UK infrastructure ‘not adequate’ to deal with Landfill Directive

03 October 2007

David Harvey, outgoing environment director for Derbyshire, has said he is ‘not optimistic’ that the UK will have the infrastructure needed to meet the Landfill Directive.

Harvey, former County Surveyors’ Society president, said that during his 11 years as Derbyshire County Council’s environment director, there had been ‘a lot more capital investment for local transport,’ which had ‘improved people’s lives’.

But, in a parting shot, the director of a top-ranked department criticised the rise of ‘time-consuming and resource-hungry inspections’, and the fact that there were ‘no resources’ for the network management duty.

Waste had gone from being a peripheral part of an environment director’s job to ‘our biggest challenge’. Reducing landfilling required ‘a realisation from the public that having treatment facilities somewhere near them had to be part of the solution’. I

an Stephenson, his successor, with more than 30 years’ experience in highways, and previous corporate director for Wakefield and Doncaster metropolitan districts, was, however, ‘confident’ of meeting the landfill allowance trading scheme targets. Derbyshire is currently in the procurement phase for building ‘technology neutral’ solutions to treating residual waste.

Stephenson promised the department, ‘which has been working harder, will also work smarter,’ with further efficiency savings. Derbyshire would also be ‘very outward looking’, taking part in one transport innovation fund bid, and engaging with Greater Manchester authorities on the impact of another.

Harvey, who is leaving ‘the best job imaginable,’ is retiring to spend time travelling with his wife Jean, and to captain the local golf club. But he will also provide some environmental services consultancy.

David Harvey can be contacted at dhc@btinternet.com

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UK infrastructure ‘not adequate’ to deal with Landfill Directive

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