Council aims for best in recycling

A Yorkshire Council said last night that it is moving closer to completing a deal for a major scheme to manage the district’s waste and encourage more recycling. It hopes the plans will give it some of the best recycling facilities in Britain.

The Wakefield authority said the private finance initiative (PFI) project, which has Government financial support to the value of 33m, is expected to be signed off by the end of this year, marking a big step forward for the plan.

The scheme will see a new waste treatment and recycling plant at South Kirkby, near Pontefract, and three household waste recycling centres in the district. In addition to recycling rubbish, the process involves the extraction of a gas from waste which can then be burned to generate electricity.

The VT Group was appointed preferred bidder for the scheme three years ago and has been working with the council to finalise the deal.

This year VT was acquired by Babcock International Group, and both the council and Babcock continue to work together.

Council cabinet member for the environment Coun Olivia Rowley said: “It has taken some time to get to this point with delays outside the council’s control, largely caused by the economic downturn.

“But our commitment to managing the district’s waste more effectively is now paying off and we are on the road to success. I am really pleased that we are working towards a financial close by the end of this year.

“The council has to reduce the amount of waste we send to landfill – this PFI is our way of achieving that and protecting the environment by making recycling easier for everyone.”

The council will continue kerbside waste collections at it does now until new waste treatment facilities become operational in spring 2013.

The scheme will see Wakefield’s Denby Dale Road household waste site closed for two years and rebuilt as a modern transfer loading station with a separate household waste centre and enough parking space to prevent cars waiting on the main road as at present.

Babcock is currently seeking planning permission for a temporary public centre at Calder Vale Road while the Denby Dale Road site is closed.

Two other purpose-built household waste recycling centres will be provided at Glass Houghton and at South Kirkby, together with modification to the household waste site at Welbeck.

When these centres are completed, the smaller outdated sites at Ossett, Castleford, Ferrybridge, Fitzwilliam and South Kirkby (Manface) will all close.

The PFI contract will span 25 years and become operational early in 2011, creating in the region of 250 construction jobs and then a further 100 jobs in the new centres.

Coun Rowley added: “This scheme will provide the district with some of the best recycling facilities in the UK, as well as making it easier for people to recycle their waste at home.

“By working together and using the latest technology to maximise recycling of our waste in the years to come, we can make a big impact on the environment for future generations.”

In May this year a giant machine which can treat 13 tonnes of household waste each load was tested by VT Group ahead of the building of a new treatment centre.

Unsorted waste is put into a huge vessel and rotated while steam is injected into the system at about 160 degrees celsius.

The cycle continues for an hour until the waste turns into a sterile organic fibre, while material such as metal, plastic and glass is separated out. Three of the autoclave units are due to be installed at the South Kirkby site.

Some ecologists oppose burning of fuel from waste and say more information is needed.

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