Following an inspection in August the Commission graded the council's waste services as “fair”, with one out of three stars awarded. Inspectors described services as having “uncertain” prospects for the future.
” I am pleased to see that the council has successfully introduced its new recycling scheme. This was a big challenge for the council “
– Neil Bellamy, Audit Commission
The Commission believes that Newark and Sherwood has not set out priorities as to what it needs to improve.
Inspectors said: “The council has not decided what its future aims for recycling and waste collection will be, or their relative priority. There is no clear and consistent vision for recycling and no clear view of what the priorities for improvement will be.”
PFI
Newark and Sherwood is currently putting together a waste strategy, which will fit in with Nottinghamshire county council's future plans. The county council is expected to sign a PFI contract with Onyx by the end of 2005.
Andy Stratham, head of environmental services at Newark and Sherwood, said: “We are in talks with Nottinghamshire council with regards to its long term contract with Onyx. Our waste management strategy will be drawn up to work alongside Nottinghamshire's plans. If we are going to work with the county long term, there is no point in drawing up a plan if it is going to contradict what the council wants to do.”
Impressed
Despite the Commission's criticism of Newark and Sherwood's long term plans, Audit Commission senior manager, Neil Bellamy, said that he was impressed with the council's new silver bin kerbside scheme.
The scheme, which sees paper, cardboard, cans and plastic bottles collected on an alternate weekly basis, has seen the council's recycling rate more than double in the last year, from 11% in 2003/04 to a current rate of nearly 24%.
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Mr Bellamy said: “I am pleased to see that the council has successfully introduced its new recycling scheme. This was a big challenge for the council. Our inspection shows that it managed the process well and that it has significantly increased the amount of household waste recycled.”
Newark and Sherwood, alongside Nottinghamshire and the other districts in the county, is now looking to include a kerbside green waste collection.
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