CONTROL over waste and recycling services is set to change hands in Bridgend county borough this month after a decision by the council.
It comes as the contract for services such as waste collection and the running of recycling centres, provided by Kier Services Limited, is set to expire at the end of March.
A new company, Plan B Management Solutions Ltd, has now been given the nod from council bosses to provide a two-year interim service.
The move comes after a lengthy council scrutiny session earlier this month, where members discussed three potential options for the longer-term future of the service, with the two-year interim contract in place to give the authority “more time” to fully consider its options for what happens after 2026.
These included bringing waste and recycling services back within the council’s control, transferring the service into a local authority trading company, or re-procuring a new external waste services contractor.
While all three of these options were said to have a number of pros and cons in a report carried out by specialists Eunomia, the highest ranked option was in re-procurement, as it was said to have one of the lowest costs at £9.3m, as well as having the lowest risk for the authority.
Members heard how a final decision on the council’s next move will have to be made at a meeting in April, with the final details of the plan worked out between then and March 2026.
Officers in attendance also noted a new fleet of waste vehicles would be purchased by that time regardless of which of the three options were selected.
In the short term, a council spokesperson said the current service would not be impacted by the changeover process, with Plan B taking control immediately after March 31.
They said: “The interim service will continue to use existing vehicles and waste and recycling containers, and there will be no changes to either the way in which materials are collected or the days on which household collections take place.”
Councillor John Spanswick added: “I would like to reassure residents that there will be minimal disruption to services during the changeover period and give thanks for their patience during this time.”
