THURROCK Council has approved a £13.4 million waste contract despite receiving just one bid, prompting questions whether the authority was securing the best deal.

Cabinet members awarded the contract to dispose of waste to existing provider PF Ahern Limited on Wednesday evening (14 October), after officers said it offered "excellent value for money".

The deal covers waste from Thurrock's household waste and recycling centre, plus food, garden and recyclable waste and rubbish collected from streets and public spaces.

The contract starts from December and runs for three years, with an option to extend it for up to two more years.

Cabinet member for veterans, enforcement and environment Russell Cherry said the deal was vital to keep waste services running and warned of major disruption if new arrangements were not in place before the current contracts expire in December.

Cllr Sara Poyntz, cabinet member for finance, questioned how the council could claim the contract was value for money when only one company submitted a compliant bid.

Cllr Russell Cherry.

Cllr Cherry replied that the tender had been openly advertised and run according to procurement rules.

Download our Nub News App!

- It’s FREE and available now
- Breaking news notifications
- Your Town in Your Pocket

He said four companies took part in early market engagement and 18 viewed the tender documents.

"Whilst there was a single bidder I would like to reassure you this did not alter or dilute our procurement process in any way," Cllr Cherry told members.

"Council are satisfied the single bidder met required standards and provided a proposal that represented an appropriate solution for councils requirements."

Cllr Cherry said officers had compared the bid with the wider market and found it met the council's requirements.

A cabinet report says officers found no evidence that competition was restricted or any supplier was favoured.

The winning bid is worth £13.37 million, roughly 26.7 per cent more than the council's previous arrangements.

Officers said the higher price reflected rising costs across the waste industry, including fuel, staffing, vehicle upkeep and taxes.