Somerset councils “first” to devolve powers over waste

Somerset county council revealed this week that all six local authorities in Somerset – including Mendip, Sedgemoor, South Somerset and West Somerset district councils, Taunton Deane borough council and Somerset county council – have agreed to transfer their budget and control over waste management in their area  to the Somerset Waste Board, at the head of the Somerset Waste Partnership.

The agreement means that all decisions over waste will be taken by a group of two councillors from each of the councils in Somerset, and that all waste and recycling officers will be based at a central location such as Taunton.

The partnership will also let a combined waste and recycling collection contract, for whom ECT is currently the preferred bidder (see letsrecycle.com story).

The decisions come as the government announced it would not be proceeding with Somerset county council's application to become a unitary authority (see letsrecycle.com story).

However, representatives of the Somerset Waste Partnership claimed that many of the benefits of becoming a unitary authority to waste and recycling services – such as cost savings and easier management – would be achieved by the new agreement.

Nigel Woollcombe-Adams, chair of the Somerset Waste Partnership, said: “This is a significant step forward in delivering a high quality and cost effective waste management service to Somerset's residents. The formation of this Board is the culmination of 15 years of partnership working across the county and we are proud to be leading the way in waste services nationally.”

First

Somerset claims that the Somerset Waste Board was the first in the UK because other waste partnerships, such as Project Integra in Hampshire, only provide a strategic overview of waste rather than direct control over services. Meanwhile, bodies such as the Shropshire Waste Partnership only have the agreement of some local authorities in their areas, it said.

Steve Read, managing director for the Somerset Waste Partnership, explained that although it would not be possible for councils to create statutory joint waste authorities until around 2009 (see letsrecycle.com story) Somerset had got around this by making Somerset county council the administering authority.

This means that Somerset would employ staff on behalf of the Somerset Waste Partnership and district councils would remain in control of waste and recycling assets.

He said: “Defra is consulting at the moment on powers to create joint waste authorities from about 2009 and we will be interested in exploring that when they become available. As it is, I am fully accountable to the waste partnership even though I am employed by Somerset county council.”

September

Now the Somerset Waste Partnership is looking at how to amalgamate its waste services into one body and is hoping to sign its waste and recycling collection contract with ECT in the next few weeks.

Mr Read said: “We are hoping to sign in the next few weeks and hope the new organisation will come into being on the first of September.”