Letter to Robbie Moore MP Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.
Dear Robbie,
I writing with regard to the Food Waste Collection Grant announced by DEFRA to support local authorities with additional costs in setting up statutory food waste collections.
Whilst the grant funding announced by Government so far is very welcome, I note that a number of local authorities have raised concerns that their allocations from the existing £295m fund will not be enough to set up and operate their services properly. Of the £295m, my own local council in Brighton and Hove have been allocated £2,443,812.
For a number of years I have been in discussions with Brighton and Hove City Council about the costs of introducing such a scheme in the city and it's clear from these conversations that there is a significant gap in the grant funding versus what is needed. The most recent estimates from the local authority suggest there is in excess of £1m further funding required to provide an effective food waste collection service. The extra financial pressure is due to the need for additional vehicles and the complexity of the communal bins system and collections in Brighton and Hove.
Food waste recycling is an issue that Green councillors in Brighton and Hove have long pushed for and so I am genuinely pleased that things are starting to move forward and new burdens funding has now been announced by Ministers. However, with food waste collections being made mandatory and council budgets already on a knifes edge, I do think that Government needs to fully meet the funding needs of each local area. Without this extra support I am concerned that councils will be forced to work within smaller budgets and ultimately provide a less than effective services as a result.
If it would be helpful to facilitate a meeting with officers at Brighton and Hove City Council to discuss this further, and to discuss some of the local complexities, I would be happy to do so.
I look forward to hearing for you.
Best wishes,
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