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Briefing paper No 7Project Integra a Brief HistoryThe concept of an Integrated Waste Management system for household waste in Hampshire was born in the early 1990s out of a an urgent need to provide new solutions to the medium term problem of landfill shortage and replacement of obsolete incinerators. The first attempt at a solution failed as, against a background of local objection, a planning application for a large mass burn energy from waste incinerator at Portsmouth was rejected. This led to the recognition that a new approach was needed based on more recycling and smaller scale waste facilities.
A wide scale public consultation exercise undertaken by Hampshire County Council (HCC) in 1993. The process and issues were set out in a consultation paper "The Way forward" which was subject to detailed community debate and scrutiny. The County Council was then Waste Disposal Authority (WDA) with responsibility for disposing of all household Hampshire’s Waste with the city, district and borough councils being designated Waste Collection Authorities (WCAs) responsible for refuse collection. Later in 1997 Portsmouth and Southampton became unitary authorities and thus WDAs in their own right.
One of the key developments was the recognition that it was necessary to look at waste collection, processing and disposal as an overall system. This led to the WDA and WCAs working together and the other local authorities in Hampshire played a major part in building the consensus approach which was set out in a second document "Dealing with Hampshire’s Waste - the proposed Solution (1995). The document set out a number of principles that needed to be embedded in the approach. These included:
In 1996, following a competitive tendering process, a long-term contract (to run 25 years after the commissioning of the major infrastructure) was signed with Hampshire Waste Services to deliver the infrastructure and supporting waste management services for all of Hampshire’s household and municipal waste. The name given to the proposals submitted by Hampshire Waste Services was "Project Integra". This name was been adopted by the partnership of all Hampshire Local Authorities who signed a memorandum of understanding setting out the principles under which they would work in partnership. In 2000, the partnership agreed to set the arrangement on a more formal basis through the formation of the Management Board, supported by a Policy Review and Scrutiny Committee. The Board held its inaugural meeting in July 2001.
The Project Integra Management Board is a joint committee constituted by the Partner Authorities under Section 101(5) and 102(1) of the Local Government Act 1972. Meetings of the Board are subject to the provisions of the Local Government Act 1972, including provisions on access to information and meetings being held in public. The role of the Policy Review and Scrutiny Committee is to discharge the functions conferred by Section 21 of the Local Government Act 2000 in relation to the activities of the Board. The partnership has a constitution which requires that the Board produces an annual business plan. The Partnership also collectively reviews and forecasts waste volumes on a rolling five year basis. The partnership is serviced by an Executive Officer supported by a small secretariat, jointly funded by the partners and service level agreements with partner authorities to provide support for communications, research, finance and legal advice. Much work is progressed through a number of officer working groups looking at particular aspects including Materials Marketing, Waste Minimisation, Research, Communications, and Biowaste. There are also three regional operations groups. These are Chaired and supported by officers from within the partnership and this time represents a valuable contribution and resource by the partners concerned.
Project Integra’s current mission is to manage waste generated by households in Hampshire, gaining benefits from integration, scale, synergy and influence.
Current Countywide Recycling/Composting Rate is 25%, relative to an estimated total municipal waste stream of 880,000T in 2003/4. The two best performing districts are achieving over 40% (with 30%+ at kerbside). The percentage of material disposed via landfill is forecast to drop below 20% by mid 2005 when all EFW capacity is on line.
Integra has, however, been unable to achieve the target of keeping waste volumes at 1995 levels. This is the common position in the rest of the UK and in most of the developed world. Waste growth remains, for the time being at least, linked to economic growth.
Project Integra is internationally recognised as a successful collaborative partnership of local authorities. In the UK the partnership has been acknowledged through the following awards and references:-
The partnership has received a number of accolades over the last few years and has remained robust in the face of ever increasing challenges. During 2003, the partnership recognised the need to take a long-term view, to think through how it would need to respond to the challenges of the next two decades. The need for a "2020 vision" coincided with the proposal of the Hampshire Natural Resources Trust to undertake a fundamental review of how Hampshire deals with material resources and the statutory requirement of the Waste Disposal Authorities to develop a Minerals and Waste Development. The ambitious response was the agreement of Hampshire County Council, Portsmouth City Council, Southampton City Council, together with Project Integra, to develop a Materials Resources Strategy for the County. It is anticipated that this will be substantially completed by the autumn of 2004, although the document itself will be constantly updated. For more information visit www.integra.org.uk or contact Steve Read Executive Officer, Project Integra c/o The Old College College Street Petersfield GU31 4AG Tel: 01730 235806, Fax: 01730 263622 Project Integra is a joint initiative between the councils of Basingstoke and Deane, East Hampshire, Eastleigh, Fareham, Gosport, Hart, Havant, New Forest, Rushmoor, Test Valley and Winchester; Portsmouth and Southampton unitary authorities; Hampshire County Council, and Hampshire Waste Services Ltd. |
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