Waste and recycling collections, along with street cleaning, will be delivered directly by Wychavon for the first time in decades, as part of preparations for changes to local councils.
Councillors have agreed to move the services ‘in-house’ once the current contract with FCC Environment ends on 31 March 2028. This is the day before Wychavon is set to be abolished under Local Government Reorganisation and replaced by either a South Worcestershire Unitary Council or a single unitary council for Worcestershire.
It is believed beginning a new contract, potentially with a new contractor, on the same day as the biggest change to local government in more than 50 years would pose a risk to the delivery and quality of the service to residents. Extending the existing contract is not an option.
All the other district councils being abolished within Worcestershire already operate their own waste and recycling services. If Wychavon started a new long-term contract with an external provider, it could tie the hands of the new unitary council, making it more difficult to achieve efficiency savings and improve the service.
It will also be easier to deliver food waste collections across the county, while offering greater flexibility to change service standards and priorities to reflect the council’s ambitions, rather than being tied to contractual obligations. From mid-2027, the ‘shadow authority’ for the new unitary council being created will also have to sign off any significant additional expenditure and there is no guarantee a new waste contract would be agreed.
An independent assessment of continuing to use an external contractor or an in-house service found there was no significant saving for either option.
Cllr Emma Stokes, Wychavon’s Executive Board Member for Resources, Investment and Innovation, said: “It is sad we have had to make this decision as FCC Environment has proved to be an invaluable contractor, colleague and asset to Wychavon for many years, delivering an excellent service to our residents. However, considering the Government’s changes to local government, bringing these services in-house will provide the flexibility needed going forward.
“I would like to reassure Wychavon residents that we remain committed to ensuring they receive the same high-quality waste and recycling collections, and street cleaning service, they have always had right up until 1 April 2028 and beyond.”
