Forest Heath is in north-west Suffolk with a population of 55,600 people and its estimated costs for its waste collection and recycling services in 2003-04 is 1,036,000. The council's 2001-02 recycling and composting rate was 31% which is close to its statutory target of 33% by 2003-04.
The Audit Commission report added that Forest Heath council has assented to a 47.3% recycling rate target by 2004-05 as part of the Public Service Agreement and Municipal Waste Management Strategy for Suffolk.
The report highlighted that the council's “composting performance is the third highest in the country and other performance indicators mostly show above average performance.”
Edwina Child, the Audit Commission's relationship manager to Forest Heath council, said: “The council provides good refuse, recycling and cleansing services. The inspectors were particularly impressed by the composting service which is one of the best performing in the country.”
Forest Heath has a contract with Viridor Waste Management for the green waste collected in the council's brown bin kerbside scheme. The material is taken to County Mulch for in-vessel composting and the end-product is sold directly to businesses and the public.
Forest Heath was also praised for its home composting scheme which provides free compost bins to households not covered by the green waste collections.
The report criticised the council for its refuse collection, which it said was too costly. The weekly collection from 25,000 households in the area is undertaken by an in-house team.
Ms Child added: “The council's plans for a new dry recyclables collection service should keep Forest Heath at the forefront. However, its refuse collection costs are high and the council needs to tackle these and bring forward its plans for market testing the services.”
However, the council's improvement plan has identified that refuse vehicles need to be replaced in order to reduce maintenance costs. The plan also identifies the possibility of further savings on collection vehicles through the development of a partnership with St Edmundsbury borough council.
For a full copy of the inspection report, visit the Audit Commission website.
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