Kidlington Waste Removal

Location

Description

This contract has been directly awarded under the extreme urgency provisions, as set out in the Transparency Notice published on 6 January 2026 and in the Direct Award Justification of this notice, to mitigate a significant fire risk at the Kidlington waste site identified by Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue Service. A fire at this location would have serious consequences for public safety, including air quality impacts from smoke, disruption to critical infrastructure such as the A34 major highway, and risks to the local environment. The contract covers the full end‑to‑end clearance of approximately 21,000 tonnes of illegally deposited mixed waste at the site. This includes establishing, maintaining, and removing site facilities and access arrangements; testing, removing and disposing of all waste material at appropriately permitted facilities (including all required waste‑transfer documentation); managing site leachate; managing odour; and providing site security throughout the works. The contract will commence on 19 January 2026. The contract’s initial duration will align with the completion date set out in the first Accepted Programme of the ECC, which is 12th June 2026. The works will then be subject to a 12‑month defects period. The authority may extend the contract to reflect any changes to the completion date under the Accepted Programme. The target cost for the works is £6,084,563.52. Under the NEC Option C contract model, any changes to this target cost will be managed through the compensation‑event process clearly set out in the ECC. Adjustments to the contract value or contract duration will only occur where compensation events are assessed and agreed in accordance with the contract conditions.

Award Detail

CPV Codes

• None found

Legal Justification

Approximately 21,000 tonnes of mixed waste have been illegally deposited at the site. Independent advice from Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue Service (OFRS) confirms a rapidly increasing fire risk, driven by the volume and composition of the waste, the limited ability to safely access and control a fire if one were to start, and the lack of viable options to contain or manage firewater. A fire at this location would have a severe impact; including: • Lead to the closure of the A34, a major transport corridor between the South coast and the Midlands • Disrupt emergency services, local utilities and essential services • Cause pollution to the River Cherwell, which would impact on public water abstraction downstream on the River Thames and surrounding environment • Produce significant smoke affecting nearby communities These serious risks require immediate intervention to protect public safety, the environment and critical infrastructure because of the increasing risk of spontaneous combustion of the waste and the inability for the OFRS to access the site and tackle any fire. Work needs to start immediately not only to remove the fire risk but also to avoid the upcoming bird nesting season which could impact on site clearance works. The use of the extreme and unavoidable urgency provision is justified because: • The situation could not reasonably have been foreseen, arising from an unexpected significant increase in the likelihood of spontaneous combustion at the site identified by OFRS in December. • The urgency is not attributable to the contracting authority. EA does not clear illegal waste sites, such as this site at Kidlington, except in exceptional circumstances. The decision to clear this site was based on the exceptional circumstances created by the rapidly escalating fire and environmental risks . • The time limits for any competitive procurement procedure cannot be met without creating unacceptable risk to people, the environment, and critical infrastructure.

Other Information

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