Calls for more Government funding to support new food waste collection service in Northumberland

Councillors in Northumberland have warned it will be impossible to roll out the Government's mandatory food waste collection service to all households in the county due to a lack of funding.

Local authorities will be required to provide a food waste collection service from April 2026 under rules set out by the previous Government. Westminster has provided councils with additional "new burden" funding to help with costs - but the formula used to calculate the amounts awarded has put rural councils at a disadvantage.

At Tuesday's meeting of the council's cabinet, it was explained that the £2.9 million awarded by the Government to purchase the necessary vehicles would only allow a food waste collection service to be provided to around 80,000 homes. At the 2021 census, there were 146,900 recorded households in the county.

The collections are likely to be focused on the population-dense south east portion of the county, although some other larger towns could also benefit. Speaking at the meeting, Coun Colin Horncastle called for further funding.

He said: "We're going to have to provide a food waste collection service. To do that we need different vehicles and that is obviously going to have a massive cost to the council.

"The previous Government recognised that local authorities would require new funding in order to role out additional collection services. That sounds very good, but there are a few complications in that the formula that the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) used doesn't consider the layout of our county.

"The funding that they have come up with is just over £2.9 million. Our modelling shows we would need £4.5 million, so we are £1.6 million short. We have appealed, but we have not yet heard back."

The money provided by Government is enough for 15 vehicles at a cost of £110,000 each. Due to the high level of demand, the council has chosen to move forward without waiting for the result of an appeal in order to ensure it is at the "front of the queue" for the necessary equipment.

Coun Horncastle added that the council would not face punishment for failing to provide the service county-wide. Coun Richard Wearmouth, the council's deputy leader, said the council's Conservative administration would continue to fight for more funding.

He said: "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.

"That is why we need more vehicles than was anticipated by central Government. We will make the case, as we always do."

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