Havering Council is preparing to sign off on a new £90 million refuse contract that includes keeping weekly bin collections. 

The council had proposed moving to fortnightly collections as part of its budget consultation for the year from April 2023 - and a senior councillor said this was still possible. 

But its cabinet is now preparing to approve a new eight-year contract that would keep most services as they are, including weekly waste collection, weekly dry recycling, and fortnightly garden waste. 

The council is due to enter into a new contract from July 30 next year, after a procurement process was halted and the current contract with Serco extended due to Covid. 

On Thursday (December 8), the council’s places and overview sub-committee voted to recommend that cabinet awards the integrated recycling, waste collection and street cleansing contract to the preferred bidder.

Imran Kazalbash, assistant director of public realm at Havering Council, told the meeting that the new contract will also include an enhanced doorstep recycling service, involving the collection of glass and more types of plastic. 

If granted, the contract would run for a total of eight years from its start date at an estimated cost of £90m, with the option to extend for a further eight, for a total of £160m.  

In a report distributed ahead of the meeting, it was noted that the council will be procuring the fleet to be used in the service itself, for which £10.14m was earmarked and approved by cabinet in February 2022. 

The report added though that more funding may now be required, something officers acknowledged would have an impact on the revenue position of the council.

It is now due to go before cabinet on Wednesday (December 14), where a decision will be made on awarding the contract.

The proposed contract comes amid an ongoing debate relating to a proposal in the council’s budget consultation to move to an alternate-weekly bin collection system. 

At a recent full council meeting, an amended motion was passed in which it was agreed the administration will “carefully consider” responses from residents to its consultation, as well as changes to the council’s financial position.  

Speaking on Friday, Cllr Barry Mugglestone, cabinet member for environment, confirmed that if there is an appetite for a shift to alternate-weekly collections, and if there are savings to be made, the new contract can be amended to reflect that.

However, he reiterated no decision has been made, and the consultation remains ongoing.

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