Councillor Tammy Hymas, Cabinet Member for Housing, approved the final award of a significant waste contract to Veolia ES (UK) Ltd. This contract, valued at over £230 million, will commence in April 2027 and covers waste collection and street cleansing services across the borough for an initial eight-year period, with an option to extend. The decision was made after a period of consultation with leaseholders regarding the external cleaning of housing estates.

Veolia Waste Contract Award for 2027 for Housing Estates

The Cabinet Member for Housing approved the final award of a waste contract to Veolia ES (UK) Ltd for the sum of £230,358,134. This contract, which begins on 17 April 2027, will run for an initial period of eight years, with the possibility of extensions for a further eight years. The decision was made after considering observations from leaseholders concerning the external cleaning element of the contract, alongside the council's responses.

The council was legally obliged to consult with leaseholders under Section 20 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985, as the contract exceeded 12 months and involved costs over £100 per year for individual leaseholders. Cabinet had previously approved the provisional award of this contract in March 2026, with the final decision contingent on the completion of this leaseholder consultation and the review of any feedback received.

During the consultation period, which ran from 19 March to 19 April 2026, 15 observations were received. Key themes from these observations included concerns about transparency, fairness, and oversight of costs and service delivery. Leaseholders also expressed support for improvements such as more consistent cleansing standards, enhanced digital reporting, and clearer performance monitoring. The council's report indicated that the proposed contract addresses these issues through a more data-driven approach to cost apportionment, strengthened performance management, defined service standards, and commitments to improved communication and service coverage.

The cost of the external cleansing services for housing estates, estimated at approximately £4 million per year, will continue to be recharged to residents through annual service charges, a practice consistent with current arrangements.

The council considered alternative options, including doing nothing, which would have prevented the delivery of statutory services from April 2027. It was also noted that none of the observations received provided a reason to not proceed with the contract award.

The report also detailed that while the council had undertaken large-scale engagement in 2024 regarding the waste contract, formal Section 20 consultation was not initially conducted. To mitigate this omission, a separate consultation was carried out in January/February 2026, and leaseholders were informed of the council's intention to seek dispensation from the stage one consultation requirements from the First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber). This application would take place after the decision on the contract award.

The decision aligns with the council's Corporate Delivery Plan 2022-2024, specifically contributing to the Responding to the Climate Emergency theme by supporting a cleaner, low-waste, greener, zero-carbon, and climate-resilient Haringey with better air quality.

Several leaseholders raised concerns about the potential cost of the contract, with some misinterpreting the £4 million figure as an individual annual charge rather than the total annual cost for external cleansing across all housing estates. The council clarified that this £4 million is the total annual expenditure for housing-related external cleansing across the borough, which is then apportioned across all tenants and leaseholders where services are provided. Individual recharge amounts would vary based on estate size and services received.

Concerns were also raised about the effectiveness of digital reporting tools and the removal of graffiti. The council stated that the new contract includes requirements to enhance digital solutions and improve feedback on reports, as well as strengthening performance management for graffiti clearance. Leaseholders were assured that the contract includes defined service standards, response times, and frequencies for various cleansing activities.

The contract with Veolia ES (UK) Ltd will cover services such as litter picking, sweeping of pavements, roads, and grassed areas, emptying of litter bins, cleansing of play areas, washing of containers and bin stores, and the removal of fly-tipping and graffiti. The contract also includes provisions for garden waste collections and service design changes to address different property types.