferred treatment method.
Derbyshire county council leader John Williams said: “These are long term plans for dealing with the rubbish we all produce as part of our daily lives. We all want what's best for Derbyshire and its residents and we are keeping an open mind about our preferred waste treatment options.”
PFI
The waste disposal contract is currently held by Derbyshire Waste Ltd, owned jointly by the county council and WRG. Its replacement is being procured outside the PFI process, because Derbyshire believes that “funding through alternative means would offer the best value in this case”.
Further details of all the final bids and the worth of the contract will be revealed in April but at present, Derbyshire is running its second consultation over where the new waste facilities would be sited.
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Councillor Chris Williamson, leader of Derby city council, said: “We are continuing to consult with residents to find the most suitable sites for facilities and we’d like to thank everyone who has responded so far.”
He added: “The contract is not expected to start until 2010 but we want to let people know what's happening and will continue to do so every step of the way.”
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