The MP for Hendon has tabled an Early Day Motion in Parliament calling for a city-wide body to take over waste disposal responsibilities from “London's existing fragmented and underperforming arrangements”.
– London Councils
Mr Dismore also took an active part this week in a Commons debate on the Greater London Authority Bill, which is to upgrade some of the London Mayor's powers in areas including waste (see letsrecycle.com story).
But London Councils – the new name for the Association of London Government – said borough performance on recycling does not justify creation of a single waste authority.
A joint statement from chairman Cllr Merrick Cockell and vice chairs Mayor Steve Bullock, Cllr Sean Brennan and Michael Snyder conceded that London “has a mixed record on recycling”.
However, they went on: “London Councils does not believe that borough performance justifies the creation of a single waste authority in London. It also considers that it would be unhelpful to reorganise London’s 16 waste disposal authorities into a single waste authority by amending the Greater London Authority Bill currently before the House of Commons.”
Recycling
London had the worst recycling rates of any English region during 2005/06, with the 33 boroughs averaging a 21% recycling rate for household waste.
But the umbrella group for the boroughs said it was “unrealistic” to compare London to other English regions. It said the best performing London boroughs such as Bexley, Sutton and Hillingdon “are amongst the best in the country”.
“All urban local authorities with a high percentage of tower blocks and multi occupancy buildings struggle to achieve high recycling rates, and the London authorities are performing better than most,” London Councils said. Using 2004/05 figures, the boroughs stated that ignoring the composting of garden waste, nine of the top 10 councils for the recycling of paper and packaging waste are in London.
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The boroughs said the London Mayor “already has sufficient powers with which to influence waste management provision for London”.
The group said: “London Councils believes that borough led waste disposal authorities are best placed to be flexible and deliver appropriate local solutions. The Government clearly agrees. When it announced its proposals for new powers for the Mayor last July it decided against a single waste authority. That is why the Greater London Authority Bill does not legislate for a single waste authority, and London Councils continues to support this position.”
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