Northumberland Council Highlights Funding Shortfall as Challenge for Mandatory Food Waste Collection

Elected officials in Northumberland have expressed concerns that implementing compulsory food waste collection services will be “really difficult” because of insufficient financial resources. Local councils are mandated to establish food waste collection by April 2026, a requirement established by the preceding administration. While acknowledging the associated expenses, the government has pledged to supply additional funding to councils; however, Northumberland County Council has stated that the allocated sum is inadequate. The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) indicated the government’s aim to “introduce a streamlined approach to recycling” and promised to release further funding specifics promptly. The council asserts that the current funding model does not adequately address the increased expenditures faced by rural regions, which necessitate the acquisition of more collection vehicles to service widely dispersed rural areas. Glen Sanderson, the Conservative leader of Northumberland County Council, affirmed that the authority could implement food waste collections, provided it receives sufficient financial support. He informed BBC Politics North: “In a place like Northumberland, it is really difficult.” He added, “We want to make sure everybody that wants to recycle their food waste can do so, even if they live in an isolated farmhouse in the Cheviots.” Sanderson further stated, “The government hasn’t come up with the money yet, so we are quite worried because we’ve given them the evidence, shown them it can work, we’ve said what it will cost, and we’ve hit a potential logjam.” Northumberland received funding intended for the purchase of a minimum of 15 new vehicles, but the individual overseeing the council’s environment portfolio indicated that this sum would not meet the anticipated expenses. Councillor Colin Horncastle stated: “The funding that they have come up with is just over £2.9m. Our modelling shows we would need £4.5m, so we are £1.6m short.” He elaborated, “It’s going to be a complicated service for Northumberland. In rural areas, you will be going miles to pick up very small amounts of waste.” Horncastle concluded, “That is why we need more vehicles than was anticipated by central government.” BBC News has learned that the council is formally challenging this issue with the government. Lola McEvoy, the Labour MP for Darlington, pledged to provide clarity in the new year. She remarked: “When the spending review is out in the spring we’ll be talking about which things we can prioritise with the limited funds that we have.” McEvoy also noted, “What’s interesting about the food composting is that it comes up so much from children – the recycling agenda is one of the most popular things they want to talk about.” BBC Politics North is broadcast at 10:00 GMT on Sundays via BBC One across the North East & Cumbria region. Latest episodes are currently accessible on the BBC iPlayer. For updates, follow BBC North East on X, Facebook, Nextdoor, and Instagram. Story proposals can be sent to northeastandcumbria@bbc.co.uk. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC disclaims responsibility for the content of external websites. Information regarding our policy on external linking is available.