Hampshire&#39s Project Integra set for peace talks

Peace talks are to take place at the Project Integra AGM on January 12, after a county council inquiry recommended staying within Project Integra.

” We're hoping that things will now be openly back on track “
– Steve Read, Project Integra
The county had threatened to withdraw from the partnership last spring, over what it said was a “lack of shared vision” for Integra's future (see letsrecycle.com story).

The inquiry held by the county council last autumn concluded that Hampshire's best interests lay within Project Integra, saying it was a “vital facilitation mechanism for waste collection authority and waste disposal authority businesses to interact”, along with waste contractor Onyx.

This week's meeting, hosted by East Hampshire, is expected to discuss Hampshire's inquiry and should see initial moves by the county to re-build trust with Integra's 13 other local authority members.

The councillor who led Hampshire's threat to withdraw at the time is no longer pulling the environmental strings at the county council, and the report from the council's inquiry distanced Hampshire from the move to threaten Project Integra.

Success
Integra, which was formed in 1994, has led the county's waste management revolution, which has seen a whole new network of recycling and disposal facilities.

Such is the county's success in diverting material from landfill, it has managed to sell over 230,000 tonnes worth of landfill allowances for the 2005/06 period and a further 150,000 tonnes worth allocated for the following three years.

Although Hampshire's inquiry did highlight some concerns with the current Integra management board, it suggested the actual threat to withdraw from the partnership largely rested on the shoulders of previous environment portfolio holder, Cllr Keith Estlin. Cllr Estlin did not stand for re-election last year, and his portfolio is now held by Cllr Tim Knight.

After its inquiry, the county's committee said of the threat to withdraw: “The panel has looked into this and is very clear that whilst there were understandable reasons for the ongoing frustration that was being felt at the time, there was never any advice from officers to the previous executive member concerned to withdraw from the Project Integra Board.”

Structure
One of the objections of the county council last year was its limited role within the “one member, one vote” structure of the Project Integra management board. The county's inquiry recommended standing by such a structure, but did request that when not holding the chair of the management board, a county council representative should be vice chair.

However, the county council's inquiry did express concerns at Project Integra being seen as a single “80 million business” rather than a partnership of different authorities working together.

The inquiry report noted: “Although there is a very minimal joint budget, the panel suggests that in fact the partnership known as project integra is not a business at all, but rather a mechanism for facilitating joint working between many separate businesses.”

Hampshire wants to form a separate, parallel partnership of Integra's waste disposal authorities – with the unitary councils Portsmouth and Southampton – to look specifically at plans for dealing with commercial and industrial waste disposal in future years.

Officer
The county said the role of Integra's executive officer should be adjusted to focus on administration, communications and facilitation of the partnership.

The meeting on Thursday will also discuss a new business plan for Integra's next five years and a consultation for a new joint municipal waste strategy, which is to run in parallel with a new minerals and waste strategy for the area.

Integra's executive officer, Steve Read, told letsrecycle.com: “Hampshire county council's internal scrutiny committee's inquiry work concluded that they should continue to work within Integra. We're hoping that things will now be openly back on track.”

Mr Read suggested that with the new joint waste strategy and business plan, Integra would be looking to evaluate the possibilities for more recycling and disposal infrastructure, particularly for those materials not currently being diverted from landfill.