Council consultation to be launched into future of waste management for Hartlepool

Hartlepool Boprough Council Neighbourhood Services Committee said they would be looking at future options after the waste management contract for the Tees Valley was recently renewed until 2025.

The Tees Valley Authorities, excluding Darlington Borough Council, had an existing waste treatment solution contract with Suez until 2020, and the renewed deal is ‘an update version of the previous strategy’.

Each of the authorities is now being asked to provide its own ‘framework for action’ based on its current needs.

Councillors urged everyone ‘to be bold’ in considering all possible options for waste provisions in the area.

Coun Stephen Akers-Belcher, chair of the committee, said: “There’s still some time till 2025 and we need to make sure we get this policy right for many years to come.

“There is a real platform and opportunity for the local authority here.

“We should be bold enough to look at all the options available.”

The arrangement was originally put in place as part of a joint procurement between the four local authorities which made up Cleveland County in 1995 and led to a Energy from Waste incineration facility being built by Suez at Haverton Hill.

The facility came online in 1998 and has been in operation for over 20 years and deals with non-recyclable residual waste collected kerbside and at the Household Waste Recycling Centre.

The four Tees Valley authorities currently deliver approximately 183,000 tonnes of municipal waste into the Haverton Hill site.

The waste strategy includes plans to adopt recycling initiatives and introduce ‘high performance collections’ such as separate food waste collections.

They will also look to adopt a new energy recovery facility with the ability to utilise the heat produced.

Councillors at the meeting urged council bosses to look for the best deal financially for the area.

Coun Marjorie James said Suez currently offer funding within 3 miles of its plant and would like to see more authorities benefit from this.

She said said: “The whole of Redcar and Cleveland and Hartlepool are all excluded from this money.

“I would want to to see if it could benefit all 5 authorities in the Tees Valley.”

Coun Akers-Belcher said: “There is a real chance for income opportunities for the local authority.

“It’s important we encourage regeneration and employment.”

The consultation will be launched on October 5 and details will be released in the coming weeks at www.hartlepool.gov.uk.

Nic Marko , Local Democracy Reporting Service