(06 Jan 2018, 12:14 pm)Cock Robin wrote Indeed.
Why would  Stockton Council suddenly terminate the contracts?

That's the bit that looks strange, something has gone on in the background that will likely never be known.
They did apply for a new licence in the NEBC name so one option is the council have pulled the contracts for not being operated by the company who won them, as they've been operated by Stephensons of Easingwold for the last few months.