HERTFORDSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL
COUNTY COUNCIL
TUESDAY 13 OCTOBER AT 10.30 A.M.
EXECUTIVE REPORTS TO COUNTY COUNCIL
EXECUTIVE MEMBER FOR ENVIRONMENT PLANNING AND WASTE
1. Waste management
1.1 The County Council has been successful in procuring a range of interim residual waste treatment and disposal contracts that will secure suitable arrangements until the time at which the major waste treatment facility currently being procured is expected to be operational. These contracts entail a variety of treatment technologies including Energy from Waste (EfW), Mechanical Biological Treatment (MBT), Gasification and landfill and compliance with the Landfill Directive and LATS (Landfill Allowances Trading Scheme) until at least the middle of the next decade now seems assured. The financial impact of these contracts is also likely, in the longer term, to be favourable towards the County Council.
1.2 Recycling levels at the County Council's HWRCs have shown a significant increase since the introduction of the new operation contracts in November last year. Results for the first quarter of 2009/10 put the recycling level at around 70% and, as a consequence, the County Council's contribution towards the Hertfordshire Waste Partnership's 50% recycling target by 2012 is significant.
1.3 Development of a new in-vessel composting facility at Ridge, near Potter's Bar, is now making good progress with organic waste processing expected to begin in March next year. Works to expand the existing plant at Cumberlow Green in north Hertfordshire are also well-advanced and expected to be operational in November this year. These two developments will provide the means for all Hertfordshire's ten waste collection authorities to add kitchen waste and cardboard to their green waste collections.
1.4 The Invitation to Submit Outline Solutions for our waste procurement programme made it clear that we are technology neutral and that the county council-owned site at Hatfield is not mandatory. We are seeking a long term solution to deal with approx 270,000 tonnes p.a. of residual municipal waste + 75,000 tonnes p.a. of potentially untreatable municipal waste by 2039/40.
1.5 The bidders had until 2 October 2009 to produce and submit their outline solutions to us. We are now evaluating these submissions.
1.6 With the completion of this evaluation 3-4 bidders will be short-listed and Invited to Submit Detailed Solutions by the middle of April 2010. At this stage the proposed technology, capacity and location(s) will become clearer but is still likely to be subject to commercial confidentiality under the provisions of the Public Contract Regulations 2006. These solutions will be evaluated and subject to further dialogue until a preferred bidder can be appointed by August 2011 in order to produce an operational solution by April 2015
2. Strategic planning
2.1 At its meeting on 23 September the Hertfordshire Infrastructure + Planning Partnership (HIPP) agreed to put together collective responses to both the Community Infrastructure Levy and the East of England Plan. The HIPP’s responses will be informed by the Hertfordshire Infrastructure + Investment Strategy (HIIS) which calculates what growth-related infrastructure will be needed to 2031 and its cost – estimated to be £2.6bn at current process. The HIIS also estimates that there is a historic infrastructure deficit of £2.4bn.
The County Council’s own response to the consultation on the Plan is currently being prepared and will be considered by the Environment + Planning Panel on 10 November.
3. Waste Development Framework
3.1 The Waste Development Framework sets out how the County Council proposes to provide the strategic, spatial and operational policies for Hertfordshire’s waste and, subject to approval at this meeting of the Council, will go out for public consultation.
3 Herts Ready for Winners Partnership (HRFWP)
4.1 The HRFWP continues to develop and deliver its agreed Action Plan for 2009/10. Some sample key indicators are:-
· Get Set the national LOCOG education programme has achieved registrations at 43.1% 9th highest of 212 nationally with national recognition.
· Key role with ODA, LVRPA and main contractor in terms of delivering the legacy from the White Water Canoe Centre in terms of affordable use, new business and employment opportunities, regeneration, community engagement.
· Business Breakfasts used to stimulate business development and sign up to the ODA procurement system CompeteFor have been delivered in 3 hotels with 5 more planned achieving highest County registration in the Region and hosted at no cost.
· First sign up of an overseas team, the British Virgin Islands, for pre-games training camp for 2012 and up to Glasgow 2014.
· Two new key funding partners in Van Hage and London Borough of Enfield
Derrick Ashley
Executive Member for Environment, Planning and Waste
October 2009
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