Sharpening the commercial edge
The case for well-managed council commercial activity is one that needs to be defended if we want a mature and sustainable local state, argues Jonathan Werran.
Council invests over £1m in mobile household recycling centres
16/06/2021 Birmingham City Council has invested £1.4m in a pilot project that will see a fleet of mobile household recycling centres (MHRCs) rolled out across the city. |
Litter overwhelming councils in tourist hotspots, warns union
15/06/2021 Councils are being overwhelmed by huge piles of litter at UK beauty spots, a trade union has warned today. |
Waste collection plans to cost £680m a year, councils warn
11/06/2021 Government plans to standardise kerbside waste collections will cost £680m a year, district councils have warned today. |
Bristol City Council apologises for ‘distress’ caused by mishandling of complaints
26/05/2021 Bristol City Council has apologised after being criticised for failing to provide evidence it had completed Ombudsman recommendations in two separate complaints. |
New measures to boost recycling rates
07/05/2021 New proposals to increase the amount of household waste being recycled have been unveiled by the Government today. |
How local councils can help stop unnecessary plastic ending up in landfill
28/04/2021 Paul Empson outlines three simple ways councils can help raise awareness of the impact plastic food delivery trays have on the environment. |
Digital map reveals 'lacklustre recycling growth'
26/04/2021 Recycling rates have plateaued in England and Scotland for the fifth consecutive year according to a new interactive digital map of local authority recycling data. |
Non-recyclable packaging costs councils £48m per year
29/03/2021 Packaging manufacturers are not doing enough to stop producing non-recyclable packaging or to contribute to the costs of disposal, council chiefs say. |
The importance of sustainable waste management strategies for the UK's local authorities
26/03/2021 Peter Vernon sustainable waste management strategies in the context of wheelie-bin procurement and improved recycling rates. |
Waste services experience continued ‘disruption’ due to COVID-19
10/03/2021 Local authority waste services across the country are continuing to feel the impacts of COVID-19, a new survey has revealed. |
Councils dealing with one million fly-tipping incidents a year
25/02/2021 Councils dealt with nearly one million incidents of fly-tipping in 2019/20 at a cost of £50m, the latest figures have shown. |
Councillors warn standardised collections will result in waste and recycling charges
09/02/2021 Residents may be forced to carry the cost of introducing standardised waste and recycling collections in England, a survey of local councillors has warned. |
Developing a best value biowaste strategy
02/02/2021 With all English local authorities to be required to collect food waste by 2023, Ben Brown explains how they can implement the best value biowaste solution. |
Copeland residents asked to consider new radioactive waste facility
05/11/2020 A Working Group has been formed to start local engagement on whether Copeland could be a suitable location for a Geological Disposal Facility (GDF) for higher activity radioactive waste. |
Household recycling 'soared' during pandemic
19/10/2020 Some councils saw household recycling soar by 100% during the COVID-19 pandemic, council leaders have revealed. |
Councils warn about rise in PPE litter
28/09/2020 Nearly half of district councils have warned the littering of face masks and plastic gloves is becoming a growing problem in their area. |
Waste incinerators more likely to be built in deprived areas, research uncovers
03/08/2020 Waste incinerators are three times more likely to be built in poorer areas than in the UK’s richest areas, an investigation has revealed. |
North East councils team up for £2.1bn energy and waste project
24/07/2020 Seven councils across the North East have joined forces on a £2.1bn energy and waste project. |
Waste collections ‘return to normal’
15/07/2020 The majority of local authorities are now reporting that they have returned to normal operations of residual waste collections despite the continuing impact of Covid-19. |
County set to approve £102m waste contract
29/06/2020 Norfolk County Council is set to approve a new six-year waste management deal with Veolia, worth £102m. |
Most councils prepare to open household waste recycling centres
13/05/2020 Nearly all councils are planning on opening Household Waste Recycling Centres in the next two weeks, a survey has revealed. |
Fly-tipping soars by 300% since lockdown
01/05/2020 Fly-tipping in rural areas has increased by 300% since the lockdown, new analysis has discovered. |
Councils prepare to reopen recycling sites
29/04/2020 Councils have been asked to make reopening household waste recycling sites a priority by the Government. |
Refuse workers in Wirral walk out over coronavirus fears
08/04/2020 Refuse collectors in Wirral have refused to work after claiming Biffa Waste Services failed to introduce strict social distancing measures. |
Councils told to prioritise black bag rubbish collections
08/04/2020 Councils have been advised to prioritise black bag waste collections over recycling during the coronavirus crisis. |
Most councils still providing normal waste collections, survey reveals
06/04/2020 The majority of councils have been able to provide a normal waste and recycling collection service, a new survey has revealed. |
