Council reviews £36m deal at waste centre

The council signed a deal for the facility at Waterbeach in 2008

A council tied into a multi-million pound waste contract at a site that does not meet environmental standards has been reviewing all options.

Cambridgeshire County Council still has 11 years to go on a £36m-per-year contract linked to Thalia Waste Management's site near Waterbeach.

The centre has a facility built to process non-recyclable waste, but this is no longer in use as it does not meet environmental permit conditions brought in since the authority signed the deal in 2008.

Thalia, which owns and operates the Waterbeach facility, said it was "working closely" with the council "and supporting them while they review their strategy".

Under a private finance initiative (PFI) scheme, a private company finances the initial construction of a new public building.

The council said when it awarded the 28-year PFI contract in 2008, the mechanical biological treatment (MBT) facility at the site - which was built to process "black-bag" general waste - met the legislative requirements.

But new conditions were imposed by the Environment Agency in August 2022.

As meeting these conditions would require "significant investment from the council", waste operations at the MBT were stopped.

No general waste is being processed at Waterbeach

Black bag residual waste collected at household recycling centres and by the city and district councils has continued to be delivered to the Waterbeach MBT, the council said.

A spokesperson for the authority said: "The cost of adapting the facilities must be met by the council, which is costly and not guaranteed to meet the new conditions.

"Further changes in legislation are proposed before the contract ends that could make these technologies even less viable.

"A programme of work is under way to review all elements of the contract and to develop a clear strategy to manage the county's waste in the long-term.

"We are considering all options, to find a sustainable and flexible solution which can be adapted to any future changes in legislation."

A special meeting of the council's Strategy, Resources and Performance Committee is due to be held early in the new year to discuss the facility.

It is expected to be held in closed session because of the confidentiality around the project.