Steve Burdis has been dismissed as Director of the Dorset Waste Partnership (DWP) following the waste authority’s £2.8 million overspend in 2014/15.
Burdis was ‘temporarily suspended’ in March 2015 to give the DWP a chance to investigate the overspend. A statement released at the time stated that £1.5 million of the figure had been spent on hiring recycling vehicles ‘without a proper tendering process’ and that there had also been issues in relation to the DWP’s vehicle insurance.
A spokesperson today confirmed that Burdis had been relieved of his role, saying: “We can confirm that an appeal panel was convened on 8 March to hear an appeal against the dismissal of Dorset Waste Partnership’s director, Steve Burdis. Mr Burdis’s appeal was dismissed by the panel. The council’s disciplinary and appeal procedures have now been concluded.”
The DWP, formed in 2011 to join up waste services across Dorset, is formed of and funded by all seven Dorset councils (excluding Bournemouth and Poole) on a cost-sharing basis and is hosted by the county council, which employs its staff and provides its support services.
The overspend followed a troubled rollout for the county’s ‘Recycle for Dorset’ collection scheme, which councillors from member authority Weymouth and Portland Borough Council called a ‘fiasco’. The partnership’s joint committee approved a 37-point action plan to improve the DWP’s operations following Burdis’s suspension and appointed independent consultancy White Young Green (WYG) to provide interim management support and oversee the plan’s delivery.
In September, the committee announced that the action plan had almost been completed, but predicted that the partnership would again experience a significant overspend in 2015/16. At a meeting of the committee in February, a overspend of £356,000 was predicted for the year.
Interim management to remain in place
The spokesperson also confirmed that “interim arrangements around the DWP’s senior management team will remain in place until a successor has been appointed”.
Karyn Punchard is currently in the role of Interim Director after Nigel Mattravers, who took over when Burdis was suspended, left the role in August prior to the completion of his six-month contract.
Punchard previously served as Streetscene manager for the partnership and took over as Interim Director in September.
More information about the Dorset Waste Partnership can be found on the body’s website.
Get our weekly digest
resource.co article ai
How will the government and DMOs address the challenges of including glass in DRS while ensuring a level playing field across the UK?
There's no easy solution to include glass in the DRS while maintaining a level playing field. Potential approaches include a phased introduction of glass, potentially with higher deposits to reflect its logistical challenges. The government and DMOs could incentivise innovation in glass packaging design and subsidise dedicated return points for glass-handling. Exemptions for smaller businesses unable to handle glass might also be necessary. Any successful solution will likely blend several approaches. It must address the differing priorities of devolved administrations, balance environmental benefits with logistical and cost implications, and be supported by robust consumer education campaigns emphasizing the importance of glass recycling.