Councils warn of ‘wave of waste’
02/04/2020 There will be a spike in household rubbish due to the coronavirus lockdown, district councils have warned today. |
Councils urged to provide data on waste services during Covid-19
01/04/2020 Local authorities have been urged to provide regular information on the impact Covid-19 is having on waste services. |
Council reviews bin collections after disabled man ‘blocked’ in house
20/03/2020 Trafford Council has agreed to review the way it monitors missed bin collections after the Ombudsman upheld half a dozen complaints. |
Waste operators call for ‘performance penalty’ relief to keep services running
20/03/2020 Waste operators have asked to be excused from performance penalties from the councils they have contracts with as part of the effort to keep services running during the pandemic. |
Council chiefs call on mattress companies to ‘recycle own products’
02/03/2020 Local authority leaders are calling for mattress manufacturers to be forced to recycle their own products and offer take-back services to stop them being fly-tipped. |
Call for ‘urgent action’ to stop people sleeping in bins
24/02/2020 Waste companies have called for a collaborative approach to stopping homeless people from sleeping in bins as new figures reveal a 15% increase in the practice over the last half decade. |
Birmingham City Council considers ‘overhaul’ of rubbish collection service
04/02/2020 Birmingham residents could see their bins collected every two to three weeks as part of a package of measures designed to overhaul the city’s waste management service. |
Help end ‘scandalous’ dumping of child car seats, LGA tells manufacturers
03/02/2020 Local authority leaders have called on manufacturers to take back child car seats once they have reached the end of their life to prevent them being sent to landfill. |
Scottish councils sign £700m contract to ‘transform waste’
16/01/2020 Five Scottish councils have signed a contract that will see up to 190,000 tonnes of black bag waste diverted from landfill and converted to low carbon energy. |
District councils warn of ‘fly-tipping farm-aggedon'
13/01/2020 Councils have warned that fly-tippers are increasingly targeting rural areas after new figures show a surge in incidents where rubbish is being dumped on farm land. |
‘Toughen up’ fly-tipping sentences, council chiefs say
06/01/2020 Local authority leaders have called for tougher sentences for fly-tippers as the latest figures reveal that offences have increased by 50% in six years |
Scotland’s bottle deposit scheme should cover other materials, MSPs say
10/12/2019 Scotland’s bottle deposit scheme should include cartons and other plastics, a report has urged today. |
Welsh council tops Recycling Carbon Index
25/11/2019 Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council has been named as the best recycler in the UK in terms of the amount of greenhouse gas emissions it has saved. |
Welsh council trials microchipping bins to encourage recycling
24/10/2019 A Welsh county council is trialling the use of microchipping as part of an effort to encourage recycling as it moves to a four weekly collection. |
Recycling and refuse top public’s spending priority list
17/10/2019 Councils should spend more money on rubbish collection and recycling, according to the results of a new poll. |
Biffa fined for £350,000 over contaminated China shipment
30/09/2019 Waste management firm Biffa has been fined £350,000 for trying to send contaminated household waste to China. |
Waste strategy places 'needless burden' on councils, MPs warn
05/09/2019 The waste strategy proposed by the Government has come under fire from MPs amid concerns about the burden it could impose upon local authorities. |
Council to pilot electric bin lorries powered by waste
04/09/2019 Electric bin lorries that are powered by the waste they have collected will be trialled by Sheffield City Council. |
Plans outlined for UK’s first plastic free homes
14/08/2019 A housing association has pledged to build 12 new homes that are virtually free of plastic. |
Councils need ‘greater flexibility’ to develop waste strategies, MPs say
17/07/2019 Local authorities must be given the freedom to develop recycling strategies tailored to the needs of their communities, MPs have said. |
Combined authority signs £1bn waste contracts
03/06/2019 The Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) has signed new operating contracts with SUEZ for the management of the city’s waste and resources. |
Over half of councils ‘experiencing issues’ with plastic markets
21/05/2019 More than 50% of councils have reported that they were ‘experiencing issues’ with plastic markets, new research has revealed. |
Councils call for tougher punishments for fly-tippers
13/05/2019 People convicted of fly-tipping should be handed tougher sentences councils have argued, after figures show no-one has been given the maximum punishment allowed since new guidelines in 2014. |
Everything local government needs to know about coffee cup recycling
09/05/2019 With applications for The Cup Fund, the UK’s largest grant for projects that boost UK paper cup recycling, closing soon, Phil Wild shares what he thinks everyone should know. |
Birmingham council apologises to union over waste dispute comments
30/04/2019 Birmingham City Council has apologised to Unite the Union over comments made during the recent protracted dispute with refuse collectors. |
