Issue - meetings

(a)       That the progress of the construction of Parc Adfer be noted; and

(b)       That the scheduled operational date for Parc Adfer be noted. 

The North Wales Residual Waste Treatment Project (NWRWTP) Contract Manager  introduced a report to provide an update on the North Wales Regional Waste Partnership.  He provided background information and advised that following the successful award of the North Wales Residual Waste Treatment Project contract to Wheelabrator Technologies Inc (WTI) the Parc Adfer waste treatment facility on Deeside Industrial Pak was now under construction.  The contract term with Wheelabrator Technologies Inc was 25 years.  The five partner authorities had also signed an Inter Authority Agreement which formalised their partnership for the duration of the contract.  Members were informed that Parc Adfer would be fully operational by 2020.  Wheelabrator Technologies Inc had engaged with the local community and would continue to do so throughout the construction process and into the future. 

                        Members spoke in support of the Community Benefit Fund which would become available when Parc Adfer was operational and would have a value of £230k per annum for community projects in the Deeside area. The NWRWTP Contract Manager advised that in addition to the Community Benefit Fund WTI had launched their own construction phase community fund of £50k over the construction period.

Councillor Aaron Shotton also spoke in support of the Community Benefit Fund and said this would be welcomed by community groups and would benefit residents in the Deeside area.  He explained that the Council would   decide how the Community Benefit Fund was allocated and further details concerning this would be provided to the Committee.  Councillor Shotton also spoke of the positive outcome that the gate fees payable would be lower than the guideline or ‘bid’ price which had been set at the outset. 

In response to a question from Councillor Owen Thomas the  NWRWTP Contract Manager advised that a railway link was not part of the current plan, however, there was potential to attach a railway link in the future.

Following a suggestion by the NWRWTP Contract Manager, it was agreed that the Facilitator would arrange for Members to have a site visit to the Parc Adfer waste treatment facility on Deeside Industrial Park.

RESOLVED:

(a)       That the progress of the construction of Parc Adfer be noted; and

(b)       That the scheduled operational date for Parc Adfer be noted.