Bridgend County Borough Waste Services Update
Council members in Bridgend have been briefed on the future plans for waste and recycling services in the county borough, with a potential for the council to take control of the services after 2026. These discussions were initiated following a switch in management of the services in April 2024, with Plan B Management Solutions Ltd stepping in for a two-year interim period after taking over from Kier. The transition was sanctioned to allow the council time to explore different operational models for the future of the service.
Three potential plans were presented to council members which included bringing waste and recycling services back under the direct control of the council, transferring the service to a local authority trading company, or re-procuring an external waste services contractor post-2026. Although officers had expressed a preference for continuing to outsource the service, the cabinet opted not to pursue a new contract procurement after April 2026, directing further evaluation of the other proposed models.
A recent scrutiny committee meeting in September delved into these plans further, where a consultant provided more detailed insights, outlining the pros and cons of each approach. A report highlighted that bringing the service in-house would cost £9.37m annually, offering control, flexibility, and no profitability requirements. However, potential downsides included higher risks and upfront setup costs.
Alternatively, adopting the local authority trading company model at a cost of £9.02m per year provided more flexibility and a chance to grow the commercial customer base, but also posed risks in IT systems and setup costs. Given the tight timelines for implementation of all options, an extension of the current Plan B Management Solutions contract for an additional year was proposed to allow for a thorough evaluation.
Following extensive deliberations, the committee members recommended extending the existing contract while seeking further information from authorities employing similar service models. The decision reflects a strategic move towards evaluating all options meticulously before committing to a new direction. Stay tuned for updates on the evolving waste services landscape in Bridgend.