Councillors aim to produce a draft strategy by the end of July, in association with Southend-on-Sea and Thurrock unitary councils. The final strategy is due by December, for adoption in early 2003.
Cabinet members are expected to give the final go ahead tomorrow to plans drawn up by the Waste Management Advisory Board in April. These recommendations included the recruitment of a technical consultant and a communication consultant to assist authorities with the waste strategy.
The communication consultant will carry out a public awareness exercise and a wider public consultation on the strategy. The technical consultant will deal with government guidance on municipal waste management strategies, the particular needs of local areas within the county and the feasibility of different waste management practices.
The WMAB decided last month that the technical consultants should be Environmental Resources Management and its partner, Babtie Group. A budget for the technical consultant alone was set at 50,000 – to be covered jointly by the councils involved. However, no decision has yet been taken on the communication consultant.
The county and the two unitary authorities are seeking to achieve a minimum target of 40% recycling or composting of household waste by the end of 2004, rising to 60% by 2007.
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