Innovation Forum to break down barriers between councils

Defra, the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister and the Local Government Association are supporting the forum, which is being run by a group of local authorities led by West Sussex County Council.

” Sharing the burden of costs and working with neighbouring authorities can help to deliver better value. “
– Elliot Morley
A number of waste partnerships already operate among district and county councils in two-tier areas in England, from the long-established Project Integra partnership in Hampshire to the unitary-style waste authority set up by councils in Shropshire earlier this year (see letsrecycle.com story).

The Innovation Forum will look at these and other partnerships to find best practice and develop a range of models of joint working for waste collection and disposal authorities, from informal arrangements through to formally established partnerships.

Environment minister Elliot Morley described the work of the forum as “crucial” in helping to improve waste services in England. The government hopes to achieve 300 million in efficiency savings on waste services, and Defra said part of this will be through helping councils to run more efficient services.

Commenting on the new Innovation Forum, Mr Morley said: “Sharing the burden of costs and working with neighbouring authorities can help to deliver better value for money as well as improved service delivery.”

Expertise
Councillor Steve Waight of West Sussex county council said the project was a recognition by local authorities that councils need to improve partnership arrangements to improve performances on waste. He said: “The project will draw on the expertise of a wide range of councils in developing practical solutions to the challenges we face.”

The Local Government Association said splits in responsibility for waste collection and disposal between district and county councils provided a “major challenge” for councils aiming to send less waste to landfills and increase their recycling rates.

Cllr David Sparks of the LGA's environment board said: “Hefty government targets in efficiency – coupled with ongoing budget constraints – create an obvious tension between pressures to deliver top quality waste management while saving cash at the same time.

“This project shows that local authorities want to take the lead in terms of resolving their own issues,” Cllr Sparks said.