Former Shanks director to lead LondonWaste

Mr Sharpe takes over from departing managing director David Sargent who will retire on July 31, after 15 years in the role.

LondonWaste – which employs 250 people handling over 800,000 tonnes of waste annually – has recently been awarded a new 10 year waste contract by the North London Waste Authority and proposals have been launched to build a replacement energy recovery facility at the EcoPark, scheduled to open by 2025.

The company carries out waste services on behalf of the seven north London boroughs, and its flagship Edmonton EcoPark facility also includes a materials recycling facility (MRF), composting operations and a waste transfer site.

Mr Sharpe joins LondonWaste from his role as investment & commercial director at civil engineering firm Skanska, which he has carried out since 2013. He also spent four years with utilities and renewable energy firm Kelda, as well as having served as bid director for waste management company Shanks between 2007 and 2009.

According to LondonWaste, Mr Sharpe brings with him ‘proven leadership skills’, having also served as an officer in the British Army Air Corps between 1983 and 2001.

Long term

Commenting on the appointment, Mr Sharpe said: “With LondonWaste at the heart of NLWA’s longer term plans, this role is tremendously exciting with lots of challenges and opportunities ahead. I am looking forward to working with an experienced board and management team at LondonWaste and building upon the company’s past successes.”

Outgoing director David Sargent joined the newly-formed LondonWaste in 1992 as its first finance director. In 1999 he was appointed as managing director and has led the organisation for the last 15 years, through the remainder of its period as a joint-venture company into its current status as wholly owned by NLWA.

Much of the focus of Mr Sharpe’s role will be to oversee the development, alongside NLWA, of a new energy recovery facility to replace the existing plant at the Edmonton EcoPark.

A consultation on plans to replace the plant was launched by the Authority in May 2015, and runs until tomorrow (June 30) (see letsrecycle.com story).

At a meeting last Thursday (June 25), NLWA board members heard that around 27 responses to the public consultation have already been received, following an extensive engagement process to outline the plans including newsletters, leafletting and community exhibitions.

NLWA claims that the new facility will be ‘unrivalled’ in its approach to tackling emissions and has been designed to make it fit with the surrounding area.