Bridgend County Borough Council says preparations to bring its waste and recycling service under direct council control from July 2027 are making good progress.
Cabinet is due to receive an update on 22 September. The service has been delivered by an external contractor since 2003.
A Waste Transition Board is coordinating the work, with specialist groups covering operations, assets, systems, finance, procurement, legal services, health and safety, human resources and property. The council has recruited additional staff and secured specialist project management support.
The preparations include buying waste collection vehicles and putting in place the systems, equipment, contracts and operational arrangements needed for the council to deliver the service. A capital budget of £1.881 million has previously been approved for new waste collection vehicles.
About 130 suppliers currently support the service, including through IT systems, vehicle maintenance, equipment and waste containers.
The council says maintaining continuity for residents is its priority. In limited circumstances, it may seek approval to continue using some existing suppliers where this is considered necessary to maintain continuity. Any such arrangements would be subject to governance, legal oversight and approval processes.
There will be no changes to residents’ waste and recycling collections at this stage.
Councillor Gary Haines, Cabinet Member for Communities and the Environment, said: “Bringing our waste and recycling service back in-house is a significant undertaking, and we are making good progress towards taking direct responsibility for the service in July 2027. A considerable amount of work is taking place behind the scenes to ensure we have the people, vehicles, systems and operational arrangements needed to deliver a safe, efficient and reliable service. Our priority throughout the transition is to maintain continuity for residents and minimise the risks associated with a project of this scale. We remain committed to ensuring that households continue to receive the high-quality waste and recycling services they expect.”
