More money needed for Council's new waste collection service

Richard Whitehouse/LDR.

Cornwall Council's Cabinet will be asked to increase spending on facilities needed for its new waste collection service due to a rise in costs.

The council had previously agreed to spend £62million on capital expenditure for the new waste contract.

This money was being spent on buying new waste trucks, introducing facilities for a new food waste collection service, wheelie bins for waste and increasing capacity for recycling. Under the new waste contract black bag waste and recyclables will be collected fortnightly with food waste collected weekly.

There have been several delays to rolling out the new collection services which are now due to be rolled out next year. However, an extraordinary meeting of the Cabinet will be held next week to seek approval of an increase in the capital expenditure.

The extra money is required to cover increased costs of works which need to be carried out at Household Waste Recycling Centres (HWRCs) which will be processing food waste and need to increase capacity for recycling.

A report going to the Cabinet explains that rises in construction costs mean that the cost of the project has increased and so councillors need to approve spending more on the project. No details of how much the increase is or how much the council could have to pay – a confidential report has been provided for councillors.

The report explains: "The construction market, particularly in Cornwall, is facing unprecedented challenges at present. Rapidly increasing costs of materials and labour, combined with the comparative distance to Cornwall and lack of local market knowledge alongside other inflationary pressures means that the current approved programme is unable to contain the additional costs of implementing the new waste collection arrangements."

Council officers say that the additional money will have to be borrowed so that the required works can be carried out at tips in Bodmin, Connon Bridge, Launceston and St Erth.

The report warns: "Without this capital uplift the timeline for the new waste collection services will be delayed. A new strategy would be required to make changes to the waste collection and waste disposal services. The recycling rate would remain low."

The Cabinet will meet on Monday (June 27th) in Truro to discuss the report and decide whether to increase the expenditure.