Birmingham council and union ‘welcome’ end to refuse dispute
18/03/2019 Refuse collectors who took part in strikes in Birmingham are to be given £3,500 each in a settlement which both sides say has ended the long-running dispute. |
Birmingham refuse strike called off
04/03/2019 Unions called off a planned strike by refuse collectors in Birmingham today after the city council lost a bid to have the action declared illegal. |
Scotland’s landfill ban will be £100m tax gift to England, waste experts say
27/02/2019 Waste management experts have ‘expressed deep concern’ that Scotland is not prepared for a landfill ban which will lead to higher haulage costs for councils. |
Council chiefs insist waste reforms must be ‘fully funded’
18/02/2019 Local authority leaders have welcomed plans to ‘overhaul’ the waste system, but cautioned Whitehall that any reforms need to be fully funded. |
Birmingham's winter of discontent
15/02/2019 With a series of one-day strikes to go ahead in Birmingham, Mark Whitehead explores what led to this long-running dispute over waste collection. |
Whitehall must fund separate food waste collections, experts say
14/02/2019 Extra Government funding must be provided to speed up separate collections of food waste, the industry body has demanded. |
Hundreds of Birmingham refuse workers to strike ‘weekly’
05/02/2019 Over 300 refuse workers have announced they will begin two days of strike action a week in an escalation of the ongoing industrial dispute with the council. |
Birmingham City Council renews controversial waste disposal contract
17/01/2019 Birmingham City Council has approved a controversial waste disposal contract with Veolia, describing it as the ‘best option available’. |
Recycling services receive a £1bn boost
18/12/2018 Council chiefs have welcomed the Government’s new waste strategy, which aims to encourage businesses and manufacturers to use easily recyclable packaging. |
Council chief says on YouTube: 'I'm sorry about bin chaos'
28/11/2018 A council leader has gone online to apologise to residents over chaos caused by a reorganisation of bin collections. |
Council abandons controversial plan to drop kerbside plastic collection
28/11/2018 Swindon has abandoned controversial proposals to withdraw the kerbside collection of plastics and says it will carry out further ‘research’ into the issue. |
Contractor fined £1m after complaints of ‘dirty streets’
01/11/2018 Trafford council has fined a bins contractor £1m after residents raised concerns about dirty streets and overflowing bins. |
Councils affected by China's waste ban
22/10/2018 A fifth of councils have been directly affected by China’s ban on imported waste over the past year, according to a new survey. |
Neighbourhood services a 'serious concern', report warns
12/10/2018 A new report has highlighted 'serious concerns' over the future quality of neighbourhood services and adult social care unless councils receive adequate funding in the next spending review. |
Welsh waste disposal scheme ‘well-managed’, auditor says
11/10/2018 A scheme launched by the Welsh government to help councils set up contracts to dispose of waste has been well-managed, according to an official report. |
Welsh council moves to monthly refuse collection service
25/09/2018 Welsh council has announced it will only collect refuse destined for landfill or incineration once a month in an effort to save money and encourage recycling. |
Charity calls for end of UK’s ‘barmy’ recycling system
25/09/2018 Every household in the country should be able to recycle the same items under a new national system, according to calls from Keep Britain Tidy. |
Market ‘best placed’ to deliver value for money for waste collection
12/09/2018 Local authorities should use competition to drive value for money for waste collections, representatives from the resource and waste management industry say. |
Council to trial free skip service to stop fly-tipping
03/09/2018 Walsall council is considering trialling a ‘free skip service’ for the deposit of household bulky items. |
Northamptonshire CC plan to save £70m ‘very tall order’
10/08/2018 Northamptonshire CC may face serious hurdles making savings by renegotiating contracts with third-party suppliers, public sector procurement expert warns. |
Recycling rates could be boosted by fraud, says auditors
23/07/2018 The UK’s success at recycling may be being boosted by fraudulent exports of unrecyclable materials, auditors have claimed. |
Birmingham councillor calls for action on dumped fridges
19/07/2018 A Birmingham councillor has called on the Government to do more to tackle the issue of dumped fridges. |
Council use of incinerators ‘doubles’ since 2010
16/07/2018 The amount of waste managed by local authorities and sent to incinerators has doubled in less than a decade, a new report reveals. |
Resourceful partners
10/07/2018 This summer, with the support of three councils, the HERU (Home Energy Resources Unit) will be going out for field trials. Ruth Corrall and Vic Allison looks at the HERU and what the councils hope to achieve with their involvement. |
Councils making £74m a year from garden waste charges
25/06/2018 More than half of UK councils have introduced charges for garden waste collection totalling almost £74m a year, according to new research. |
Councils must change collection services to meet EU recycling target
