Poller appointed director of Shropshire partnership

The appointment came as former vice chairman Cllr Joyce Barrow of Oswestry borough council was elected chairman of the partnership until 2007, taking over from Shropshire county councillor John Hurst-Knight.

” I’m very happy to take the chair of the SWP, at what is a very important and exciting time, and I would also like to welcome Adrian Poller. “
– Cllr Joyce Barrow, Shropshire Waste Partnership
The partnership includes Bridgnorth, North Shropshire and South Shropshire district councils as well as Oswestry and the county council.

It is currently seeking a long-term waste contractor for an integrated waste management contract supported by 38.5 million in Private Finance Initiative credits. The contract, which is due to begin next year, will cover collection, recycling, recovery and disposal responsibilities for 25 years.

Two companies are in the frame for the contract – Biffa and Veolia – while a decision to appoint one of them preferred bidder could come in September.

A target is to be set for the contract to recycle and compost a least 60% of Shropshire's household waste by 2020, and reduce the 3% annual growth in waste to zero.

Director
The partnership's new director, who will head up a service department with an annual 18.5 million budget, comes from a county that has been something of a leader in sustainable waste management. Dorset was the third best county in England for recycling in 2004/05, and was the top county for the two years previous to that (see recycling league tables).

Cllr Barrow said: “I’m very happy to take the chair of the SWP, at what is a very important and exciting time, and I would also like to welcome Adrian Poller to Shropshire.”

“We are currently in the process of procuring a long-term single integrated waste contract, which will see one contractor take on responsibility for the collection, recycling, recovery and disposal of the majority of household and other municipal waste within Shropshire from next year.

“We expect to announce our preferred contractor later this year; with April 2007 the estimated start date for the contract,” the councillor added.