The effect on the size of projects

2.9  Authorities signing contracts to date were not those responsible, on average, for sending the largest amounts of waste to landfill. In our 2006 report we recommended that the Department prioritised authorities that historically sent the largest amounts of waste to landfill.

2.10  The Department has made progress in this area. Projects in procurement in the summer of 2008 were significantly larger in terms of tonnes of waste sent to landfill, because the sponsoring authorities originally sent more waste to landfill (Figure 12). These larger projects are critical to delivering the 2013 landfill target.

2.11  The Department has also sought to increase the size of projects by encouraging neighbouring authorities to develop joint projects. The potential benefits of joint projects are: fewer facilities needing planning permission; economies of scale in project costs; the pooling of risks; and possible operating benefits from a joined up local approach to waste management. The majority of contracts signed to date have been single-authority deals. There are, however, good examples of collaborative working between local authorities to date, including:

■  neighbouring authorities working together such as East Sussex and Brighton and Hove Councils, Herefordshire and Worcestershire, three councils within Central Berkshire (Wokingham, Bracknell Forest and Reading) and Lancashire with Blackpool; and

■  where a waste disposal authority has worked with collection authorities in its area to agree an integrated strategy to procure 'joined up' services which include residual waste facilities. Examples have been East London Waste Authority and Greater Manchester Waste Authority.

2.12  The Department's efforts to encourage joint working have had an effect. Projects in procurement and at an early stage of development are involving a greater number of authorities for each project than the projects for which contracts have been let (Figure 13).