Newbury, England, United Kingdom
I am a circular economy leader with experience in advising major public and private sector organisations on resource efficiency strategies, climate impact mitigation and sustainability. I was actively involved in the development of the UK Government's recently-published Resources and Waste Strategy, via a secondment with DEFRA. I also have expertise in procurement and commercial due diligence; and have undertaken various projects in Africa, Europe, Middle East and Asia. Specialties: Waste and Resource Management Strategy; Circular Economy Leadership; Climate Impact Mitigation and Adaptation; Sustainability Strategy; Stakeholder Engagement; Health & Safety Management; Risk & Business Continuity Management; Programme and Project Management; and Procurement and Contract Management.
# Leading Environment Delivery, Waste Management and Countryside Teams. West Berkshire Council is committed to achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2030. The Council declared a Climate Emergency in July 2019 and published its Environment Strategy the following year. A lot of great foundational progress has been achieved since 2020. Nevertheless, much more work lies ahead if we are to meet the net zero target. My role is to lead our excellent colleagues in the three teams - and working together with residents, businesses and partner organisations - to meet this challenging goal.
# Senior Responsible Officer for the Council’s long-term integrated waste PFI contract in accordance with WIDP guidance. **Selected Key Achievements in Current Role**: # Exceptional leadership of my team during the pandemic and achievement of high service continuity was recognised with a Best Team of the Year nomination at the LARAC Awards in October 2020; # Led drafting of the waste and resource sections and other parts of Council’s new Environment Strategy 2020 – 2030; # Successfully introduced separate weekly food waste collections to 100% of the council area; # Transformation of the chargeable garden waste collection service and 99% of customers currently pay by Direct Debit with optimised customer retention, enhanced customer journey and reduced staff admin costs; # Revenue budget has been achieving significant underspends over the past 3 years even at a time of increased financial pressure and higher service demands; # Recycling performance increased from c. 49% to a projected 56% in 2023/24; # Landfill utilisation reduced from about 15% in 2019 to projected c. 5% in 2023/24; # Development and implementation of a digital booking system for HWRCs within a week and continued use to improve customer experience, safety, and environmental benefits from reduced vehicle queuing and idling, and improved local air quality; # Waste minimisation activities strengthened with expansion of Real Nappies scheme for new parents and recent introduction of Paint Reuse scheme; # Mini recycling centre network increased from 7 to 9 sites, with expansion of materials recycled to include small WEEE, tetrapak and plastic pots, tubs and trays; # Introduction of digital HWRC permit system linked with ANPR to replace paper-based permit system; # Completion of cross-border agreements with Hampshire CC and implementation of HWRC charging for non-resident visitors; and # Achievement of POPs (Persistent Organic Pollutants) regulatory compliance in December 2022, ahead of schedule.
Edgbarrow School is rated 'Outstanding' and provides comprehensive education to c. 1,500 secondary school students. The role of the co-opted governor is to contribute to the effective governance and prosperity of the school by bringing relevant skills and experiences to bear on the decisions of the local governing board.
Roles and responsibilities included: # Commissioning and procurement of strategic contracts including future waste transfer stations; # Provision of waste & environmental technical advice and due diligence; # Sustainability and circular economy strategy development; # Business performance management, strategic risk management and continuity planning; # Managing supplier compliance with CSR obligations, key environmental indicators and statutory duties; # Programme management for long-term biowaste treatment and Household Recycling Centre (HRC) reconfiguration; # Medium term financial planning and service modelling; # Health and safety management of existing sites/operations; # Engagement with key stakeholders including local government partners, elected councillors; regulators e.g. Environment Agency, HSE; contractors and supply chains; and # Representation of Council at external conferences, workshops etc.
Roles and responsibilities included: # Provision of waste & environmental technical advice and due diligence; # Management of strategic procurement and supplier CSR compliance; # Major projects and contract management including responsibility for biowaste treatment contracts and recharges for cross-border utilisation of Household Recycling Centres; # Management of technical advisor framework contracts; and # Operations health and safety management.
I was seconded by ADEPT (the Association of Directors of Environment, Economy, Planning and Transport) into Defra to help with the development of the UK Government's Resources and Waste Strategy for England. Selected policy areas covered in the Strategy where I provided insights include: # Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR); # Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) and recycling-on-the-go (ROTG); # Consistency of waste collection approaches and TEEP application; # Enhancement of resource and waste reuse opportunities; # New burdens assessments; and # Local authority resource management performance improvement framework, including options for greater partnership working e.g. amongst two-tier authorities and regional networks.
Roles and responsibilities included: # Provision of waste and environmental technical advice to consulting clients; # Development of renewable energy and sustainability strategies; # Waste flow and service modelling; # Sustainability and life-cycle assessments e.g. WRATE; # PFI/PPP tender optimisation for clients; # Environmental strategy due-diligence; and # Business development and business case justification.