Stratford-on-Avon District Council's Cabinet approve investment in Regional Materials Recycling Facility

Stratford-on-Avon District Council's Cabinet has today, Monday 7 October, agreed to join other local authorities in building a £35million recycling superplant in Coventry.

The District Council has agreed to invest in the Regional Materials Recycling Facility (MRF) alongside other authorities in Solihull, Nuneaton and Bedworth, North Warwickshire, Rugby and Walsall.

Cllr Ian Shenton, Operations Portfolio says: "The current arrangement with Biffa expires in 2022 and the District Council needs to make new arrangements. The MRF project offers an opportunity to use the District Council's investment power to reduce the long term cost of a key statutory service whilst potentially improving the quality of the recycling service we offer and reducing the impact of climate change."

Development costs of £2.8million will be shared between councils for the 120,000 tonne-a-year plant, in addition to council loans to the facility of £316million. The District Council, subject to Council approval on 23 October, will loan £5million to fund plant operator AssetCo and a share of development costs will be taken from the District Council's reserves.

The plant - which could process up to 175,000 tonnes a year - would be built, subject to the relevant planning permissions, on former allotment land of around eight acres behind the Energy from Waste facility operated by the Coventry and Solihull Waste Disposal Company off London Road, Coventry city centre.