Consultations In Essex

The draft Waste Strategy for Essex provides a framework for managing our recycling and waste in Essex for the next 30 years. It includes a shared vision, key principles and ambitious targets.

In September 2023, a 10-week public consultation was launched on behalf of Essex Waste Partnership. The consultation gave people the chance to have their say on the draft Waste Strategy.

A total of 4,545 responses to the consultation were received. This included 4,224 responses to the full survey and 321 responses to the Easy Read survey. The survey responses were independently analysed.

Headline results show there is a good level of agreement from all areas in Essex on key proposals within the draft strategy.

Headline findings from the full survey:

• 67% agreed with the vision statement for the Waste Strategy for Essex.
• 48% thought the targets are about right. A further 28% would prefer more ambitious targets and 13% would prefer less ambitious targets.
• 49% thought the ambitions are about right, with 27% preferring higher ambitions and 13% preferring lower ambitions. 6% would prefer none at all, and 6% were not sure.
• 63% agreed with the move to embrace a circular economy, in which finite resources are conserved and used efficiently.
• The majority of respondents agreed with the waste hierarchy priorities, with 65% agreeing with waste prevention, 71% with reuse, and 77% with recycle.
• 78% agreed that the EWP should reduce the use of landfill.
• 61% agreed that adopting the use of anaerobic digestion for the treatment of food waste is the right solution.
• 69% agreed that that after recycling everything we can, adopting Energy from Waste for residual waste is the right solution.
• In regard to achieving collaboration and innovation, the majority of respondents agreed with all statements for how this should be achieved, ranging between 67% to 86% agreement
• 77% agreed with the proposal around ‘educate and engage’, to listen to residents and deliver information and initiatives to encourage changes in attitudes and behaviour to reduce waste and recycle more.
• 70% agreed with the proposed approach to research, planning and performance monitoring.
• In the full survey, respondents could provide their feedback on the Strategic Environmental Assessment. 288 respondents provided feedback, with 54% agreeing that the Environmental Report correctly identified the likely significant effects of the draft strategy, and 46% disagreeing.
• There was widespread agreement for the different areas of the strategy amongst the five Essex Waste Partnership member organisations that provided a response to the consultation, although it should be noted that one preferred higher targets and one would prefer lower ambitions to be achieved at a later date.

Reports can be found on the links at the bottom of this page.

Findings from the consultation analysis have been used to help develop a final version of the waste strategy.

The adoption of the Waste Strategy for Essex will be subject to a separate decision by each partnership council. Councils in the Essex Waste Partnership are planning to take decisions during Summer 2024. ECC took a decision to adopt the waste strategy on 23 July 2024.

If you’d like to find out more about the new Waste Strategy for Essex, please visit Waste Strategy for Essex. For ideas on how to reduce your waste and recycle more, please visit Love Essex.

In 2022, Essex County Council (ECC) started a pilot requiring users to pre-book visits to recycling centres in response to challenges of high demand at peak times (congestion, environmental impacts, longer waiting times).

In October 2023, Essex County Council published an interim evaluation of the pilot and launched a consultation with the aim of seeking views from Essex residents and other stakeholders on keeping a recycling centre booking process permanently.

The responses to the consultation have been independently analysed and a summary is provided below.

18,123 consultees responded to the consultation.

99.7% of consultees responding selected one of the prompted 21 Essex recycling centres when asked which they typically visit. As such it should be considered that this report summarises response to the proposals from recycling centre users as opposed to Essex residents in general. 

The majority of consultees indicated they have booked to visit a recycling centre online since the process was introduced in 2022 (88%). 1% indicated they have booked the recycling centre by telephone (via ECC’s contact centre). 11% indicated they haven’t used the recycling centre booking system.

Headline findings:

• 58% of consultees indicated they agree with the proposal to keep a booking process for cars for all recycling centres in Essex. 39% indicated they disagree with the proposal. 3% indicated they were unsure.
• A comparably higher proportion of residents living in Castle Point, Colchester, Harlow, Rochford and Tendring agree with the proposal for cars. A comparably lower proportion of residents living in Brentwood, Chelmsford, Epping Forest and Uttlesford indicated they agree with the proposal.
• Agreement levels with retaining a booking process for vans are high with 72% of consultees indicating they agree with the proposal to keep a booking process for vans, pick-up trucks and vehicles with double-axle trailers at the nine van-friendly recycling centres in Essex. 14% indicated they disagree with the proposal. 14% indicated they were unsure.
• A comparably higher proportion of residents living in Basildon, Castle Point, Colchester, Harlow, Rochford, Tendring indicated they agree with the proposal to keep a booking process for vans. A comparably lower proportion of residents living in Brentwood, Chelmsford, Epping Forest and Uttlesford indicated they agree with the proposal to keep a booking process for vans.
• There were a number of questions that allowed consultees to provide free-text comments relating to the proposals for cars and vans  and suggestions for the future of the booking process.  Details will be provided within the full consultation report which will be made available soon.

Consultee profile:

• The recycling centres with the highest proportion of consultation responses is consistent with the busiest recycling centres in the County - Saffron Walden Recycling Centre, Chelmsford Recycling Centre, Braintree Recycling Centre, Colchester Recycling Centre, Harlow Recycling Centre and Clacton Recycling Centre.
• The majority of consultees indicated they use a car when visiting the recycling centre (96%). 4% indicated they use a car with a single axle trailer and 5% indicated they use a van or pick-up truck (respondents could tick all vehicle types that applied).  Less than 1% indicated they travelled by bicycle or on foot.

The consultation forms part of a range of evidence collected throughout the pilot which has been used to inform a final decision on the future of the recycling centre booking process.  The decision to retain a booking process permanently was taken on 27 February 2024.

The consultation has also provided us with a wealth of valuable feedback on the booking process and suggestions for service enhancements which we will consider in due course.

We asked about our proposal for a redesigned Carers Offer which includes:

• Enhancing the Essex Wellbeing Service as a first point of contact for carers
• More community based opportunities and support for carers
• Specialised support for carers
• Access to relevant training for carers

There was broad agreement from respondents for the proposed Carers Offer.  The full report can be viewed here

Insight from the online engagement was used to finalise the proposed Carers Offer Model.  It will help to ensure that these offers of support come together to ensure effective support for carers in Essex.