A waste collection authority (district council) in Southern England.

Our client awarded a contract for domestic refuse collection and recycling to a private sector contractor. Following the closure of one of the landfills, the contractor was formally directed to deliver the collected refuse to another, more distant landfill. The contract made provision for the contractor to claim, in these circumstances, for the additional costs of "tipping away". The contract is for 10 years and the amount claimed by the contractor would have produced additional costs to the Authority of more than £3M over the life of the contract.

Role of Robert Long Consultancy Limited

Robert Long Consultancy Limited was instructed by the Collection Authority to review the structure and magnitude of the contractor's claim and give an opinion on its validity. Our advice included a detailed analysis of the claim, identifying errors in it and assisting the Authority in negotiations. After lengthy negotiations the claim was settled at a figure which will save our client over £1M over the remaining term of the contract.

Robert Long Consultancy Limited also assisted the WCA in a claim to the Waste Disposal Authority in relation to the same redirection to the new landfill.