Mary Burns Awards 2015
Ladies and gentlemen it would help add to the experience of these coveted Salford Star Mary Burns Awards if you could put full dinner dress on, grab a glass of warm white wine and applaud to yourself after each award is announced. Now, without further ado, let's get on with this year's ceremony which will continue, on and off, right up to New Year...
The `My old man's a dustman and he reckons the change to three week black bin collections is more to do with a dodgy PFI deal than with saving the planet' Award...
Goes to...
Salford City Council
Yes, Salford Council intends to bring in three weekly black bin collections from July 2016, for an eight month period in Worsley, Boothstown, Swinton, Irlam and Cadishead, Pendlebury and Walkden; and from March 2017 for a five month period in Kersal, Broughton, Weaste, Seedley, Winton and Claremont.
During this period it will `review the impact' - of overflowing black bins and stuff - before `full implementation' in August 2017. The Council stated that it's introducing the three weekly black bin collections to increase recycling and bring `significant environmental benefits'. And no-one can argue with that. But the bottom line is to `reduce costs'...
"It is estimated that the recycling rate would increase and cost reductions, from the waste levy, in the region of £470,000 in 2016/17 and £1,090,000 for full city coverage, could be achieved" Salford Council stated.
What the Council didn't fully explain was the reason why the `waste levy' is so high. In 2009, Salford Council, along with eight other Greater Manchester councils, signed up for a 25 year £3.8billion PFI (Private Finance Initiative) deal with Viridor Laing (Greater Manchester) Ltd, via GMWDA (Greater Manchester Waste Disposal Authority), which included £631million investment in 43 new facilities for waste disposal.
The GMWDA, which in turn bills the councils, last year paid over £50million in interest alone on the PFI contract, and Local Government Secretary Eric Pickles (when he was in office) called the PFI deal "botched", adding "They are paying double the market rates to dispose of their residual waste"; ie black bins.
Indeed, the waste levy rose in 2013-14 by a massive 14% to help pay for it all. It was followed by a 3% reduction this year and a 0% increase next year but is set to rise by another 8.39% in 2017-18.
Last year, while Greater Manchester landfill costs rose by just under £2million, `payment to contractors' increased by an incredible £26.5million. Meanwhile, in the labyrinth that is the GMWDA accounts for 2014-15 it's revealed that there's some more staggering PFI payments still to come...like, £2.165billion of them!
This financial year, the PFI contract is costing GMWDA £95.2million in total. Payments in the two to five years after that total almost £400million, followed by over £500million every four years after that. By the end of the PFI contract, which still has 19 years to run, the GMWDA will have paid over £1.4billion in services, almost £86.5million in `reimbursement of capital expenditure' and over £466million in interest.
They're all eye-watering figures, and trying to understand them is akin to sticking your head in the claw crusher at the back of a bin wagon. But basically, the question has to be asked whether the move to three weekly bin collections is motivated by saving the planet or having to pay for this incredibly expensive PFI deal with Viridor Laing which the councils have landed themselves with.
Oh, and there's more...
The way that it's set up, the GMWDA charges each council by the amount of waste they put into the system. So, if Salford puts the same amount in next year, and somewhere like Tameside does more recycling, then we have to pay a higher amount. However the Salford Council report on the change states that "If Salford increases its performance and others do at the same time, then the level of disposal costs will remain unaltered...."
In other words, the Council can bring in the three weekly bin collections but if everyone else does too, then savings-wise it's not going to make a massive difference. The councils are all in competition with each other and, while the planet might benefit, the overall winners are Viridor Laing.
So ladies and gentlemen of the litterati, landfill your glasses, smell a rat and jump into a financial sinkhole for the winner of the `My old man's a dustman and he reckons the change to three week black bin collections is more to do with a dodgy PFI deal than with saving the planet' Award...
Salford City Council!!!
If someone from Salford City Council would like to make an acceptance speech please fill in the comment box below
*Almost 6,000 people have signed a petition against the introduction of three weekly bin collections see here
PS: GMWDA's Treasurer and Deputy Clerk received a financial package of £124,076 last year; its Director of Contract Services received a package of £104,394; and its Director of Resources and Strategy received a package of £93,777.
Any questions on the complicated workings of the PFI deal should be directed to Salford Councillor James Hunt who gets a special allowance of £2,167.68 for keeping an eye on the GMWDA, or Executive Leader for the Environment, Councillor Gena Merrett.
2015 Salford Star Mary Burns Award Winners...
* Welcome to 1984 Award - Salford City Council - click here
* The `Uncle Joe Stalin Award for Open and Democratic Government' Salford City Mayor Ian Stewart - click here
* Trevi Fountain Award Salford City Council - click here
* Feed The Rich Award - Fred Done - click here
*For a full list of last year's winners of the Salford Star Mary Burns Awards click here
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