Bridgend County Borough Council is set to take charge of its own recycling and waste contract in July 2027, ending more than two decades of outsourcing to a commercial contractor, currently Plan B Management Solutions. The decision to adopt an in-house service was first made in November 2024 to allow the council to have "more hands-on monitoring" and "sustainable flexibility."
£11m Expected Spend for 2026-27
According to the council's medium-term financial strategy, it expects to spend in the region of £11m on the collection and disposal of waste in 2026-27. A recent report given to members said work to deliver the project had been going on in the background, with a waste project board set up to provide management support, and additional posts recruited in the procurement team.
The report also noted that several new waste vehicles had already been delivered to the authority, with others expected in the coming months.
Supplier Transition and Risks
The report said: "A significant part of work undertaken to date is around key suppliers needed to enable the running of the service. Through transition preparation works, it is noted that there are currently around 130 suppliers engaged to support the waste collection service. These supply a range of services and goods in support of the current contract ranging from IT systems, plant and equipment maintenance and various waste containers."
It went on to describe the potential risks caused by a "substantial supplier change", stating that if contracts were awarded to existing suppliers without a competitive tender process, the council could face a legal challenge from companies who were not given the chance to bid. However, it added that while this could be necessary to "ensure a smooth transition", the risks would be mitigated by awarding contracts that were limited in duration, to bring the value below the statutory threshold for competitive tendering.
Council Leader Welcomes Progress
Speaking at the meeting, the council's leader Cllr John Spanswick said it was great to see the work for the new service going on behind the scenes, with things "going in the right direction." Councillors in attendance at a cabinet meeting held on September 22, 2026, noted the report.
