Calderdale Council is making progress to prepare for new waste and recycling services in the borough.
Waste and recycling is the biggest service that the Council provides in terms of volume, with over 7.5 million scheduled collections from 95,000 households every year.
The Council’s current waste and recycling collection contract with SUEZ will expire in July 2026. In November 2024, the Council’s Cabinet agreed to enter into a Joint Venture arrangement with the Norse Group for the future delivery of waste and recycling services in the borough, with the arrangement due to start in August 2026.
A joint venture delivery model provides a number of benefits, allowing the Council to have greater control over the future direction of the service and any changes arising from legislation, as well as offering assurances of a resilient and reliable service for residents. It is also identified as offering the best value for money to the Council in challenging financial times.
Members of Cabinet will now consider a report detailing progress over the last 12 months, with significant work taking place to ensure that there is smooth transition to the new arrangements.
A Project Board is in place to oversee the transition, with representatives from the Council and Norse meeting on a monthly basis. In addition, regular progress updates and site visits are providing further understanding of some of the challenges faced in Calderdale and how these can be addressed to provide a reliable and resilient waste and recycling service.
The joint venture company will be known as Calderdale Norse Limited. There won’t be any significant changes for residents, other than the service using newer, more efficient vehicles and staff wearing different uniforms, with the newly agreed branding.
All existing SUEZ staff working on the Calderdale contract will transfer over to Calderdale Norse Ltd, with the same terms and conditions of their contract.
The new waste collection vehicles have been ordered which will provide the waste and recycling collections, these vehicles will allow for consideration to be given to the introduction of additional materials for recycling, such as items like flexible plastics.
Further work is ongoing to secure the other vehicles, plant and equipment required to deliver additional services, such as bulky and clinical waste collections.
Work has also been taking place to ensure that IT requirements are addressed and that all the facilities that will be used or operated by Calderdale Norse Ltd are in a suitable condition and location to deliver services efficiently and effectively.
Calderdale Council’s Cabinet Member for Public Services and Communities, Cllr Danielle Durrans, said:
“We understand the importance of reliable waste and recycling collections. It’s a service we all use and we want it to be as efficient, resilient and sustainable as possible. As we enter the last year of our contract with SUEZ, we’re doing all we can to ensure that the transition to a joint venture arrangement is a smooth as possible.
“We’re working closely with Norse to support a shared understanding of how things will work, including examining current arrangements and highlighting some of the more challenging routes in the borough.
“A key part of the transition work is ensuring we can welcome existing Calderdale-based SUEZ staff across to the new arrangements. We’re really grateful for their work and pleased that all existing staff can transfer to Calderdale Norse with the security of knowing their terms and conditions are protected.
“We’ve also been busy making sure that we’re ready to hit the ground running next August, with progress including the purchase of new, modern vehicles. These will be able to deal with additional recycling materials, giving us more scope to expand the recycling service in future.”
The Waste and Recycling Partnership – Calderdale Norse report will be considered at the meeting on Calderdale Council’s Cabinet on Monday 3 November at Halifax Town Hall, from 4pm. The meeting can also be watched online, at https://calderdale.public-i.tv/core/portal/home(external link)