Veolia has held the contract since 2011, and it was re-tendered in October 2019 at an estimated £56 million over the course of the entire contract, working out at £7 million per annum.
While the final winning bid hasn’t yet been published, and the council meeting announcing the award on 22 July isn’t available to the public, the estimated value would make it double the current £3.5m value of the current deal.
The new deal is set to start in January 2021. The council said the key elements of the service will remain unchanged, including:
◼️ Alternating fortnightly waste and recycling collections
◼️ Weekly food waste collections
◼️ A whole range of street cleaning services
‘Excellent job’
Cllr Stuart Peall , F&HDC cabinet member for enforcement, regulatory services, waste & building control, said: “Veolia has done an excellent job for the residents of Folkestone & Hythe since first being awarded the contract in 2011.
“Whilst the teams often feel valued by the community, this was especially clear earlier in the year when the COVID-19 lockdown was first implemented. They have and continue to do fantastic work across our district.
“There is currently a special focus on street cleaning during what is a very busy period for the district, with Veolia actively using technology to respond to changes in rubbish levels and manage the service appropriately as a result.
“We look forward to continuing to work closely with Veolia to ensure residents get the best possible service when it comes to recycling and waste services.”
Cllr Nicholas Kenton, cabinet member at Dover district council added: “We are delighted to confirm that the waste contract has been retained by Veolia. They have provided a great service to residents, as well as household recycling and waste collections, they’ve been carrying out important works including garden waste collections, street cleaning, litter bin emptying and roadside clearance.
“We’ve also sent out a big thank you to the crews for their fantastic work in maintaining regular collections throughout these unprecedented times during the coronavirus lockdown. We look forward to continuing to work with Veolia for the future.”
Carbon Net Zero
Veolia added that the contract will also include the introduction of a new of initiatives to help the councils achieve Carbon Net Zero targets by 2030.
It will also include a new green fleet of vehicles and electric sweepers, and redesigned collection routes to minimise travel times.
Pascal Hauret, managing director for municipal waste at Veolia UK & Ireland said: “We look forward to continuing our services to East Kent and extending the waste and recycling services. By introducing new green initiatives we will be able to help these Local Authorities achieve their objective of Carbon Net Zero by 2030 .”
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