The Mayor of London published his proposal to counter the “chaotic” system currently operating in the capital and improve the efficiency of managing the city's annual 4.3 million tonnes of municipal waste.
”A London Single Waste Authority, together with enhanced powers for waste planning, would mean that we could make strategic decisions for London.“
– Ken Livingstone
The proposed single waste authority would wrest control from the city's 16 waste disposal authorities to provide a more strategic approach to waste management in London's 33 boroughs.
Responsibilities
London's boroughs would cease to have responsibilities for waste planning and disposal under the authority, but would continue to hold waste collection responsibilities.
The Authority is needed to propel London from its current position as the second worst region in England for recycling, the Mayor believes. It would also help London boroughs avoid government penalties for not diverting waste from landfill – penalties the Mayor says could potentially reach 2.5 billion by 2020.
Laying out his proposal, Mr Livingstone said: “A London Single Waste Authority, together with enhanced powers for waste planning, would mean that we could make strategic decisions for London, co-ordinating the disposal of London's household waste more effectively and investing in more recycling and new green technologies.”
Costs
A study carried out on behalf of the Greater London Authority – and published today alongside the Mayor's proposals suggests that not having the correct political structure for waste could cost taxpayers hundreds of millions of pounds.
The study, carried out by Mouchel Parkman, said: “Due to the level of investment over the next decades, the costs of not having the correct structure to deliver an optimum waste management solution for London is extremely high, the order of hundreds of millions of pounds of tax-payers' money.”
Mr Livingstone said that with London's population predicted to grow by 800,000 by 2016, it was “vital” to move towards a single waste authority now.
“The current arrangements for planning and managing waste in London aren't working,” the Mayor said. “They aren't delivering my own policies, they aren't delivering the government's policies and they aren't addressing the new EU policies and penalties.”
Planning
Enhanced planning powers would allow the Mayor to bring in hundreds of new waste treatment facilities for London. Mr Livingstone's London Plan suggests an extra 330 new recycling and recovery facilities are needed.
| Related links: |
The Single Waste Authority would have planning powers extending to the management of municipal, commercial and industrial waste as well as construction/demolition waste and hazardous waste.
The case for the Single Waste Authority is now being considered by Defra as part of a wider review of the powers of London government. The Mayor has sent his proposals to the London boroughs and waste disposal authorities, seeking their views.
Register for free to comment