Ian Guillard, chair of the CRNS, told letsrecycle.com the community sector was grateful for the 5 million fund announced last week by the Scottish Executive. However, he said the amount would not build “any capacity” and argued that community recyclers should be included in the Executive's Waste Strategy.
The 5 million two-year fund for community recycling schemes in Scotland was announced by Scottish Environment and Rural Development Minister Ross Finnie earlier this month.
The fund comes from money made available from the reform of the Landfill Tax Credit Scheme earlier this year, which saw the exclusion of waste management projects from receiving LTCS grants.
Speaking to the Environment and Rural Development Committee about the fund, Mr Finnie said: “Many community sector bodies involved in sustainable waste management have been concerned about funding after the UK government announced changes to the Landfill Tax Credit Scheme. The funding I am announcing today, to be made available over the next two years, will help reassure them of their continued role.”
The fund will be split into 2.5 million each for 2004-05 and 2005-06. The Executive has said it plans to consult stakeholders, including community groups, in deciding on the eligibility criteria for distributing the money.
But Mr Guillard said of the 5 million: “It is probably less than was previously being spent by the community sector from the Landfill Tax Credit Scheme.”
Inclusion
The minister told the parliamentary committee in his announcement of the fund that the community sector was important in improving Scotland's recycling. He said: “I believe the community sector, working in partnership with local authorities, has a strong role to play in sustainable waste management.”
Mr Guillard said that the community sector's activities in Scotland have not been recognised in the Scottish Executive's Waste Plan.
He added: “In the face of it we welcome any money. But it doesn't really address the issues; the lack of inclusion in the implementation of the Scottish Waste Plan.”
The other issues he raised included how the funding will be distributed and how it will improve recycling and socially benefit local communities.
He said: “Let's not just run another funding project, we need to build capacity into the sector in order to gain representation and inclusion in Scottish waste management.”
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