Earlier this year, the council announced the plan to cease its arrangement with Biffa and bring its waste and recycling collection service back in-house to be operated by EFDC’s new company Terra Verde Services (TVS).
The new 52-vehicle fleet will comprise 30x 26t Refuse Collection Vehicles provided by Dennis Eagle plus additional support fleet including sweepers, tippers, and vans. SFS will have responsibility for the maintenance of the fleet, which will take place at the council’s new environmental operations hub at North Weald Airfield.
More than 100 existing members of staff will be transferred across to EFDC to continue in their roles operating the vehicles. SFS will be recruiting additional staff to carry out fleet management and maintenance. No rubbish or waste will be brought or stored on the airfield. The depot will provide storage, maintenance and fuelling for the new fleet, which can run on diesel or hydrotreated vegetable oil.
Cllr Ray Balcombe, contracts, service delivery, and improvement portfolio holder at EFDC, said: “Waste collection is a vital service, and it's clear that there have been challenges in the past, which have affected our residents. This partnership offers EFDC greater flexibility. Utilising the SFS fleet is not only more cost-effective but also allows us to adapt the vehicles according to the evolving needs of the service.
“The establishment of TVS gives control back to EFDC to ensure the highest quality service for our community.”
To ensure a smooth roll out of the new service, SFS will be delivering vehicles from the beginning of October ahead of the 4 November start date.
