Taking A Step Back.

My first post seems a good way to reach the many people I have worked alongside over the last 50 years and let them know that I am taking a step back from the front line, day to day operations at WasteConsulting and GroundsConsulting, but will still be doing some behind the scenes Partner stuff.

Having spend 32 years, initially at Bognor Regis Urban District Council and the Arun District Council after the 1974 reorganisation, and subsequently 18 years in consultancy, primarily and currently as a Partner with WasteConsulting LLP (WCL), it has been interesting to look back and appreciate the contacts, relationships and friendships made.

My 32 years in local authority services saw the rise of CCT and the need for authorities to adapt to significant procurement projects and develop Client Management skills, and/or the creation of DSO/DLOs with a more commercial approach to service delivery, and, more importantly the emergence and growth of these ‘depot services’ into a major industry. Add in things like Best Value and the various plans and targets and it was an interesting time!

At Arun, I instigated one of the first cross district/borough/county council partnership groups with an agreed Memorandum of Understanding which was a forerunner (in my view of course!) to the current partnership approach in place in many areas.

It was also a time when LARAC was emerging and, if my memory serves me well, we arranged and held the first (now annual) Larac Conference in Arun.

Whilst most of my working time was focused on Arun and joint working with West Sussex, I particularly enjoyed having the opportunity to play a role in the development of the waste management NVQs.

Consultancy was very different, but very rewarding! As a Company Director, and subsequently as a Partner (since 2010) with WCL I have been able to see a much more complete picture of how the industry has changed and is still adapting to new opportunities and issues. And, critically, how skills and expertise developed by many local authority waste professionals are so valuable when applied the wider industry marketplace.

In the last 18 years I (perhaps I should say we) have completed waste management, grounds maintenance and/or street scene services projects in every country of the UK and Ireland, and many of their local authorities, from procuring major contracts to ‘healthchecks’ for direct services, and from bringing services back in-house to developing and supporting partnership organisations.

I have had the pleasure of working with experts, managers, and service deliverers across an amazing array of sectors and organisations, including (in no particular order) local authorities, DEFRA, Communities, Local Partnerships, The Innovation Forum (remember them?), the South East Centre of Excellence (now IESE), Kent Resource Partnership and Project Integra.

So, as WasteConsulting LLP enters its 25th year of trading, Paul Bridger (Managing Partner), Chris Stannard (Partner), Darrin Mellor (Associate Partners) and the team are still fully engaged with delivering projects across the industry, I shall be less involved in future, and would like to send my regards and thanks to all of those who I have worked with, for and alongside during the last 50 years, many of whom I see across these pages.

Cheers! Terry Leahy, Partner (Part Time) WasteConsulting LLP