The Staffordshire authority has received a two-star grade for its waste department, with the local government watchdog describing its prospects for the future as “promising”.
” Tamworth Borough Council has concentrated on improving areas that are important to local people “
– Dianne Thomas, Audit Commission
Inspectors said recycling and composting rates for the council are among the best in the country, with the amount of waste sent to landfill dropping by 35% in the last three years.
The Commission report said Tamworth's waste and recycling services are well-run, and that the high costs still represent value for money since the service is seen as a priority by residents.
The Conservative-run council has a 1.1 million waste and recycling budget, while income from recycling credits and the sale of recyclable materials generates 900,000 each year.
Dianne Thomas, a senior manager for the Commission, said: “Tamworth Borough Council has concentrated on improving areas that are important to local people, such as recycling and providing a well maintained local environment. This investment has led to significant improvements.
“Its prospects for further improvement are promising because the service is well led, with well motivated and versatile staff,” Ms Thomas added.
Collections
Tamworth, a market town of around 75,000 population, works with contractor Serviceteam to provide fortnightly residual waste collections. About 94% of the 30,000 households are also provided with a weekly multi-material kerbside recycling service. There is also a weekly kerbside green waste collection scheme.
The authority achieved a 36% recycling rate in 2005/06 – comprising 21.35% recycling and 14.87% composting. It is thought that about 70% of residents participate in council recycling services, while 27% of households use home composting bins.
Audit Commission inspectors praised Tamworth borough council for its waste education and marketing, and also its targeting of hard-to-reach households.
The only negatives in the council's inspection were for Tamworth's “undeveloped” work with ethnic minorities and lack of long-term plans for waste management.
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Trade waste
Inspectors also pointed out that the council is not actively promoting the sustainable management of trade waste.
However, the report noted: “The council is aware of this and sees it as an opportunity to increase the recycling of this category of waste. It also considers trade waste to be a potential source of income through the re-sale of recycled waste such as card, paper and glass.”
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