Senior local government sources told letsrecycle.com today that a consultation paper on the 140m contained seemed too much controls and limits on number of authorities able to receive money and would allow DEFRA to have close control of allocations.
One source, who did not wish to be named at this stage said: “This looks as though the Department is keen to reduce its workload in assessing bids and really wants submissions more from authorities who are already doing well.”
The consultation paper, which can be seen at:
DEFRA waste fund
aims to say how 140m may be allocated over the next two financial years. There has been considerable delay in producing the paper as DEFRA struggled to work out its proposals – originally publication was expected in July this year. Becvause of the delay the Department has produced a document which it concedes is closer to the real thing and that it may also allow some authorities to start preparing bids in line the proposals contained in it. “The time pressures have also led us to consult on more worked-up proposals
than would normally be the case. In particular we set out proposals for 2002-03 resources that should allow relevant local authorities to begin work on an
application.”
Overall the consultation is to help DEFRA meet its aim of enabling 17% of household waste to be recycled or composted by 2004”.
The actual timetable for spending the money is not open for discussion, says DEFRA. “decisions on the size of the fund, the split of funding between 2002-
03 and 2003-04 (50m and 90m) and the division of these sums between
capital and revenue (25m capital and 25m revenue in 2002-03 and 50m
capital and 40m revenue in 2003-04) were decided in the Spending Review
2000.”
Waste minimisation work will not qualify for funding and in framing proposals for money DEFRA says local authorities should explain how the particular proposals fit into their longer-term strategy.
And, it rules out giving the money to many local authorities, hinting that larger projects are more likely to win funds. “140m is a sufficiently large sum to make a substantial difference to recycling work in England, but distributing it to all 394 local authorities with waste management
responsibilities could limit its effect considerably:
be too small to buy any of the larger capital items that may be required to
improve recycling facilities;
additional spending on recycling, but rather displaces other existing
revenue funding where authorities have the discretion to spend resources
on other services.
DEFRA says that is “particularly keen to support innovative or ground-breaking
projects likely to lead to a total recycling performance in excess of 30%, that
tackle recycling among more difficult waste streams and that tackle recycling
in areas/types of housing that are traditionally difficult to target. Proposals
that seek to improve the cost effectiveness of recycling where this is necessary
to ensure sustainability of approach would be especially welcome.”
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