The West London Waste Authority was scheduled to consider its Business Plan for 2026/27, receive updates on People and Culture, Business Partnership and Development, Contracts and Operations, and Finance. The Authority was also scheduled to discuss future meeting dates.

Business Plan 2026/27

The Authority was scheduled to review its Business Plan for 2026/27, which outlines its long-term ambitions to halve residual waste by 2035 and achieve zero avoidable waste by 2042. The plan focuses on improving waste and recycling services, investing in infrastructure, and leading the transition to a circular economy. Key priorities for the year were scheduled to include embedding continuous improvement in contracts, delivering live projects such as Circular Economy Hubs, building transfer and processing infrastructure, and ensuring the safe operation of the Abbey Road Household Reuse and Recycling Centre (HRRC). The plan also detailed progress on people and culture initiatives, including the development of new organisational values, and partnership working with the six boroughs. The report highlighted the potential impacts of legislative changes, such as Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) and the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS), on medium-term planning.

People and Culture Update

An update was scheduled to be provided on the Authority's People and Culture agenda. This was to include the conclusion of the recruitment process for a permanent Managing Director and the embedding of newly defined organisational values: Safety First, Accountability, and Continuous Improvement. The report was expected to outline progress against the Workforce Action Plan and key performance indicators (KPIs), including employee engagement levels and training initiatives. It was also proposed that reporting on People and Culture matters would move to an annual cycle.

Business Partnership and Development and Transformation Update

The Authority was scheduled to receive an update on its business partnership and development and transformation efforts. This was to focus on the work of the Strategic Partnership Board, which aims to enhance collaboration between the six boroughs. Key areas of focus for the Board were scheduled to include increasing the capture and quality of recycling materials from properties with communal collection services and improving public-facing HRRC sites. The report was to present findings from Waste Composition Analysis, highlighting differences in waste generation between kerbside and communal properties, and propose the use of allocated funding for trials to improve recycling capture and quality from communal properties. Recommendations were also scheduled to be made regarding infrastructure improvements and the expansion of food waste collection services.

Contracts and Operations Update

An update was scheduled on the performance of the Authority's waste contracts and recent developments at the Abbey Road HRRC. The report was to detail how contracts are performing against key principles of value for money, reliability, safety, partnership working, and resilience. It was to provide an overview of waste contract performance, including updates on the Severnside Energy Recovery Centre (SERC) and Lakeside energy from waste facility, as well as contracts for food waste, garden waste, and dry mixed recycling. Developments at Abbey Road HRRC and Waste Transfer Station were also to be discussed, including health and safety improvements, customer service, and transfer station improvement works. The Procurement Pipeline, outlining future contracts requiring procurement or extensions, was also to be presented.

Finance Update

The Authority was scheduled to receive a finance update, detailing its financial position for the first quarter of 2026/27. The report was to show a projected year-end surplus, driven by lower waste transport and disposal costs, partially offset by increased costs for borough and trade residual waste. The update was to include a review of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), with a proposed adjustment to the target for agency staff spend. The report was also to cover the Minimum Revenue Provision (MRP) policy, outlining a revised approach to debt repayment for capital assets. A treasury management update was to be provided, confirming the Authority's adherence to approved borrowing limits and investment security. Finally, an update on the 2025/26 financial audit was to be presented, with a proposal to delegate authority to the Chair to approve the financial statements upon completion of the audit.

Dates of Future Meetings

Members were requested to consider and agree the proposed dates for future meetings of the Authority and Audit Committee for the 2026/2027 municipal year.