The 250 million Weekly Collection Support Scheme could provide investment for infrastructure and incentive schemes, as long as they support a weekly waste collection, it was revealed at a Local Government Association conference today (February 2).
And, a senior civil servant at the department for communities and local government revealed that the criteria for the fund will be announced imminently with sources suggesting it could be tomorrow.
Speaking at an event on Waste, Recycling and Localism, Rosie Seymour, deputy director for local public services reform at the DCLG, said: We are being as open minded as possible. We are not ruling anything out at this stage. If a scheme to introduce the weekly collection pattern required an incentive scheme then they could bid for the funding for it.
However Ms Seymour noted that while the fund is a sizeable sum given the governments current financial situation, within the context of the waste industry it isnt an immense sum, particularly for those councils looking for investment in infrastructure.
Ms Seymour laid out the timeline for the bidding process stating that final bids are expected to be submitted by August 2012 and the winning bids announced in late September.
Process
She stated that the assessment process would be quite complicated and emphasised that the DCLG will be offering support to the councils throughout the process. Technical advisory groups will be set up and operate throughout the bidding process.
We are being as open minded as possible. We are not ruling anything out at this stage
Rosie Seymour, DCLG
The DCLG is asking the councils who propose to bid for the fund to offer feedback in terms of the support they will require to get the schemes rolled out. She said: Its difficult for us to know in advance the sort of support that will be needed. We cant make promises about the support we can offer but we need feedback so we can build it into our plans.
Fund
The 250 million fund was first announced by communities secretary Eric Pickles in September 2011 (see letsrecycle.com story) to enable local authorities to retain, or return to, weekly waste collections for at least five years.
The fund will be distributed over three years with 50 million being invested in year one, financial year 2012/13, and 100 million allocated within each of the following two years.
Concerns
However at the conference, which was chaired by Councillor Clyde Loakes, vice-chair of LGA Environment, some councils voiced fears that they would be unable to bid for the fund having already introduced a weekly collection service, while councils which had made no effort to support the governments move to reduce waste and increase recycling could benefit.
Responding to such concerns, Ms Seymour said: The scheme cannot fund things that the local authorities are already spending money on. It has to fit with the weekly collection pattern and help to improve the environment.
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