New waste contractor after government stops deal

The local authority pulled out of the shared northern amenity site

A government department has ended a contract between a local authority and a waste management company after its owners chose not to make required environmental and safety changes.

Bride Commissioners appointed Northern Scrap Metals and Ramsey Skips, known locally as Birchall's, to take all items except food, but it was not not licensed to operate as a civic amenity site.

The Department for Environment, Food and Agriculture (DEFA) said the firm had chosen not to carry out changes to allow it to continue.

Northern Scrap Metals and Ramsey Skips declined to comment.

'Prevented'

The Bride local authority previously pulled out of the shared northern amenity site citing the cost to ratepayers.

Bride Commissioners said 12 people had taken rubbish to the Andreas Airfield site, which was already used for non-domestic rubbish, since the company's appointment.

A DEFA spokesman said the company had been "advised of the action needed to meet the required standards of environmental protection and health and safety".

This would have included the separate collection of certain wastes and safe traffic management on site, he said.

"The operator has advised DEFA they do not propose to upgrade their site, which means they have prevented their own ability to accept waste from the public."

Since the government ended the deal, the authority has appointed a subcontractor to collect waste for delivery to Birchall's and also engages a separate local firm to carry out collections of recyclable material.

The local authority previously said it could no longer afford to pay the £65,000 contribution to the civic amenity site each year.

As a result of Bride Commissioners’ decision to withdraw its funding, the board that runs the tip gave the Department of Infrastructure notice to terminate its contract to operate it at the end of the financial year.

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