The council is to get the 2 million funding over the next three years to promote recycling schemes in the county. The grant is part of the National Assembly's 40 million to help local authorities implement the waste strategy. The draft strategy was launched last week by Sue Essex, Minister for the Environment, with voluntary targets of 15% by 2003-04 which will rise to 40% by 2009-10.
Powys County Council has a recycling rate of 14%, which is amongst the highest in Wales, and will receive the funding to develop more recycling schemes. The council will get 88,000 this year, 650,000 in 2002-03 and 1.3 million in 2003-04.
The funding will enable the council to extend its kerbside collection scheme currently running in Welshpool and build a new bulky household waste recycling facility in Newtown. This will enable residents to recycle white goods and old furniture. The council also plans to build a 25,000 composting facility at Brecon Transfer Station.
John Owen, director of highways, transport and property, said: “This grant money is to be used for waste reduction and disposal schemes such as civic amenity sites, separate collection of waste schemes, composting schemes and to help us work with community groups to promote recycling.”
Councillor Betty Rae Watkins, chairman of the council's housing, environmental health and trading standards committee, said: “This is absolutely tremendous news as it gives us access to money to spend on developing sustainable waste management schemes which has not been available before.”
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