Recycling victim of its own success in South Yorkshire.
The effect of alternate week collections was a substantial improvement in recycling for Rotherham. However unexpected extra costs of the recycling service due to its popularity has meant that the council has missed its cost savings target of £113000 resulting from the new service.
The saving, expected in the third quarter of 2006-07 was missed by £12000 due to the greater than predicted tonnages of recyclate collected.
However figures for public satisfaction with the service have fallen, presumably due to the fact that the service has been changed leading to a degree of public reaction.
Though the Council’s satisfaction level for waste services has fallen currently, the council has a whole was fought off competition from councils in Kettering, the London Borough of Haringey, Oldham, Salford and West Lancashire to win the Most Improved Council Award, which allows all councils to demonstrate they are striving for excellence and to demonstrate real service improvements.
Rotherham picked up the title – along with the prestigious national Regeneration Award – at an awards ceremony hosted by the Local Government Chronicle (LGC) on March 12.
According to Adrian Gabriel, Waste Strategy Manager at Rotherham,
"We are also planning to launch a doorstep campaign in parts of the borough where people are unhappy with the service to try and find out how we can serve them better."
Miliband welcomes budget as next steps to low-carbon economy
Environment Secretary, David Miliband, today welcomed the carbon-cutting measures in the Chancellor's Budget as the next steps towards a low-carbon economy.
The Budget contains measures for Government, business and individuals to further tackle climate change.
Last week Britain became the first country in the world to set out a long term legal framework for the transition to a low carbon economy in its draft Climate Change Bill.
Following Wednesday's Budget statement, David Miliband said:
"Today's Budget builds on the landmark Climate Change Bill we announced last week, together helping to make Britain a low carbon economy. The new measures will encourage individuals, business and Government to reduce carbon emissions from homes, transport, energy use and waste.
"Climate change is a global issue and, as well as encouraging action at home, this Budget will help cut carbon emissions internationally. The new Defra/ DfID £800 million joint fund will help to deliver environmental benefits in developing countries, starting with protection against deforestation in the Congo Basin."
Deforestation accounts for nearly one fifth of global greenhouse gas emissions.
Veolia's Pebsham recycling depot gets planning consent
Veolia Environmental Services was granted planning consent this week for an important new waste transfer and recycling depot at Pebsham. The waste management contractor’s planning application was submitted in December to East Sussex County Council.
The new facility is designed to handle up to 85,000 tonnes a year of household recyclables and waste.
This will give a boost to the county’s need to meet recycling, recovery and landfill reduction targets and provide a long term waste transfer facility as part of the new waste infrastructure planned for the area.
The facility, which is planned to be operational by April 2007, will take household recycling and residual waste collected in the local Hastings and surrounding area and bulk it for onward transport to recycling companies.
Residual waste will be sent for energy recovery.
Chris Maltbaek, managing director for Veolia Environmental Services South Downs, said of the proposals:
“The option of landfill is fast running out and there is no ‘do nothing’ option. This facility is the last piece of the jigsaw and will enable us to increase recycling and to start to recover energy from waste that is not recycled. In this way, we will manage waste more sustainably, reduce disposal of waste to landfill and help the councils in their critical efforts to reach their targets.”