Estate Management Services of closed landfill sites and solar farms. West Sussex County Council

Description

The Estates Management Contract includes works on the closed landfill sites such as grass cutting, weed control, tree surgery, deer management, fencing and signage. It will also include the grounds maintenance of the two solar farms, Tangmere and Westhampnett. Lot 1: Under the provisions of the Environmental Protection Act 1990, c.43, Part II, s61, the Authority has a statutory obligation to maintain and manage closed landfill sites that it was responsible for filling, or for which it became responsible following local government reorganisation in 1974.<br/><br/>There are currently six closed landfill sites for which the authority is responsible. <br/><br/>The key liabilities associated with these sites are the environmental discharges of leachate to water courses and methane to air. There is also some responsibility to ensure the facilities are safe and appropriately secure, under the Corporate Manslaughter Act 2007.<br/><br/>Each site has a specific maintenance schedule to maintain access for the purposes of environmental monitoring and to keep the sites in a secure and orderly manner. A healthy cover of vegetation across the waste area is important to reduce surface water ingress, which in turn can impact the function of the landfill, by increasing leachate and gas production.<br/><br/>The Council owns three sites; Baystone Farm, Faygate and Westhampnett, with the remaining sites owned by private landowners. Despite not being landowner, the Council retains the environmental liability for these sites, but does not have control over the use of the land, e.g. for grazing.<br/><br/>In addition, this contract will cover the grounds maintenance of the solar farm at Tangmere. Westhampnett is both a solar farm and closed landfill site.