Local authorities request funding from Landfill Tax Credit Scheme successor

In its response to the Strategy Unit’s report Waste Not Want Not, the Local Government Association said today that it would be impossible to meet higher recycling, re-use and waste reduction targets “without a significantly increased flow of resources to councils”.

LGA waste and environment executive chair Kay Twitchen said in a letter to environment secretary Margaret Beckett: “The Association recognises that the Strategy Unit’s report represents a serious and considered attempt to address the shortcomings which have hitherto prevented the kind of progress being made which is required to really get to grips with the country’s waste problems. It is clearly intended to provide much-needed strategic direction to the government’s Waste Strategy – and that, of course, is very much to be welcomed.”

But it would be “imperative” that the 100 million was “channelled back directly for local authorities' use for sustainable waste management,” the association said.

The scheme is due to end in April, with one third of it surviving for small community projects and the rest going to central Government. Transitional funding was announced yesterday to safeguard projects in progress funded by the tax credits (see letsrecycle.com story).
Councils also called for a more coherent way of funding waste management than the present mixture of challenge funds, landfill tax, grants and private finance.

Commitment
In addition to more money, councils also seek a clear commitment from the Government that it will send out a message to all concerned that waste reduction is a priority.
This is particularly important because, according to the association, the average annual rate of growth of municipal waste has been 3.94% and not the 3% referred to in Waste Not Want Not.

In detailed reactions to the report, the association said the voluntary scheme to encourage recycling and waste reduction in industry should be backed up by mandatory regulations.
“The voluntary approach for industry contrasts starkly with the statutory regime, backed by severe financial penalties, under which local authorities operate,” it commented.

The association also called for close involvement by councils in setting new targets and performance indicators for waste reduction. Home composting should count towards targets and hardcore collected at civic amenity sites should count as municipal waste, it said.

An early statement from the Government on whether it intends to tax incineration “is considered imperative”, to allow councils to plan, the LGA urged. Councils also want to be involved in any review of fiscal incentives designed to encourage local authorities to work together more closely on waste.