London-wide reuse network starts to take shape

The London Community Resource Network is to take the first step towards establishing a capital-wide reuse network by naming its first ‘cluster' area next week.

That is according to Charles Craft, the interim managing director of London Reuse Limited, a special vehicle established to deliver the project.

Mr Craft said the London Reuse had weighed up applications for support from regional groups and would soon be naming the first recipient. Although he was unable to name the successful bidder, the Western Riverside Waste Authority – which handles waste disposal on behalf of the London boroughs of Lambeth, Hammersmith and Fulham, Wandsworth and Kensington and Chelsea – is understood to be a strong candidate.

“The application process is subject to a high degree of rigour, which you would expect when there is public money involved,” said Mr Craft. “One would think that there has been a massive rush in terms of distributing that money but we have now got a number of schemes that have been costed and they are now going through the final selection process.”

And, Mr Craft said that the ‘clusters' were intended to bring together the regional efforts of reuse charities, with London Reuse hoping for council involvement to aid this. He said: “Our absolute ideal would be for the council to come on board and be massively supportive and we realise that some have got long-term contracts already in place with social enterprises. We are keen to get people interested.”

Mr Craft, who was appointed to his role on January 4, has a background in logistics, supply chain management and sales and he will be charged with leading the London Reuse Network through its start-up phase.

Funding

The London Community Resource Network (LCRN) received £8.1 million in funding from the London Waste & Recycling Board to help develop the network in July 2010 (see letsrecycle.com story). In addition to the Board funding, LCRN is required to draw down an additional £2.5 million in match-funding, however, the organisation intends to generate as much as £4 million to use towards the network.

The LCRN said that, over the last five months, it has negotiated necessary grant and loan agreements to fund the network, as well as revising the London Reuse Network business plan and developing processes and governance structures needed to help ensure the project is successful.

Reuse emerged as one of the main tenants of the London Waste & Recycling Board's Business Plan for 2010, with it set to be one of the main recipients of the statutory body's £73.4 million funding support mechanism (see letsrecycle.com story).