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CIWM East Anglia Open Meeting 28 June 2012. West Suffolk Shared Waste Services Mark Walsh – Head of Waste Management & Projects St Edmundsbury Borough Council. Our approach to shared services - innovation or pragmatism? Contents: Background on Forest Heath and St Edmundsbury Service history
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CIWM East AngliaOpen Meeting 28 June 2012 West Suffolk Shared Waste Services Mark Walsh – Head of Waste Management & Projects St Edmundsbury Borough Council
Our approach to shared services - innovation or pragmatism? Contents: • Background on Forest Heath and St Edmundsbury • Service history • Development of Governance arrangements • Achievements • Current status and the way forward • Benefits and lessons learned
Background to Forest Heath • and St Edmundsbury • Both Councils sit within the • triangle created by Norwich, • Ipswich and Cambridge • Joint area spans • approximately1030Km2 • Both Councils are largely rural and average population density is relatively low • Residing population of approximately166,000 people within 75,500 households
History of Services • Brown Bin (Compostable Waste Trials) • From November 1993 to January 1995 • DEFRA funded four trials in SEBC • Identified that >7kgs was diverted using kerbside collection compared to 2.5kgs through home composting • Blue Bin (Dry Recyclable Waste Trials) • Between April and August 2002 we conducted six trials for the collection of dry recyclables (paper, card, plastics and metals) • It was identified the best way to collect was via a bin and on an AWC
Current Kerbside Service Co-mingled Paper, card Semi Rigid plastics Cans, foil Green garden waste Green kitchen waste Residual waste
Waste Management Governance Board • Est 2005 to look at closer working on waste • No other significant partnership working going on between the councils • Respective Heads of Service tasked with drafting a business plan with input from Management Teams and Lead Members
The elephant in the room • Inequality of scale • Culture • History • Priorities • Personalities • Trust
…returning to the Waste Governance Board 2007 • FHDC contracts SEBC to maintain its waste fleet • Joint operations to cleanse major trunk roads begin 2008 • Business plan agreed for formal waste partnership
Joint Business Plan Stage 1 Initial sharing of resources and facilities (1-2 years) Stage 2 Harmonising services, working practices and standards (1-3 years) Stage 3 Consider options for the creation of a new single entity providing waste services to both Councils (2-4 years)
West Suffolk Waste and Street Scene Services Joint Committee • Inaugural meeting in June 2008 • Formal legal agreement and business plan adopted • Committee meets quarterly • 2 Members from each authority • Chair and committee services alternate every 12 months
Stage 1 and 2 Actions and Achievements • SLA’s to formalise operational arrangements • Comprehensive waste collection round reorganisation • Adoption of joint operational and HR procedures • Joint communication and campaigns • Joint performance monitoring and service planning • Comprehensive cleansing service review • Joint procurement of vehicles, fuel, PPE and bins • Joint branding • Staff reductions and interim joint structure
FHDC / SEBCInterim Joint Waste Structure Corporate Director Economy & Environment SEBC Strategic Director (Services) FHDC Head of Waste Management & Projects SEBC Head of Environmental Services FHDC FHDC Support Services SEBC Support Services Service Manager FHDC Operations Manager SEBC Fleet & Technical Manager SEBC Operations Manager FHDC Enforcement Policy / Strategy Projects Mildenhall Bury Haverhill
Where now? At an organisational level:- • Wider shared services between FHDC and SEBC • Other services now starting to be shared • Joint Chief Executive appointed • A joint Management Team will be appointed to new shared structure in September
Where now? For Waste and Street Scene Services:- • Fully merged structure • Combined back office support functions • Improved technology • Further integration of services • Further extension of commercial services • Developing our engagement and role within the wider Suffolk Waste Partnership
On reflection….. • If we were starting now we wouldn’t do it like this But we…… • are on the front foot • have cut costs whilst developing our services • have developed stronger relationships at both officer and member levels • benefit from strong foundations to meet future challenges with confidence