All future waste site options ‘will mean extra costs for Pendle’ after county ends local arrangement

All future options for potential waste transfer sites available to Pendle Council will increase costs, after a Lancashire County Council agreement with a landfill site in Hyndburn ends next year, councillors are being advised.

And estimated costs range from £600,000 to £2.6million, in a new report for Pendle’s Executive.

Borough councils are responsible for collecting different types of waste from homes and businesses, while the county council is responsible for disposal. A Lancashire County Council agreement to use the Whinney Hill landfill site near Altham will end in March 2026, meaning smaller east Lancashire boroughs need to make alternative plans for non-recyclable rubbish.  But boroughs face extra fuel costs and longer journeys if they take waste to the county’s Farington site near Leyland.

The county’s Whinney Hill contract was extended for 12 months to April, 2026 but was previously due to end this year. Whinney Hill is operated by Suez UK Ltd and the former Conservative leadership at Lancashire County Hall made the decisions.

But there are implications and uncertainty for local boroughs collecting waste. Earlier this year, Pendle councillors axed plans for a new £2million waste transfer site in Nelson. They said new facilities could be ‘white elephants’ ahead of potential waste changes and expected reforms of local councils by the government. Another waste site upgrade plan was scrapped in Rossendale.

Now, Pendle Council’s Executive is to look again at waste site options. A new report by council officers states:  “As part of the council’s ongoing attempts to ensure Pendle is provided with local waste management facilities, following the ending of the county council’s current agreements, the borough recently met county representatives to further discuss options for management of waste and materials after April 2026.

“County representatives advised that from April 2026, the county council would no longer have budgets available to support the management of waste and materials. The statement effectively placed Pendle back to where it was in 2022 with the county saying the Farington waste recovery park near Leyland was the only guaranteed tipping point for Pendle’s waste.”

County representatives presented three proposals to consider, the Pendle cabinet report adds. And these will also be discussed by the county’s new Reform-led cabinet on September 4.

The options are:

Use the existing Pendle transfer station contract on a rolling year-on-year agreement for a minimum of three years.

The county procure a treatment contract for Pendle’s non-recyclable waste.

Pendle make its own arrangements for residual (non-recycled) waste.

Different estimated option costs are also highlighted. These range from the cheapest at nearly £600,000 to £745,950 for a waste site within 10 miles, such as Deerplay or Cliviger;  £809,950 for a site within 15 miles such as Darwen, or £2.6million for the Farington site.

Pendle’s Executive meets at Nelson on Thursday, August 21.