Disclosing the underspend figure, Karyn Punchard, the Partnership’s director, said that this £1 million would follow on from an underspend last year of £500,000.
She described how the DWP has full partnership delegated powers and represents all the authorities in Dorset undertaking all waste-related services. The Partnership has about 200 vehicles, a budget of £34.2 million and employs 370 staff.
“It has not all been plain sailing,” she said with reference to the past difficulties the DWP has faced. “The first challenge is the politics, getting seven councils to agree to a partnership. From the districts there was a concern about a lack of identity and a loss of contact with customers.”
In-house
Other challenges include the fact that the DWP was viewed as “an outside body whereas we were an in-house service” and that support from partners was missing which proved “very difficult”.
“In 2014/15 we overspent by £2.1 million with bad press coverage and the roll out in Weymouth and Portland was very difficult,” Ms Punchard added.
Now, things are more positive, she said: “We believe that we have turned things around – it is worth it, well worth all the pain.” And, referring to an earlier presentation at the event by Dr Marcus Gover of WRAP on consistency, Ms Punchard said: “I believe we have achieved consistency on a county-wide basis across Dorset. Our recycling rate was 29% before the new service and this is up to 58.5% and our cost per household is £153 this year and will be next year £147.”
Surrey
Also speaking to the LARAC session on partnership working was Matt Smyth, officer chairman of the Surrey Waste Partnership.
He followed the history of local government reorganisation since Victorian times remarking that boundaries “weren’t created for waste collection and disposal”.
Turning to the present day, he said that the Surrey Waste Partnership aimed to collect more recycling, to collect as efficiently as possible and to maximise income from recycling. And, a contract is to be let for a joint collection contract for four local authorities, Surrey Heath, Woking, Elmbridge and Mole Valley.
Collections
“Eventually”, said Mr Smyth, “we want to be in a place similar to what Karyn is in Dorset. To start with we will see how the county council can work with those four authorities in a joint collection contract.”
Asked by Billy Maxwell of Liverpool city council whether rather than scaling up services, the idea of working at a smaller level had been considered, Mr Smyth said it was an interesting idea but that there were advantages in scaling up, rather than scaling down. “It is about delivering a service to residents that is the key. Flats in one borough are the same as in another borough. We see real opportunities from scaling up.”
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