LondonEnergy to operate a waste transfer station and recycling plant in Wembley

North London Waste Authority (NLWA) signs lease with Seneca Resource Recovery to operate a waste transfer station and recycling plant from their Wembley site.

NLWA has signed a lease to operate Seneca’s Wembley site for its newly located waste transfer station and recycling plant. Operating the facility from the Wembley site will give the Authority significant new operational flexibility that will future-proof the vital waste disposal service it provides for its two million residents. The lease was signed on Friday (27 November) following a collaborative and efficient negotiation between the parties.

NLWA’s main waste contractor, LondonEnergy Ltd, will operate the facility, which will include a new materials recycling picking line. In a further boost to north London’s efforts to drive up recycling rates the new picking line will allow additional recyclable material to be extracted from the waste stream.

The move comes as construction work on NLWA’s North London Heat and Power Project – the programme for a new world-class replacement energy recovery facility at the Edmonton EcoPark – continues at pace. The transfer station at Wembley will facilitate a reduction in the number of vehicles needing to enter the EcoPark and will replace the recycling plant that is currently housed at the EcoPark. This is one part of site clearance activities that will enable construction work on the energy recovery facility to progress at the EcoPark, where the facility is being built.

The timing of the move was scheduled to coincide with NLWA’s need to vacate its existing Hendon Waste Transfer Station to allow for regeneration works in the area that are being led by London Borough of Barnet.

Cllr Clyde Loakes, Chair of NLWA, heralded the deal as ‘breaking new ground’ within the waste industry. “This mutually beneficial arrangement is the result of focused and constructive negotiations on all sides – and it is a hugely exciting development for NLWA. By agreeing a lease with Seneca we have secured a suitable space for an essential new waste transfer station, and a recycling facility that will further improve our environmental performance. In bringing those plans together with work to free up space at the EcoPark we’ve ensured that construction on the NLHPP progresses smoothly, and that NLWA can continue to offer sustainable solutions to managing north London’s waste.”

John Carey Jr, Carey Group Deputy Chairman, commented: “Seneca is delighted to support NLWA during this important phase in the development of their waste treatment infrastructure. Our Wembley facility is an excellent fit, it provides an interim solution for the Hendon Waste Transfer Station whilst the additional waste processing capacity supports the operations at Edmonton EcoPark during the construction of the NLHPP.”

Peter Sharpe, Managing Director of LondonEnergyLtd, said: “LondonEnergy is looking forward to moving into the new Wembley facility. This is a great step towards increasing our recycling capacity. The size of the site will enable us to process the RRCs and bulky waste through an improved material recycling picking station on site.” The Waste Transfer Station is a key element of NLWA’s activities to manage waste transportation and disposal on behalf of seven boroughs in the north London area. The site is expected to become operational in January 2021.

NLWA has signed a seven-year lease with Seneca. The programme of works for NLHPP includes provision of a Resource Recovery Facility for reception and transfer of waste incorporating a public Reuse and Recycling Centre, and EcoPark House, a visitor centre which will be used to provide community and education space.