Issue - meetings

That the content of the report be noted.

The Director of Environment introduced a report to update Members on the procurement process of the North Wales Residual Waste Treatment Project (NWRWTP) and progress on the Sub-Regional Food Waste Project.

On the NWRWTP, discussions had been ongoing with Wheelabrator Technologies Inc (WTI) following Sita’s withdrawal from the procurement process earlier in the year and the outcome of finalising commercial aspects of the solution was due to be considered by the Joint Committee (made up of the five partner Authorities) in early Autumn 2013.

On the Sub-Regional Food Waste Project, positive feedback had been received on the ‘interim’ service and construction had begun on the treatment facility.  The Cabinet Member for Public Protection, Waste & Recycling reported that there had been a slight delay to construction due to the repositioning of a transformer, which it was hoped would soon be resolved by Scottish Power.  Approval had been granted to a planning application submitted by WG to develop the western portion of the site as a strategic contingency salt store.

In response to a query raised by Councillor A.I. Dunbar on the NWRWTP, the Cabinet Member for Public Protection, Waste & Recycling explained that fines from the Welsh Government (WG) would apply to Flintshire and the other partner Authorities upon failure to meet statutory waste targets whereas potential knock-on costs would apply to any Authority withdrawing from the project.

Councillor G.H. Bateman sought clarity on the withdrawal of Sita from the process.  The Director said that the involvement of Sita for so long in the process had enabled benchmarking to take place with the proposals from WTI.  Although Sita had cited commercial reasons for its withdrawal, further explanation had not been divulged to the partnership.

Responding to a question from the Chairman, the Director advised that WTL was an American company whose business plan had been based on creating facilities to further develop opportunities in the UK.

RESOLVED:

That the content of the report be noted.