Issue details

This report seeks approval to establish a corporate programme to prepare for the expiry of the Council's PFI Waste Contract in September 2032. The programme will oversee contract hand-back, asset assurance, service continuity, future delivery model appraisal, procurement planning and transition arrangements. It also recognises that Local Government Reorganisation will take effect on 1 April 2028 and that future decisions regarding waste infrastructure, service delivery and strategy development will be taken in the context of the successor authority.

The expiry of a PFI waste contract should be treated as a major corporate programme, not simply a re-procurement exercise. The Infrastructure and Projects Authority’s guidance states that PFI expiry involves both contract expiry management and transition to future service provision and should be approached through structured workstreams covering contract awareness, relationship management, assets, commercial strategy and future services.

This report builds upon the Council's ongoing engagement with the National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority (NISTA) PFI Expiry Health Check process, which is intended to assess organisational readiness and identify key actions required to support successful contract expiry. National guidance recommends that authorities begin planning several years before expiry due to the time required to undertake asset assurance, options appraisal, commercial planning and transition activities.