Environment focussed contracts awarded by Bromley Council to Veolia
A series of essential environment focussed contracts delivering frontline services have been agreed for an initial 8 year period, with the agreements being the largest value contract ever awarded by the Council.
The news follows the decision to award a series of carefully integrated contracts delivering universal services covering waste management, street cleaning, parks management and arboricultural services. The contracts total value over a possible 16 year period is in excess of £520 million and followed a tendering process for the same services that are currently provided.
The waste disposal and collection contracts and street cleaning being awarded to Veolia. As part of this agreement, more waste will be diverted away from expensive landfill disposal when the new environmental services contracts commence in April 2019, with the partnership agreement with Veolia ensuring virtually zero waste being sent to landfill. Improvements to recycling rates and the quality of materials collected will also be achieved. In addition, greater synergies between street cleaning and waste collections will improve efficiency, all underlining Bromley’s position as one of London’s top performing recycling boroughs.
idverde have been awarded a contract to manage the Borough’s parks and greenspaces, underpinning and supporting the partnership work with the much valued Friends of Parks groups across the Borough.
A range of arboricultural services, covering approximately 100,000 trees in the Borough’s parks and streets will be provided by Glendale. In addition, the Council manages hundreds of thousands of trees across 1360 acres of woodland and conservation sites in the Borough and Glendale will support this work.
The contracts are designed to continue delivering high performing services whilst providing value for money to the Council and council taxpayers, with Bromley recognised as being one of London’s leading waste recycling boroughs, recycling half of all waste, whilst also being one of the lowest for costs.
Councillor William Huntington-Thresher, Executive Councillor for Environment and Community Services said, “Our Environmental Services are highly visible and valued by residents and visitors to the borough. We are continuing to look for top performance from all of our contractors, working in partnership to achieve this. This includes much valued support from and to our residents and Friends groups as well. Whilst these latest contract agreements are significant, it is also very much business as usual and residents shouldn’t suddenly notice any change in our services. I am very pleased that these agreements will help us further improve our waste management performance and divert even more away from expensive landfill disposal options as well as improve our recycling services. In addition to these contractors offering a good level of service they also offer excellent value for money for residents.”
Sarah Hughes-Clarke, Strategic Development Director for idverde said, “As well as delivering grounds maintenance services to over 160 parks, the countryside and greenspaces in Bromley, we’re also excited to be able to continue providing management expertise to the Council and developing our relationship with the 48 Friends of Parks groups across the Borough. As the largest and greenest London Borough, we look forward to continuing our commitment to understand, protect, enhance and celebrate the biodiversity of conservation, surveying and habitat management within Bromley, increasing awareness through community engagement with our younger generation.”
Phil Hyatt, regional arboricultural manager at Glendale said, “Trees really add something visually to landscapes and the street scene, as well as the obvious environmental benefits too. We are very proud to be working in the London Borough that is reputed to have more trees than any other and will be both providing routine maintenance as well as being on 24/7 standby in the event of any tree related emergencies.”
