The Essex County Council (ECC) has reached an agreement terminating its 25-year public-private partnership with its waste services contractor UBB Waste Essex. UBB is a joint venture between a subsidiary of Spanish environmental services concern Urbaser and the British infrastructure group Balfour Beatty. Under the terms of the settlement announced on 21 April, UBB has agreed to demolish the mechanical biological treatment (MBT) facility it built to process the county's waste.
The company will also surrender the facility's environmental permit. It will not be obligated to make any payments to the council. With the conclusion of the deal, the parties have agreed to settle their ongoing legal disputes, said the council.
In its own public statement, UBB Waste said, "UBB acknowledges that the facility did not meet the specifications set out by ECC during the procurement process and subsequently included in the residual waste treatment contract....
