The council works in partnership with Tunbridge Wells borough council for the management of waste, recycling and street cleansing services.
The partnership originally entered into a contract with Urbaser UK in March 2019 for an initial period of eight years, ending on 31 March 2027.
The contract – worth £8.8 million annually – can be extended for up to 10 years any time from 1 June 2025.
Urbaser UK was acquired by FCC Environment UK in June last year and the waste management company has confirmed that it is “unwilling to extend based on the current contract price’’.
The councils have responded that an increase cannot be “justified contractually” and have agreed not to pursue an extension.
Both councils will now debate possible alternatives, with Tonbridge and Malling borough council meeting on Wednesday (5 February 2025).
Three options are being considered:
- The in-house provision of waste management services
- The establishment of a Local Authority Trading Company
- The procurement of an external contractor
The report to Tonbridge and Malling borough council has recommended that the council continues with its partnership with Tunbridge Wells borough council and contracts out its waste services.
The councils have formed a joint Waste Contract Officer Steering Group to manage the recommissioning process. The steering group was responsible for the compiling of joint but bespoke reports which will now be presented to each council.
Urbaser acquisition
FCC Environment announced that it had agreed to acquire Urbaser’s UK businesses for an estimated £398 million in December 2023. The sale was completed in June 2024.
Steve Longdon, FCC Environment UK chief executive, said at the time: “As one of the UK’s leading resource and waste management companies, this is a very positive move for our business here in the UK strengthening our core services yet further.
“We are looking forward to welcoming the Urbaser team and to continuing to deliver exceptional services both to our existing and to our new clients.”
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