Problems at Basildon’s waste plant and delays with A130 road improvements are the focus of a review into alleged failures in tax payer funded contracts.

Councillors at County Hall agreed to set up an investigation into how £1.2b-a-year worth of contracts are awarded in Essex.

Conservative county councillor Malcolm Buckley, for Wickford Crouch ward, raised concern about the multi-million-pound contract Urbaser Balfour Beatty (UBB) secured to run a waste plant off Courtauld Road, Basildon.

He told the meeting that he had met up with UBB to discuss a problem at the site with conveyor belts. He said the firm’s bosses had told him the problem was caused because they had never run such a large waste site.

Addressing officers at the corporate policy and scrutiny committee on Tuesday,, he said: “My question to you is, if that organisation has never done anything on that scale, how on earth did they ever get through the procurement?”

Officers told councillors that some problems arose with big contracts because of “poor communication with contractors about what was expected of them”.

“We need to hold the suppliers to account, but also where we’ve made decisions that have impacted on the level of service people see,” said Melanie Evans, head of procurement and supply management at Essex County Council.

“It’s difficult to give you assurances that we’ve got the skills and capabilities. Obviously, internally we believe that we have. There are always examples where things haven’t gone right.”

Mr Buckley questioned why highways firm Ringway Jacobs, who are responsible for all the roads in Essex and improvements to the A130, may have its £150m-a-year contract extended.

Questioning procurement officers he asked: “How do we justify extending Ringway Jacobs, without going out to a tender?

“Because we all know with all of these contracts there are issues and challenges.

“All of us are of the view there have been, shall I say, issues with the larger contracts that this authority has procured.

“And the one that really annoys me is the A130 and all those damn cones that are still there 18 months later.

“I am yet to be convinced we have the skills in-house to procure this specialist contracts.”

Other councillors backed Mr Buckley.

Officers told Mr Buckley that “value for money checks” were underway into whether the contract would be extended.

The committee’s chair, Michael Mackrory JP, instructed officers to report back to members before awarding Ringway Jacobs a contract extension.

The committee agreed to set up a task and finish group to investigate and review council’s procurement. Mr Buckley was placed on the group.

Both UBB and Ringway Jacobs were contacted about Mr Buckley’s comments, but they chose not to respond.