Four major waste schemes to share £310M private-finance cash

10 April 2008

The Government has awarded £310M of private-finance initiative (PFI) credits to four waste schemes, which will include the building of new incinerators.

Each project aims to reduce the overall amount of waste created, and it is anticipated they will all deliver a minimum of 50% recycling rate by 2020, with some aspiring to reach 60%. The PFI credits have gone to Barnsley, Doncaster and Rotherham Partnership (£77.4M), Bradford Metropolitan District Council (£62.1M), Suffolk County Council (£102M), and Leeds City Council (£68.6M).

They are all actively seeking options for combined heat and power with an energy-from-waste (incineration) or mechanical biological treatment solution. Suffolk has indicated that incineration would be its preferred option, but insists no final decisions have been made and will consider other options put to them.

Council chiefs in Leeds are looking into various treatment technologies, and is consulting with residents and other interested groups to find out what factors are important to them when choosing a waste-treatment solution. Barnsley, Doncaster and Rotherham are also undecided, with an officer describing their position as ‘technology neutral’, although they do expect to make an announcement in May.

Bradford, which is collaborating on its project with nearby Calderdale council, said the money would only go some of the way to fighting the problem.

Ian Bairstow, Bradford Council’s head of waste management, said: ‘This funding to support the long-term solution is good news, although it still only represents a very small proportion of the increasing cost of waste treatment.

‘The council will face a huge increase in the cost of dealing with the waste it collects as it meets the increasing levels of waste taxation, and is forced into using these new technologies.’

Register now for full access

Register just once to get unrestricted, real-time coverage of the issues and challenges facing UK transport and highways engineers.

Full website content includes the latest news, exclusive commentary from leading industry figures and detailed topical analysis of the highways, transportation, environment and place-shaping sectors. Use the link below to register your details for full, free access.

Already a registered? Login

Sign In

Four major waste schemes to share £310M private-finance cash

buying biaxin

ordering clarithromycin

Register now for full access

Login