Joint working update
Five of the seven Gloucestershire councils who make up the Gloucestershire Waste Partnership (GWP) and who are responsible for dealing with our household rubbish, are near to forming a much closer Joint Waste Partnership, with all five authorities set to make a binding decision to form the new partnership in the autumn.
"Whatever the decision of the partners, we are committed to working closely together in the future."
The five councils are Gloucestershire County Council, Cheltenham Borough Council, Cotswold District Council, Forest of Dean District Council and Tewkesbury Borough Council.
While expressing their full commitment to this strategy, Gloucester City Council and Stroud District Council are currently tied to long-term contractual arrangements which means they will not be joining the joint initiative at this stage.
If set up, the Joint Waste Partnership would be responsible for coordinating and managing waste collection and disposal across the county. The plan is for a member led Joint Waste Committee to govern the partnership, with a Joint Waste Management Unit providing the day-to-day management.
A Shadow Joint Waste Board is currently developing the concept of the new waste partnership prior to formal decisions being made by the five individual partners which would pave the way to the new partnership coming into existence from April 2012.
This would provide a joined up approach to rubbish collections and disposal and ensure continuity of service through each district. It would also help us to deliver more cost effective services for Gloucestershire residents.
Currently each district decides individually how and what it collects while Gloucestershire County Council arranges disposal. This approach has not been without its critics who want to see more efficient two-tier working.
Cllr Stan Waddington, Chairman of the GWP, said: "The creation of a new Joint Waste Partnership for the county is a big step. Dealing with the county's household waste is one of the Gloucestershire council’s most important responsibilities so it's essential that we get this right. Whatever the decision of the partners, we are committed to working closely together in the future."
All seven GWP councils have previously signed the Joint Municipal Waste Management Strategy – the blueprint for managing the county's household waste.
12 August 2011