While the Council has met current Assembly Government targets, there is now increasing pressure on the capacity and operation of existing waste facilities. Conwy lags behind other councils in its recycling performance and the cleanliness of streets also continues to compare unfavourably with other Welsh councils. The report urges the Council to quickly improve waste management and street cleaning services if it is to meet future targets.

Key areas for improvement include strategic planning, value for money, management capability, and member and public support. The report also calls for the Council to increase its recycling facilities and provide the kerbside collection service for recyclable wastes to more residents.

The Council is aware of the challenges ahead, but the report found that plans are inadequate to deliver the necessary improvement. Plans should be more focussed on delivering strategic priorities and supported with good project management. Consultation with residents and consideration for service users must also be greatly improved.

The report makes recommendations to the Council, which include:

• Test the competitiveness of its waste and street cleansing services in comparison with other councils and the private sector.
  
  
• Identify and implement the main objectives required to deliver the Waste Strategy and to significantly improve the street cleansing service.
  
  
• Use regular and robust information on the level of public satisfaction with waste management and street cleansing to inform decisions about service delivery.

Auditor General for Wales, Jeremy Colman, said today:
“Local authority waste services have had to change quickly and Conwy needs to work hard to ensure that it adapts and delivers. The Council should consider my recommendations and produce an action plan to identify key priorities and make the best use of its resources.”

Notes to Editors:

• This report is the result of an inspection by the Wales Audit Office which examines, waste management and street cleansing services at Conwy County Borough Council.
  
  
• In 2002, National targets for waste management were set by the Welsh Assembly Government requiring that performance continue to improve to meet European targets. For more information on this go to http://www.wales.gov.uk/subienvironment/content/wastesummary-e.pdf
  
  
• The Wales Audit Office (WAO) is independent of government and is responsible for the annual audit of some £19 billion of annual public expenditure.
  
  
• The WAO was created on 1st April 2005 following the passing of the Public Audit (Wales) Act, which expanded the functions of the Auditor General for Wales and enabled the transfer of staffs from the Audit Commission in Wales and National Audit Office in Wales to his employment.

For more information please contact Rachel Harries (Communications and Media Officer) on 029-2026-2675. Or you can visit our website www.wao.gov.uk