Merton, Sutton, Croydon and Kingston to change bin contracts after 'concerns'

Four London councils are expected to end their waste contracts following "significant and ongoing concerns" with the provider.

Bin collections and street cleaning in Merton, Sutton, Croydon and Kingston have been operated by Veolia since 2017.

The councils work together on waste decisions as members of the South London Waste Partnership.

Merton Council confirmed its plans to exit the contract, which ends in 2025.

The announcement comes eight months after the council issued Veolia with a Service Improvement Notice due to concerns over the quality of street cleaning in the borough, as reported by the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Andrea Keys, partnership director for the South London Waste Partnership, said that "after taking all things into account, officers in the four partner boroughs have decided to recommend to their members that recommissioning the services would be in the boroughs' best interests".

Members of Merton Council's cabinet are expected to approve the recommendation to end the contract when it meets on October 10.

Liberal Democrat councillor for Merton, Anthony Fairclough, welcomed the news but said he was concerned services could be affected until the contract ended.

"We now have nearly three years where the council's waste contractor knows it's on the way out. They are not going to be motivated to improve performance; council bosses will need to work hard to get the services we pay for," he said.

A spokesperson for Veolia said: "Since the existing contract began in 2017, service requirements and the wider market have evolved substantially.

"We look forward to reviewing new contract specifications when these are available and will respond accordingly in the new bidding process. In the meantime, we are committed to continuing to deliver the best quality services to residents until the completion of the contract in 2025."