BACKGROUND INFORMATION
1.1 The Borough Council of Calderdale
The Borough Council of Calderdale (the "Authority") is the smallest unitary authority in the
West Yorkshire and Lancashire conurbation, being surrounded by the bigger authorities of
Kirklees, Bradford, Leeds, Wakefield, Oldham, and Burnley. The authority is the sixth
largest of the 36 metropolitan authorities in terms of land area, yet the seventh smallest
in terms of population. The population is 203,800 (2011 Census). Almost half the
residents live in Halifax, which is also the administrative centre for local government
purposes. Other important settlements are situated along the Calder Valley starting with
Brighouse towards the eastern boundary and then, working westerly, the towns of Elland,
Sowerby Bridge, Mytholmroyd, Hebden Bridge and Todmorden on the extreme westerly
edge of the Authority adjacent to the Lancashire border.
Population Distribution by Age (2011 Census)
Age Group
All ages
203,800
0-14
37,500
16-24
24,000
25-44
54,100
45-64
55,800
65+
32,400
75+
14,900
The population of Calderdale has grown significantly since the 2001 census with about
11,400 more people now living in the Authority, an increase of 5.9%. This rate of increase is
slightly lower than that seen nationally and in West Yorkshire, both of which have seen
population growth of 7.1%.
Information relating to population and household waste growth over the last five years will be
available on request.
The total area of Calderdale is 140 square miles (36,346 hectares); over 80% of this area is
rural with the rest being semi-rural or urban in character. Most of the land area is
concentrated in the Calder Valley, which forms a geographical “backbone” to the Authority.
The valley is narrow in places and is served by one “A” class road, the A646, which
becomes congested at times. Any road works or civil engineering works along this main road
route can cause service related problems for the Authority.
The ethnic population was estimated at 7% of the total in 2009, below the national average
of 9%. The ethnic minority residents are mainly concentrated in Central Halifax where they
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are just over 50% of the resident population. There are small but significant minority ethnic
populations in Elland and Todmorden, which were once high profile textile manufacturing
towns.
Internally Calderdale varies considerably with extremes of affluence and poverty. Areas with
the highest levels of multiple deprivations are within the wards of Park, Ovenden, Illingworth,
Mixenden and Town. Pockets of deprivation are also found in other wards. For those
affected by deprivation, particularly outside Halifax, difficulties with transport magnify their
problems of exclusion. This is because car ownership is low in a high proportion of
households relative to national figures.
Within urban areas in particular, characteristics associated with low incomes and poverty are
present. Lone parents comprise a relatively high proportion of households with children
under 16 years old. In February 2012, 23% of households received Council Tax Benefit. In
four wards the figure exceeded 30%.
The housing stock is varied with 45% of housing being terraced, 14% detached and 28%
semi-detached. Predominately, the housing is owner-occupied with around two thirds of
houses occupied by 2 or more people. Approximately a quarter of the total households are
occupied by people of pensionable age only.
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1.2 Corporate Priorities
There are four values which underpin everything that defines Calderdale as a Council:
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We Care about the communities, customers and colleagues.
We want to Create a sense of ambition, being open to innovation and sharing what
we know.
We Improve the way we deliver services and are committed to delivering positive
outcomes.
We Invest in our people, growing talent and making best use of resources.
The Authority is aimed towards “Building Ambition for Calderdale” which involves the priority
outcomes issued below:
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Growth – Driving economic development and enterprise.
Ambition – Raising aspiration and achievement for all our residents.
Resilience – Supporting personal, community and environmental resilience.
Sustainability – Managing demand and investing for the future.
Efficiency – Delivering efficiency and effectiveness in public services.
Fairness – Reducing inequalities and tackling disadvantages.
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1.3 Waste Management Background
The Authority’s waste and recycling services function is currently performed for the Authority
by SITA (UK) Ltd and does not include the end disposal of non-hazardous (mainly
household residual) waste.
The Authority has awarded a number of contracts for sorting and final disposal of nonhazardous (mainly household residual) waste to the private sector, which will terminate in
2015 with a possible extension until 2017, the waste being delivered from Halifax Transfer
Loading Station (TLS), to facilities outside the Calderdale boundary or direct to third party
facilities within the boundary.
1.4 Present Situation
The Authority covers an area of 140 square miles (36,346 Ha), and contains some 93,670
domestic properties producing 78,624 tonnes per annum of domestic waste. Of this, 23,445
tonnes arises from Household Waste Recycling Centres (HWRCs – formerly known as Civic
Amenity Sites), of which there are currently 5 within the Borough. The balance of 55,220
tonnes mainly arises from the waste and recycling collection service. Domestic properties
are provided with a wheeled bin, or, where access is difficult, bin liners, for the collection of
residual waste on a fortnightly basis. In addition there is a weekly collection of recyclable
waste and food waste available to 95% of properties in the Borough.
