West of England Combined Authority

From Wikiwaste

The West of England Combined Authority (WECA) comprises of three Unitary Authorities of Bath and North East Somerset Council (B&NES), Bristol City Council (BCC) and South Gloucestershire Council (SG)[1]. The combined authority is led by the Mayor of the West of England.

It was created on the 9 Feb 2017 combining the West of England Partnership and the West of England Local Enterprise Partnership was formed to help these authorities to work together and co-ordinate high level planning to improve the quality of life of their residents and provide for a growing population[2]. The three Authorities within the Partnership have statutory responsibility for the collection, recycling, treatment, disposal and planning of municipal waste management[1].

The Authorities believe working in Partnership offers them economic, environmental and social advantages, including:

  • Maximising economies of scale;
  • Minimising environmental impacts;
  • Minimising transport requirements; and
  • Providing best value for the tax payer[1].

The combined authority intends to also greatly improve the self sufficiency of waste management in the area[1].

The West of England Combined Authority focuses on developments that are better planned in the scale of the west of England as opposed to individual council level[2].

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