Suez

Councillors have held the first meeting of the working group that will be looking at the roll out of the new waste and street cleansing contract.

The scrutiny review will be examining Swale Borough Council’s new waste contract with Suez, that started in March, following several months of disruption for many residents.

The Council has confirmed that they will be looking at a range of issues around the start of the new contract, including:

The GMB union has confirmed to SFM News that is has "begun the process of asking its members who are employed by Suez in Swale and Ashford whether or not to take industrial action".

The ballot is due to a pay disparoty between staff in both Swale and Ashford over Maidstone. Loaders in Swale and Ashford receive £12 per hour and Drivers £15 whilst in Maidstone it's £13 and £17 per hour respectively,

Members are being balloted between now and Monday 19th August. 

What has been knicknamed "The Suez Crisis" continues, six weeks after Swale Borough Council's new multi-million-pound household waste collection contract with Suez.

Suez Recycling and Recovery UK took on the contract from Monday 25th March, worth £152 million over eight years, from the previous contractor Biffa across the Mid Kent Waste Partnership of Swale, Maidstone and Ashford Borough Councils covering some 460,000 residents. It's believed that Swale's contribution will be £61 million, or £6.7 million per year until 2032.

Local residents are being invited to help name Swale Borough Councils’ new fleet of waste collection and street sweeper vehicles.

Swale Borough Council wants people to get creative and help name 24 new waste collection vehicles and four new street cleansing vehicles that will be working across the borough from March.

The vehicles are currently being built as part of the new waste and street cleansing contract with SUEZ Recycling and Recovery UK Ltd.

Swale, along with two other Kent councils, have signed a new waste and recycling contract with SUEZ Recycling and Recovery UK Ltd.

Ashford, Maidstone and Swale councils – who work together as the Mid Kent Waste Partnership - have awarded the eight-year contract to Suez after a joint tender process.

The new £19 million a year contract begins in March 2024 and will bring improvements to all the existing service and make use of the latest technology.