North Somerset Council has agreed to a substantial rent increase for the recycling depot it operates on, in order to comply with its legal obligations to manage waste collection effectively. The council does not own the depot located at Westland Distribution Park; it is leased from landlord AEW UK REIT Plc, which recently gave notice of its intention to end the lease next year.
Losing access to the depot would force the council to seek costly alternatives, potentially running into millions of pounds, either by transporting waste out of the area or risking non-compliance with statutory waste collection duties.
To avoid this, the council has successfully negotiated a new lease agreement extending occupancy until 2031. However, the agreement includes a break clause allowing termination as early as July 2028, meaning tenure beyond that date is not guaranteed. The council has accepted a 30% rent increase, raising annual payments from £224,000 to £291,500. Council representatives confirmed that this was the lowest possible rent achievable under current circumstances.
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Steve Bridger, Cabinet Member for Assets, stated: “Given the limited timeframe and lack of alternative options, retaining the units at Westland is essential to continuing our statutory waste collection service from next spring.”
In parallel, members agreed to initiate work on developing a new waste depot and recycling centre on land owned by the council. Though only £2.5 million has so far been allocated for design work, the total project costs are projected to reach approximately £56 million upon completion. However, the new facility is not expected to be operational before the break clause could come into effect in July 2028.
AEW UK REIT Plc is reportedly considering redevelopment plans for the current depot site, but there are no immediate actions planned. Should the depot close before the new site opens, the council estimates it might incur additional costs of around £4.6 million to transport recycling materials to other locations. Council officers emphasised efforts to mitigate the risk of closure ahead of the new facility’s completion, noting that this scenario represents a worst-case estimate.
The planned new facility will not only provide a dedicated waste depot free from lease vulnerabilities but will also incorporate a recycling centre to replace the current one on Aisecombe Road, Weston-super-Mare, which is considered unsuitable for long-term use. The chosen site for construction is at Avoncrest, a former landfill area located near the existing recycling centre.