The Joint Municipal Waste Strategy for Shropshire
Why is a Joint Waste Strategy needed for Shropshire?
The Shropshire authorities recognise that waste management is changing rapidly and that a local authority’s role is now far removed from simply ‘collecting’ or‘disposing’ of waste. National and European legislation is driving forward the need to manage waste in a sustainable way.
Following the 1999 Landfill Directive, which places major restrictions on the landfill of biodegradable municipal waste, the Government issued Waste Strategy 2000 and launched sustainable waste management as a national priority.
The strategy set targets for municipal waste recycling, composting and recovery. At the same time, local government has undergone change through the Best Value process, which has introduced performance standards and continuous improvement in service delivery.
A clear message that emerges from new legislation and guidance is that local authorities cannot work in isolation from one another or from stakeholders in the waste management service. Partnership working is central to achievement of sustainable waste management and will enable us to meet challenging targets and performance standards.
The Shropshire local authorities recognise the need for a new approach to waste management and are committed to working together.
Although there is not as yet any statutory duty for local authorities to produce Municipal Waste Management Strategies, Waste Strategy 2000 stated an intention to make these mandatory.
The Action Plan drawn up in conclusion to the Shropshire County Council Waste Management Best Value Review 2001, committed to publish a draft version of a Joint Municipal Waste Management (MWM) Strategy by April 2002.
The strategy has been prepared through the Joint Waste Management Advisory Committee on behalf of Shropshire County Council, the District Councils of Bridgnorth, South Shropshire and North Shropshire and the Borough Councils of Oswestry and Shrewsbury and Atcham. It covers a 20 year period from 2000–2020.
The strategy has also been prepared to take account of other Plans and policies relevant to the Shropshire local authorities’ waste management functions, specifically the draft Regional Waste Strategy for the West Midlands and locally through the Joint Structure Plan for Shropshire and Telford and Wrekin. The first draft of a Waste Local Plan for Shropshire has recently been issued, which provides land use policies relevant to the development of new waste management facilities and identifies preferred sites for a variety of facilities. The planning policy context, together with details of waste management and Best Value legislation, are described in
What information is contained in the Joint Waste Strategy?
The Strategy sets out the objectives and proposals for waste collection, treatment and disposal that will apply across the county and the options for meeting performance standards and targets.
The Strategy addresses partnership working between the authorities, other bodies and stakeholders.
Chapter 2 discusses the stages involved in the development of the Strategy.
Chapter 3 provides an evaluation of current waste collection and disposal arrangements.
Chapter 4 discusses national policy guiding waste management.
Chapter 5 discusses working arrangements in Shropshire.
Chapter 6 details the Shropshire Strategy’s objectives for the waste management service.
Chapter 7 discusses details of performance standards, targets and timescales for achieving these.
Chapter 7 also discusses the arrangements for waste reduction, and plans for increasing recycling and composting, together with proposals for managing non-household municipal solid waste and priority waste streams.
Chapter 8 provides a summary of the recycling plans prepared by each collection authority, describing their proposals for meeting statutory targets.
The full Recycling Plans, which include the statutory information on recycling arrangements for each Waste Collection Authority (and which will fulfil their obligations under Section 49 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990) are included in a separate volume.
Chapter 9 discusses the arrangements for implementing, monitoring and reviewing the Strategy, along with the public awareness campaigns that are integral to the achievement of sustainable waste management.
Chapter 10 discusses future directions for the Shropshire authorities.