Waste is delivered to either a third party treatment facility in the Halifax area or to Halifax
TLS where the waste is bulk loaded and transported by road to sorting facilities to recover
additional recyclables before being sent for final disposal or to landfill. Recyclables are
bulked up at a Materials Recovery Facility in Halifax before being transported by road to
merchants.
The Authority achieved an overall recycling/composting rate for household waste of 60% for
2013/14
To achieve this recycling performance, the Authority employed a number of initiatives. These
are:
A recycling and composting rate of over 60% is achieved at the HWRCs, contributing 19%
towards the overall recycling performance;
A recycling scheme based on mixed grade paper, cans, plastic bottles, food waste and
glass is provided to around 88,000 predominantly low rise domestic properties contributing
20% to the overall recycling performance;
Residual waste is sorted at Waste Treatment Facilities to recover further recyclates, which
produces an additional contribution of 21% to the total recycling performance.
Details of the Authority’s waste management performance indicators are provided later in
this section.
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1.5 Household Waste Recycling Centres
Some 23,445 tonnes of waste (30% of the Authority's domestic waste) arises from the
Authority’s Household Waste Recycling Centres (HWRCs).
Containers are provided for a plethora of recyclable materials either by Sita or
subcontractors employed by Sita and are collected /delivered directly to reprocessors for
recycling.
Residual waste is transported from HWRCs to Halifax TLS where it is bulked up and
transported to sorting facilities or direct to a third party sorting facility in the Halifax area for
treatment.
A recycling and composting rate of over 60% aggregate is achieved at the HWRCs.
1.6 Present Operational Arrangements and Infrastructure
The Authority acts as both a Waste Collection Authority (WCA) and Waste Disposal
Authority (WDA) and has a duty under the Environmental Protection Act 1990 Section 45 &
48 to collect, treat and dispose of municipal waste. The Authority’s current contractor SITA
(UK) Ltd collects, transfer loads and delivers waste to the Authority’s contracted site(s) for
sorting and final disposal.
Refuse is currently collected in 240 litre wheeled bins from the curtilage, or where there are
access and storage issues by black sacks, with a maximum of five allowed per fortnight,
from the householder’s chosen point of storage. The current recycling service uses a 55 litre
black box for glass and cans, a weighted white sack for plastics, green reusable bag for
paper, 5 litre kitchen caddy and 23.5 litre caddy for outside storage of food waste, with
textiles collected in plastic carrier bags. All recycling is collected from the curtilage.
A more frequent residual waste collection service takes place at a number of high rise flats,
apartments and houses of multiple occupancy utilising communal bulk bins.
Recycling from high rise flats, apartments and houses in multiple occupation is variable
depending on the capacities available at each site, from the standard service bags and
boxes provided at other domestic properties to 1100 litre wheeled bins.
The Council currently operates a chargeable bulky waste collection service which allows for
the separate collection of free standing household items from outside or by arrangement
inside properties. The Council can also provide the removal of building, DIY or larger
quantities of garden waste, these services are chargeable to the public and are undertaken
on request or by prior arrangement.
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1.7 Scale of the current operation
In 2013/14 the Authority processed 83,738 tonnes of municipal waste. This figure has
remained at a similar level since 2009/10 and the onset of the alternate weekly collections
introduced that year.
The Authority does not provide a trade waste collection service but is required to arrange a
service through the current contractor if asked.
The total approximate arisings from various sources are as listed below:
Waste Sources
Tonnes Per Year
2013/14
1.
Refuse Collection including recycling
51,880
2.
Bulky Collections
1,132
3.
Household Waste Recycling Centres
23,445
4.
Mini Sites / Other sources
860
5.
Inert Material
5,114
6.
Household Clinical Waste
178
7.
Street Cleansing
1,129
TOTAL
83,738
The total approximate disposals from various sources are as listed below:
Disposal Route
Tonnages Per Year
2013/14
1.
Landfill direct
3,460
2.
Composting of Green Waste
7,402
3.
Dry recycling
18,544
4.
Inert Material Recycling
5,114
5.
Food waste
4,747
6.
MRF for residual waste
44,471
TOTAL
83,738
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1.8 Current Waste Management Performance Indicators.
National
Indicator
No.
Description
10/11
11/12
12/13
13/14
NI191
Kgs/household of residual
waste
495.9
8465.8
323.1
335.7
NI192
Percentage of household
waste recycled
41.07
43.69
60.62
60.1
NI193
Percentage of municipal
waste landfilled
53.54
49.15
16.45
17.10
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