HWRC Operation and Management

Waste Disposal Authorities (including Unitary Authorities) are required to provide residents with a place to dispose of their household waste, under Section 51(1)(b) of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 (the "1990 Act").

The Council intends to procure a contractor to manage and operate its Household Waste Recycling Centre (HWRC) network across 6 HWRC Sites with materials management at one additional site - 7 sites. The HWRCs are in:

• Alkerton HWRC, near Banbury
• Ardley Fields HWRC, Bicester
• Redbridge HWRC, Oxford
• Drayton HWRC, Vale of White Horse
• Oakley Wood HWRC, South Oxfordshire
• Stanford in the Vale HWRC, Vale of White Horse
• Dix Pit HWRC, West Oxfordshire (haulage operations and materials management only)

The contract will include:

1. The management and operation of six Household Waste Recycling Centres ("HWRC Sites") (Alkerton, Ardley Fields (relocated to Bicester during the Contract Period), Drayton, Oakley Wood, Redbridge and Stanford Vale), including the provision of the following services:

a. Reception operations:

i. meet and greet;

ii. managing and checking bookings;

iii. checking for waste Acceptance Criteria and unsorted waste;

iv. checking all vehicles required to have permits have the correct permit to access the HWRC Site;

v. charging for Chargeable Waste, including DIY Waste above the free allowance and other Chargeable Waste, and for Commercial Waste, where applicable; and

vi. enforcement of the above.

b. HWRC Sites operation:

i. maximising the Re-use, Recycling, Composting and Recovery of Contract Waste deposited by Customers according to the waste hierarchy;

ii. management of waste collected under Waste Collection Authorities duties ('WCA Waste');

iii. management of Chargeable Waste;

iv. management of Commercial Waste services, where applicable;

v. unsorted waste segregation, including by encouraging customers to separate reuse and/or recycling from any mixed or unsorted waste brought to site;

vi. managing Re-use hubs, where applicable;

vii. appropriate and effective compaction of materials deposited as necessary;

viii. provision and management of Plant, Vehicles and Equipment;

ix. monitoring services and reporting to the Council including online reporting; and

x. managing weighbridges, where applicable.

c. Site management and maintenance:

i. maintaining appropriate signage and road markings;

ii. site cleansing;

iii. site repair and maintenance; and

iv. site security.

d. Support with HWRC Sites re-development and re-location:

i. Redeployment of Contractor's Staff for the duration of Redbridge Site's closure;

ii. Transfer of Contractor's Staff and Assets from Ardley Fields HWRC Site to Bicester HWRC Site;

iii. Mobilisation of the re-developed Redbridge HWRC Site and new Bicester HWRC Site.

2. Haulage operations and materials management of seven HWRC Sites (Alkerton, Ardley Fields (relocated to Bicester during the Contract Period), Dix Pit, Drayton, Oakley Wood, Redbridge and Stanford Vale), including the provision of the following services:

a. onward haulage of Council Retained Waste from the HWRC Sites to Council Contracted Sites for the treatment of Green Waste, Residual Waste, Bulky Waste and POPs;

b. onward haulage of Contractor Retained Waste to appropriate Treatment Sites; and

c. marketing and sale of Contractor Retained Waste.

This procurement is part of the Council's initiative to enhance its waste management services and develop new HWRC sites.

The procurement includes two Service Delivery Options for the funding of Capital Assets:

1. Service Delivery Option A: the Council funds all Capital Assets.
2. Service Delivery Option B: the Contractor funds all Capital Assets.

The procurement includes seven Anticipated Changes:

1. Anticipated Change 1: Commercial Waste Services and management of a weighbridge at the re-developed Redbridge HWRC Site
2. Anticipated Change 2: Re-Use Services at the re-developed Redbridge HWRC Site
3. Anticipated Change 3: Transfer Services at the re-developed Redbridge HWRC Site
4. Anticipated Change 4: Closure of Ardley Fields HWRC Site before the new Bicester HWRC Site opens
5. Anticipated Change 5: Re-Use Services at the new Bicester HWRC Site
6. Anticipated Change 6: Management and operation of Dix Pit HWRC Site
7. Anticipated Change 7: Management and operation of a Council owned offsite Re-Use shop in the South Oxfordshire area
8. Anticipated Change 8: Local Government Reorganisation leading to novation of the Contract to two or more contracting authorities

Brief background to LGR in relation to the services and the intention:

In accordance with the plans for Local Government Reorganisation (LGR), the Contracting Authority will become either one, two or three unitary authorities. Central Government are expected to decide on the formation of Oxfordshire in summer 2026. This Contract with all property rights and liabilities will pass to the new unitary council(s) once formed, which is anticipated to be in April 2028.

Three different unitary models have been submitted to replace the existing two-tier county and district council system:

• One Unitary Model: Proposed by Oxfordshire County Council, creating a single, county-wide authority to manage all local services.
• Two Unitary Model: Proposed by Cherwell, West Oxfordshire, South Oxfordshire, and Vale of White Horse District Councils. This splits the area into an "Oxford and Shires Council" and a "Ridgeway Council" (which includes West Berkshire).
• Three Unitary Model: Proposed by Oxford City Council, featuring a "Greater Oxford Council" (the city and surrounding green belt), a "Northern Oxfordshire Council", and a "Ridgeway Council".

The Contract Period will be 8 years, with a break clause anticipated at 4 years to allow for the required reorganisation following LGR. Further details are to be confirmed during the procurement period and as part of dialogue. The overall value of the 8 year Contract is estimated at approx. £59.5 million (including VAT) and £49.6 million (excluding VAT). This estimate is based on the current contract annual spend with predicated inflation and service changes which are subject to change. There will also be the option of a 3 year extension to the contract.