Issue - meetings

David Beaver (Head of Waste Management) and Hannah Allard (Waste Business Development) were in attendance for this item.

1.    Miss Carey (Cabinet Member for Environment) introduced the report that set out the details of the commissioning plan for the recommissioning of contracts for the Management and Operation of Household Waste Recycling Centres (HWRCs) and Waste Transfer Stations (WTSs) in Kent, including haulage services.

2.    Mr Beaver informed the Committee that Waste Management operated 18 HWRCs across Kent and within those were 6 Transfer Stations. The contracts for those sites were due to expire in October 2020. The market engagement exercise revealed that the current suppliers had limited appetite to take title and commercial risk for the final disposal of recyclable materials. Therefore the recommissioning of the services would enable Kent County Council to update and standardise the contract terms and Conditions and service specification for all HWRC and WTS across Kent and to award sustainable contracts to suppliers that were incentivised the delivery of a high quality service such as improved customer care, higher recycling levels, reduced contamination and the development of re-use initiatives. Mr Beaver concluded that the commissioning approach would help to maximise recycling in Kent and reduce the cost of waste disposal services.

3.    Officers responded to comments and questions as follows:

(a)  With regard to whether a proposal had been submitted for a HWRC in Cranbrook, it was confirmed that no progress had been made.

4.    It was RESOLVED that the proposed decision (19/0009) to be taken by the Cabinet Member for Environment, to award new service contracts for the Management and Operation of Household Waste Recycling Centres (HWRCs) and Waste Transfer Stations (WTSs) in Kent, including haulage services, be endorsed.