Cuts warning on rising waste bill

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Wales will need up to 400 new waste treatment plants in the next five years, it has been claimed.

Expert Prof Adam Read says many local councils may have to double the amount they spend on dealing with waste.

But councils say they cannot afford to make the change needed to meet recycling targets, for example, and that could mean cuts in services.

However, Environment Minister Jane Davidson said she was confident they could meet the immediate challenge.

Prof Read, head of waste management for Hyder Consulting, which is carrying out public consultation on waste management in Wales, said it was necessary to plan ahead now.

He told the BBC's Politics Show in Wales that about 650 waste sites would be needed in future.

The nightmare scenario is waste left on streets with no facilities to take it to Mark Williams, Welsh Local Government Association

But many of the 250 operational sites at present would have to close because of regulations and the fact that they are filling up.

Prof Read said: "We're looking at... at least 400 facilities in the next five or six years, probably. That's a lot of change, it's a lot of activity.

"It wouldn't surprise me if many local authorities end up doubling the size of their waste budgets over the next four or five years."

But the Welsh Local Government Association (WLGA) said councils could not afford to commit now to sites in order to meet targets for 2013 or 2020.

'Massive landfill tax burden'

It argued that an increase in landfill tax from the UK Government would mean £10m leaving Wales, when it could have been spent on new facilities.

WLGA waste adviser Mark Williams said: "I suppose the net result is the only way of funding that massive landfill tax burden is either by services standing still or even being cut."

The targets in the short to medium term neither worry the local government officials nor their members Environment Minister Jane Davidson

Mr Williams said the assembly government wanted new waste targets and more recycling "there is no money to invest in that progression".

He said Wales was running out of landfill space and new facilities were not available quickly enough to deal with it.

"The nightmare scenario is waste left on streets with no facilities to take it to," said Mr Williams.

"So we have to address this problem collectively."

The assembly government has set a target of 70% recycling by 2025.

Ms Davidson said: "We're having very productive discussions with local authorities about targets and I have to say the targets in the short to medium term neither worry the local government officials nor their members.

"And we'll continue to work with them on ensuring that there is sufficient investment to achieve those targets."

Consultation on future waste management in Wales - known as "Our waste, our challenge" will end on Christmas Eve.