25/05/2018 Most councils will be able to meet the EU's recycling target at no extra cost, according to waste management experts. |
Councils need a ‘zero tolerance’ policy on fly-tipping, union says
20/04/2018 Local authorities must adopt ‘zero tolerance’ policy on fly-tipping, union says as new study reveals nearly £60m was spent in England clearing up in one year. |
Some councils 'hiding' cost of waste collection on their websites
20/03/2018 Although three-quarters of councils now charge for garden waste collections, less than half of council websites provide a good or very good service for this task, a new survey has revealed. |
Seven council staff arrested in fraud probe
16/02/2018 Seven members of staff at Cardiff Council have been arrested on suspicion of fraud, the council has confirmed. |
Delivering clean streets with technology
31/01/2018 Mark Jenkins explains how the social value of the bin has considerably increased and the way in which it interacts with the public has irrevocably changed. |
Council to introduce four-weekly bin collection
24/01/2018 Conwy Council is phasing in four-weekly black bin collections following a successful trial which saved the equivalent of 87 double decker buses from landfill. |
Refuse vehicles could be powered by household waste
22/01/2018 A city council is planning on running its refuse collection vehicles on electricity generated by the city’s household waste. |
Councils welcome Government proposals to fine fly-tippers
15/01/2018 Local authorities have welcomed the Government’s pledge to provide them with the powers to do more to tackle illegal waste and fly-tipping. |
Derby and Nottingham to launch combined commercial waste service
10/01/2018 Derby City Council’s share of the city’s £47m commercial waste market is set to gain a ‘significant’ boost with the launching of a new combined commercial waste service. |
Tri-weekly bin collections boosts Anglesey's recycling rates
08/11/2017 The introduction of tri-weekly waste collections has helped increase recycling rates by 10% in the past year in the Isle of Anglesey, new figures reveal. |
Councils call for ‘hard-hitting fines’ as fly-tipping incidents pass one million
20/10/2017 Councils call for more powers to hand out ‘hard-hitting fines’ to fly-tippers as figures reveal local authorities dealt with one million incidents last year. |
Councils taking a week to deal with waste complaints, survey reveals
10/10/2017 More than third of people have complained to their local council about a problem with waste and recycling services, a new survey has revealed. |
Improvement panel to remain in Birmingham
21/09/2017 The team brought in to turn Birmingham City Council around has backtracked on its plans to withdraw. |
Union suspends industrial action in Birmingham bin dispute
21/09/2017 Unite has suspended industrial action after the High Court ordered Birmingham City Council to withdraw redundancy notices it had served on 113 refuse workers. |
Five more functions handed back to Rotherham
13/09/2017 More powers have been handed back to Rotherham Council following a report showing it has made further progress in the aftermath of the city's child abuse scandal. |
Birmingham bin strike to resume after council issues redundancy notices
01/09/2017 Bin workers in Birmingham are back on strike today after an agreement reached with the city council appeared to fall |
Landowners call for tougher fly-tipping penalties
25/08/2017 Seizing vehicles must become the default penalty for fly-tipping as part of tougher punishments for waste crime, landowners insist. |
Birmingham officers in warning over bin deal
25/08/2017 A row is brewing between Birmingham City Council’s management and senior councillors over how to end the long-running industrial dispute with bin men. |
Outsourced bin collections leading to rise in upheld complaints
23/08/2017 The outsourcing of waste collections by councils in England has led to an increase in the number of complaints being upheld by the ombudsman, new report warns. |
Welsh government aims to halve food waste within a decade
17/08/2017 The Welsh government is launching a consultation on plans to halve Wales’ food waste by 2025. |
Long-running bin strike in Birmingham is called off
17/08/2017 The seven-week bin strike in Birmingham has been suspended after trade union Unite agreed to further negotiations with the council. |
Wheelie bins replaced by underground waste system
08/08/2017 The largest underground bin system in the UK has opened in Cambridge, enabling residents to put their waste down chutes outside their homes. |
Energy-from-waste putting pressure on recycling rates, claims report
08/08/2017 A surge in the number of energy-from-waste and incinerator plants being built in the UK could limit recycling rates, according to a new report. |
Rotherham set to be handed back five powers
19/07/2017 A further five powers are due to be returned to Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council following improvements by the council. |
This issue of Public Property examines how how flexible workspaces can lead the way in regeneration for local authorities, Why local authority intervention is key to successful urban regeneration schemes and if the Government’s challenge of embracing beauty is an opportunity for communities.
The March issue also takes a closer look at Blackburn with Darwen Council's first digital health hub to help people gain control over health and care services.
