Concerns raised over city's food waste contract

Concerns have been raised that Derby City Council could tie itself to a two-year food waste contract at a site previously reported for its "horrific smells".

The authority will have a duty to collect food waste weekly from spring 2026 and plans to use an unnamed anaerobic digestion (AD) system within the city border.

Councillor Jonathan Smale said the only existing AD site in the city boundary was in his ward of Spondon, which he feared could release more "significant odours" into the community if added to.

A city council officer said: "If we became aware of an issue with any facility that we used, we would obviously work closely with that particular service provider."

Smale, who is deputy leader of Derby Conservative Group, said via Facebook: "This paper should not simply be nodded through by cabinet if it risks placing an unnecessary burden on Spondon or other nearby communities."

From 31 March, the city council must collect an estimated 4,845 tonnes of domestic food waste per year.

New caddies will be distributed in the coming weeks and fortnightly collections for black and brown bins will remain the same.

The authority said disposing of food waste in black bins cost almost six times more than recycling via the new weekly food waste service.

Council documents stated an anaerobic digestion facility was the "most sustainable option" for treating this waste.

However, Smale has said people in his ward have already been blighted by the smell of "rotting meat and fish", which he did not want to see repeated.

"We've had horrific smells, especially in the summer," he said.

In June, he told the BBC about the long-running issue of the "Spondon Pong," which has since subsided thanks to the work of the Environmental Agency and operators of the AD system.

"If the city council's going to be using this site, there should be some protections for Spondon that gives the council the opportunity to break the contract, should the site not be able to deal with the waste properly," he said.

Smale added building another AD facility would be too expensive and transporting the food waste out of Derby would "undermine the whole recycling agenda".

The Local Democracy Reporting Service reported that a city council officer told an executive scrutiny board meeting on Monday that "any facility used has to be operated to the highest standards".

"[The company] will need to comply with the requirements of the Environment Agency and the regulatory bodies," the officer added.

The proposed £750,000 two-year contract will be discussed at a council cabinet meeting on Wednesday.

Follow BBC Derby on Facebook, on X, or on Instagram. Send your story ideas to [email protected] or via WhatsApp on 0808 100 2210.