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£92 Million For Gloucestershire Waste Project

   

NEWS RELEASE

Ref: 358/08
Date: 12 November 2008

Gloucestershire’s waste facilities will see major improvements thanks to £92 million in Private Finance Initiative (PFI) credits awarded by Defra today.

The proposed scheme will make an important contribution to the UK’s landfill directive targets by diverting up to 263,000 tonnes of biodegradable municipal waste  from landfill by 2020.

The plans could also make an important contribution to the drive to tackle climate change by delivering estimated net carbon savings of 33,800 tonnes in 2020, compared to the current arrangements, or 64,700 tonnes if the final technology solution includes combined heat and power.

Gloucestershire County Council is aiming for a long-term minimum recycling/composting rate of 60 per cent by 2020 – some 10 per cent above the national target.

Environment Minister Jane Kennedy said:

“I can today announce the formal approval of Gloucestershire County Council’s bid for £92 million PFI credits to deliver new waste management infrastructure in the county.

“This will create a real incentive for the local authority and industry to work together to reduce waste and make better use of the waste that is produced, as well as reducing our impact on the environment.”

The Council will be issuing their notice to prospective bidders in the Official Journal of European Union in the new year.  The climate change impacts of the proposed technologies will be assessed during the procurement process.

Notes to editors

  1. Municipal waste management statistics for England in 2007/08 were published by Defra on 6 November 2008. The total amount of collected municipal waste has decreased by 0.6 million tones to an estimated 28.5 million tonnes in England in 2007/08 compared to 29.1 million tonnes in 2006/07, a decrease of 2.2 per cent. The average annual change in municipal waste over the five years to 2007/08 was a decrease of 0.6 per cent.
  1. The UK has been set targets to reduce the amount of waste it sends to landfill under the EU Landfill Directive. The UK is obliged to reduce the volume of biodegradable municipal waste sent to landfill to 75 per cent of the 1995 levels by 2010; 50 per cent by 2013; and 35 per cent by 2020.
  1. To date Defra has  committed over £1.7 billion to 31 projects, and there are an additional 12 projects in the application process.
  1. In the Waste Strategy for England 2007, Defra published new national waste targets. These include higher targets for recycling and composting of household waste to at least 40 per cent by 2010; 45 per cent by 2015; and 50 per cent by 2020.
  1. The Comprehensive Spending Review 2007 provided Defra with additional funding through PFI.  The overall level has risen from £280 million in 2007/08 to £600 million, and £700 million over the following years,  totaling £2 billion of further investment in waste infrastructure.

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Page published: 12 November 2008