Issue - meetings

Mr D Wimble - Cabinet Member for (the Kent) Environment presented the item.

Helen Shulver- Head of Environment-was also in attendance.

1.Approval was sought to procure and award a new contract to process 25,000 tonnes of wood and waste annually. The current contract would end in November 2026, and a new one would be required to continue this statutory service. The proposed contract included a 2028 break clause to accommodate potential local government changes.

a)    The proposed five year contract, with a two year extension option, would be awarded countywide on lowest price subject to quality standards. Key features included haulage costs in whole life evaluation, a landfill disposal ban under the waste hierarchy, and social value commitments.

b)    KPIs would track service quality, contamination, and recycling performance, with innovation clauses for possible future reorganisation. The contract’s annual cost would be just over £1 million and was based on a stable historic tonnage of 25,000 tonnes.

c)    Risks such as market volatility and contamination would be managed through flexible contract terms and public education programmes.

RESOLVED to endorse the proposed decision, namely:

(i)    APPROVE the procurement and contract award of a wood processing contract for an initial 5 years (plus an extension of up to 2 years),

(ii)   DELEGATE authority to the Director of Environment and Circular Economy to take relevant actions to facilitate the required procurement activity,

(iii)DELEGATE authority to the Corporate Director of Growth, Economy and Transport, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for (the Kent) Environment, to take relevant actions including but not limited to awarding, finalising the terms of and entering into the relevant contracts or other legal agreements, as necessary, to implement the decision; and

(iv)DELEGATE authority to the Corporate Director of Growth, Economy and Transport in consultation with the Cabinet Member for (the Kent) Environment, to award extensions of the contract in accordance with the relevant clauses within the contract.