Today's allocations by DEFRA – the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs – follows a statement it issued in November 2003. This said that the Department would play its part in reducing pressure on council spending by cutting about 35 million from local authorities' expenditure on recycling and waste in 2004/05. (see letsrecycle.com story).
At the time, DEFRA said this figure would be met in part by cutting about 10 million through the deferral of the Landfill Allowance Trading Scheme until 2005/06. This meant councils could delay expenditure on projects to divert waste from landfill. The announcement of today's 20 million grant is the second measure and will mean that about 30 million of savings and grants will be received by council for waste and recycling, so helping take some pressure off council tax.
Commitment
Environment minister Elliot Morley said: “This grant fulfils the commitment DEFRA made in the local government finance statement on November 19 to 'reduce spending pressures on local government by some 25m to 35m in the waste area next year'.”
A share of the 20 million grant will be distributed to every local authority with waste responsibilities in England to help reach their 2005-06 statutory targets on recycling.
Mr Morley explained: The grant to each authority will be calculated using a simplified version of the Environmental, Protective and Cultural Services formula tailored to reflect the need to spend on waste, depending on factors like population density and size of area.”
From the 20 million grant, just over 3 million will go to the London boroughs, with a similar amount going to other metropolitan areas in England. English county councils will get just over 4 million, unitary councils just over 3.2 million and district councils 6.2 million. The largest single grant, of 281,599, goes to Birmingham city council.
For a list detailing the recycling grants for all the relevant authorities in England, click here.
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