Environment minister Elliot Morley yesterday confirmed that the West Yorkshire council will receive government support through the Private Finance Initiative (PFI).
”Wakefield has produced a scheme which serves the needs of the local community by planning for the long term.“
– Elliot Morley
The funding will support a new 25-year waste management contract that could be worth in the region of 850 million and is to aim for a recycling target of 51% of household waste by 2010.
Announcing the funding, Mr Morley said: “Wakefield has produced a scheme which not only helps residents and local businesses move to more sustainable waste practices, such as composting or recycling, but serves the needs of the local community by planning for the long term.”
Wakefield's householders currently produce about 200,000 tonnes of waste each year, recycling about 18% in 2002/03. About 35,500 homes have a garden waste collection service, with a further 36,000 properties set to be brought on the scheme soon.
Turn the tide
Commenting on the PFI award, Wakefield's council leader Peter Box said the funding would allow the council to cut the amount of waste going to landfill even further.
”The PFI project will give us the resources and capability to turn the tide and make recycling Wakefield's number one waste disposal method. “
– Cllr Peter Box, Wakefield MDC
Cllr Box said: “We are absolutely determined to slash the amount of waste that goes to landfill, and the PFI project will give us the resources and capability to turn the tide and make recycling Wakefield's number one waste disposal method.”
The council's strategy for the new contract is to provide further processing capacity for kerbside-collected recyclables and organic waste, new waste treatment facilities to reduce the amount of biodegradable waste going to landfill and new household waste recycling centres throughout the district. A new multi-material kerbside collection service is also in the pipeline.
The first stage of the tendering process for the PFI contract is to begin in the New Year, the council said.
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