Partnership to keep Charnwood clean for further seven years
Published: Thu 18th July, 2024
Left to right: Sarah Cross, contracts manager at Charnwood Borough Council, Jo Mortimer, contracts manager at Serco, Cllr Jewel Miah, Leader of Charnwood Borough Council, Cllr Anne Gray, the Council’s lead member for waste, open spaces and leisure facilities and Darren Barrett, refuse collector for Serco.
Charnwood Borough Council has awarded a new contract to long-term refuse and recycling partner Serco to ensure the borough continues to remain clean and tidy for years to come.
The borough council and Serco have worked together since 2009 and the new contract, which follows a significant procurement exercise, will see the partnership continue for a further seven years.
Serco is responsible for collecting all refuse and recycling from the borough’s 79,000 homes as well as serving around 33,000 customers of the Council’s Garden waste service. It means crews empty the bins around five million times for residents.
Serco will also sweep more than 1,000 miles of streets in the area, empty 900 litter bins, complete bulky waste collections and run the Council’s commercial waste and recycling service.
Cllr Jewel Miah, Leader of Charnwood Borough Council, said: “The Council has maintained a strong partnership with Serco for more than 15 years which provides a high-quality refuse and recycling service for the residents of Charnwood, and I am pleased this will be continuing.
“Collecting waste and recycling and keeping our streets is one of the Council’s largest service areas and this contract will ensure we are delivering the highest standard while achieving value for money for residents.
“We are also tremendously grateful to the Serco crews who are out on the streets of Charnwood every week, throughout the year, in all weathers, making sure our borough is a clean and pleasant place to live, work and visit.
James Hogg, Managing Director of Serco Environment Services said, “We are delighted that Charnwood Borough Council has entrusted us to deliver these key services for a further seven years.
"Our in depth understanding of the borough, combined with our extensive service change expertise, means we are well positioned to work with Charnwood Council to deliver the upcoming changes required by the government’s waste strategy, including domestic food waste collections.”
The contract is worth an estimated £8 million per year over its seven years.
As part of the contract, Serco will also offer apprenticeships and, continue to help communities deliver environmental projects through its Charnwood Environment Fund. It will also take steps to reduce its carbon emissions.