The Kent Resource Partnership, one of England’s most influential waste partnerships, has a new chairman.
Cllr Rory Love, a cabinet member on Shepway District Council, has been elected unanimously to succeed Cllr Paul Barrington-King, who stepped down after taking on new responsibilities at Tunbridge Wells Borough Council.
The partnership is made up of all 12 districts and borough councils in Kent which collect waste and Kent County Council which disposes of it. Its aim is to provide a platform for the kind of partnership working that is estimated to save Kent’s taxpayers £60m up to 2023. Its partners are currently bucking the national trend by continuing to improve Kent’s recycling rate.
Cllr Rory Love introduced an enhanced recycling service in Shepway in 2012 which boosted recycling to around 50%, and restored weekly collections of food waste. He also introduced free email alerts to remind residents which kind of collection takes place the following morning; recycling or residual waste.
Speaking after the meeting, Cllr Love said: “Councillors who act as spokesmen for their councils on recycling and waste are among the most passionate and ambitious for local government’s role in safeguarding the environment. To be elected as Chairman of the Kent Resource Partnership by these councillors is a huge privilege. We are already highly respected by Government and by the resource industry, but we have an ambition across Kent to do even more to enhance our award-winning services, and control our costs to taxpayers.”