The Prosiect Gwyrdd Joint Committee met on Tuesday 19 May 2026 to discuss the financial outturn for the 2025/26 financial year and the proposed budget for 2026/27. The committee also reviewed an update report on the Prosiect Gwyrdd contract and considered a sustainable transport plan.

Prosiect Gwyrdd Update Report

An update report on the Prosiect Gwyrdd contract was presented, highlighting that 145,864 tonnes of residual waste were sent to the Trident Park facility during the 2025/26 contract year. This was less than the projected amount and continued a downward trend in contract waste. The report noted that this waste represented 40% of the facility's total input.

The report detailed the quantity of waste delivered by each partner authority: Caerphilly (32,651.92 tonnes), Cardiff (62,229.00 tonnes), Monmouthshire (12,537.42 tonnes), Newport (21,325.38 tonnes), and Vale of Glamorgan (17,120.28 tonnes).

Key performance targets for the contractor, Viridor, were met during the contract year, including a 0.0% landfill target and 100.0% Incinerator Bottom Ash (IBA) recycling target. The facility achieved R1 status, classifying it as a recovery facility, and generated enough electricity to power the equivalent of 34,897 homes. The treatment of residual waste resulted in a reduction of 67,332 tonnes of carbon dioxide compared to landfilling.

The Prosiect Gwyrdd Community Benefits Fund awarded £49,947 to 33 community initiatives during 2025/26. The report also summarised visits to Trident Park, with 6,553 attendees across 134 visits and events.

Concerns were raised by members regarding the transport of residual waste, particularly the impact of increased heavy goods vehicle (HGV) movements. The report noted that transport arrangements were excluded from the original contract, with each partner authority responsible for its own waste transport. Members suggested exploring greater use of the rail freight network and a more strategic discussion on transport arrangements. Officers agreed to gather further information on transport movements and options for a future meeting.

2025/26 Outturn and Annual Financial Return

The committee was presented with the draft, unaudited Financial Annual Return for the year ended 31 March 2026. The report indicated a gross expenditure outturn of £194,399, a decrease of £99,203 compared to the original budget. After accounting for a partner contribution rebate of £50,000, the net underspend for 2025/26 was £49,203.

The balance of the Joint Committee Reserve Account at 31 March 2026 stood at £131,662. The report noted that underspends were primarily due to a lack of expenditure against the contingency and external advisors budgets. The committee was asked to approve the unaudited Annual Return for submission to Audit Wales.

JWA Sustainable Transport Plan

A report was presented regarding the transportation of waste to Trident Park EfW, addressing the request for information on waste transport arrangements. It was noted that partnership waste deliveries accounted for 20,595 vehicle movements for 145,864 tonnes of waste in 2025/26, representing 40% of the waste and 54% of vehicle movements to the facility.

The report detailed the quantity of waste delivered and associated vehicle movements by each partner authority: Caerphilly (32,652 tonnes, 2,534 movements), Cardiff (62,229 tonnes, 12,887 movements), Monmouthshire (12,537 tonnes, 674 movements), Newport (21,325 tonnes, 1,356 movements), and Vale of Glamorgan (17,120 tonnes, 3,131 movements). Cardiff Council made the highest number of deliveries due to its proximity to the facility.

The report outlined plans to formalise a JWA2 Sustainable Transport Plan, which would include details of approved routes to divert vehicles away from residential areas, historic information on vehicle movements, and projections for future changes. The second part of the plan would cover sustainable transportation of contract waste, including vehicle standards, minimisation of local impacts, and a review of sustainable vehicle usage. This plan would be presented to a future Joint Committee meeting upon completion.