This meeting was scheduled to cover two main topics, the future of the Milton Keynes Waste Recovery Park (MKWRP) and the provision of waste and recycling facilities in the borough.

Milton Keynes Waste Recovery Park (MKWRP)

The MKWRP Reprocurement Strategy - Cover Report proposed that the council find a new contractor to operate the MKWRP facility from 1 April 2026, when the contract with the existing operators, Thalia, was due to end.
The strategy proposed a three-phase model for the new contract: a familiarisation phase of 12-24 months during which the contractor would be paid on a ‘cost-plus’ basis and would have an opportunity to familiarise themselves with the operation of the facility; a 6-12 month stability phase in which a higher proportion of the contract costs would be fixed; and an optimisation phase from then until the end of the contract, in which the contractor would share in the benefits arising from implementing efficiency savings at the facility. The council was seeking to transfer as much of the operational risk to the new contractor as possible, and would offer incentives to the contractor to accept a higher level of risk transfer. The strategy acknowledged that the council would need to accept a higher level of risk than it typically would for a facility of this type. This was explained by the relatively small scale of the facility, the limited number of comparable facilities in the UK, the use of advanced thermal treatment¹ technology, and the history of the facility's operation. The strategy acknowledged that the council might have to offer a longer post-award mobilisation and familiarisation period to new operators than is typical. The report outlined the results of discussions that had taken place between council officers, the council's advisors Sharpe Pritchard, Grant Thornton and WSP, and four incumbent waste treatment facility operators. The operators had indicated that they would expect the council to take on a greater level of risk during the initial stages of a new contract than would be the case for a conventional public-private partnership, and that the council might need to provide a higher level of financial support than is typical. The report also detailed several potential projects that the council was exploring to improve the efficiency and commercial viability of the MKWRP, including: expanding the private wire connection to supply power to a greater proportion of council assets and vehicles; using the facility to treat source separated household organic waste; and selling waste heat from the facility into a proposed district heating network². The council was also seeking to ensure that these projects could be delivered in a timely way once the new contract was awarded.

Advanced Thermal Treatment is a waste treatment process that uses high temperatures to break down waste materials, turning non-recyclable waste into a gas, which can then be used to generate energy. A district heating network is a system for distributing heat generated in a centralised location through a network of insulated pipes. The heat can be used to heat homes and businesses.

Household Waste Recycling and Reuse Centres

The HWRC Cover Report outlined the council's proposal to build two new Household Waste Recycling Centres (HWRCs), one at the Wolverton Eco-Park in Old Wolverton and one in the south of the borough. The new HWRCs would be larger, with better accessibility, and would include dedicated space for reuse and repair facilities. The council was seeking to acquire two sites at Anderson Gate in Snelshall to build the southern HWRC, and planned to open the new facilities in 2026 and 2028 respectively. The council anticipated that the new facilities would cost a total of £10 million to build and would lead to revenue savings of £860,000 between 2026 and 2028. The savings were expected to arise from the following:

• The reduced management fee that would be paid to the contractor operating the facilities
• Haulage efficiencies that would be achieved by co-locating the northern HWRC with the council's existing Waste Transfer Station³
• The increased recycling and reuse rates that were anticipated at the new facilities The report also acknowledged that the council had previously consulted on the provision of waste and recycling services in 2020. The consultation, which was the most popular in the council's history, indicated that 79% of residents supported the creation of a new, purpose-built HWRC in the south of the borough. The report proposed to decommission all three of the council's existing HWRCs. These were described as small, congested, and in need of significant investment. The report set out the capital expenditure that would be required to keep each of the existing HWRCs operational over the next three years:
• £546,600 for the Bleak Hall HWRC
• £675,000 for the New Bradwell HWRC
• £935,000 for the Newport Pagnell HWRC The report also proposed combining the operation of the council's waste transfer station and HWRCs into a single contract to be awarded in 2028.

A waste transfer station is a facility where waste is temporarily stored before being transported to a landfill or other waste treatment facility. It allows waste from multiple sources to be consolidated and transported in bulk, which can reduce the number of journeys required and therefore reduce costs and emissions.