Steve Read has left the Somerset Waste Partnership to take up a new role as Director of Energy, Waste and Environment at West Sussex County Council.
Read, who jointly managed the SWP, a group of five district and borough councils and Somerset County Council, as Managing Director and Gloucestershire Joint Waste Partnership, a similar group with five local authorities, as Head of Service, started the new role on 30 May.
Read was the SWP’s first Managing Director, joining the partnership in 2007 and took on the Gloucestershire role in a part-time capacity.
Read will now add energy and the environment to his job description as he moves to West Sussex to oversee the county council’s green operations.
Commenting on the new role, he said: “I am looking forward to working with the team here to develop the work we do around sustainability and energy usage. What we do impacts and crosses over with district councils and contractors we work with and I am really looking forward to seeing what difference we can make in those areas.”
“Internally the challenge is incorporating sustainability and thinking about energy and the way we use materials, making sure we embed that in corporate culture and thinking.
“Out in the wider world our priorities include delivering safe and quality services to the public but also encouraging people to look at the amount of waste they produce.
“We want to make sure we are doing the right thing with the materials we and our partners collect, be they for recycling or energy recovery, in a way that benefits financially and minimises environmental impact.”
West Sussex County Council’s Executive Director for Economy, Infrastructure and Environment, Lee Harris, added: “We’re delighted with Steve’s appointment. He brings a wealth of experience to the post, particularly with his track record in waste management, environmental sustainability and developing partnerships between district and county councils.”
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