Publishes last week, the ‘Delivering Waste Efficiencies in Yorkshire and the Humber’ report charts the progress made by the region’s councils in maintaining frontline waste services in the face of budget cuts.
Based on data from 17 of the 22 local authorities in the region who opted to take part, the review brings together examples of how councils are saving money, from route optimisation and software implementation to charging for green and bulky waste collections and introducing permits at household waste recycling centres (HWRCs).
Notable success stories include a partnership between Kingston-upon-Hull city council and East Riding of Yorkshire council which was found to have saved both local authorities over £1 million through joint procurement. In addition, the York and North Yorkshire Waste Partnership’s members saved £264,000 when four of its nine members jointly procured vehicles and a separate group of four generated £1 million in additional income by clubbing together to sell recyclables.
Local Partnerships
The study was produced by Local Partnerships, a body which advises local authorities on how to deliver best value services and is intended to provide inspiration for other councils who are seeking to cut service costs.
Commenting on the review, John Enright, head of joint working at Local Partnerships, said: “Our latest regional waste management review highlights over £18 million in annual efficiencies and the innovative waste management approaches by authorities in the Yorkshire and Humber area. This is the fourth in a series of regional reviews undertaken by Local Partnerships – following on from the West Midlands, London and the North East.
“All the reviews highlight case studies and insights for other councils to draw from when considering their own challenges to deliver efficiencies in waste budgets, while continuing to provide high quality waste services to residents and businesses.”
Savings
According to the review, local authorities in Yorkshire and the Humber have delivered major savings in waste budgets focusing on the following areas:
- Round reconfiguration and route optimisation;
- Service changes, specifically collection frequency, vehicle design/size/use, outsourcing aspects (e.g. bulky waste collection);
- Approaches to charging (for garden waste and for bulky waste);
- Joint procurement, and the internal savings from joint working and also the benefits of economies of scale;
- Operation of HWRCs, specifically in terms of operating hours, working week etc;
- New contracts and incentivising existing contracts;
- Staff engagement;
- Resource (staff time) savings through improved or more efficient working practices.
Examples covered in the review include York, which implemented a “major reorganisation” of front line rounds using route optimisation software in a move expected to save £300,000 in fleet and staff reductions.
East Riding
Elsewhere, a move to alternate weekly collections in East Riding led to a reduction in the refuse collection fleet by eight vehicles, saving the local authority £1 million and an additional £3.3 million in the decrease in waste sent to landfill.
On the charging front, meanwhile, Ryedale replaced its free garden waste collection service on 1st June 2014 and 47% of residents opted-in; it was found that 70% of material was still coming through, and subscriptions to the service generated £250,000.
Summarising, the review states: “This report highlights a number of areas where authorities in Yorkshire and the Humber have successfully taken on the challenge of delivering better value in waste services in this very difficult economic climate. The experience of the projects featured in this report shows that significant savings can be achieved, whilst continuing to deliver high and in some cases improved performance.”
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