Dorset Waste Partnership set to exceed budget this year

Dorset Waste Partnership has reduced its projected overspend for the year

A waste service is predicted to exceed its budget by £686,000 in 2015/16, down from previous estimates of £911,000.

Dorset Waste Partnership (DWP), which overspent by £2.72m in 2014/15, said it was now in a much "better position".

Launched in 2011, the partnership provides waste, recycling and street cleaning services to seven councils.

Anthony Alford, chairman of the DWP joint committee, said the partnership was making "big savings" due to less waste going to landfill.

Action plan approved

The partnership is made up of Christchurch, East Dorset, North Dorset, Weymouth and Portland, Purbeck, West Dorset district and Dorset county councils.

Mike Byatt, a Labour member of Weymouth and Portland Council, said he expected services to be provided within budget.

He said: "I don't expect people to come back to me time and time again and say 'I'm sorry, but we haven't been able to deliver on budget and therefore we expect you to give us some more money.'"

In March, the committee approved a 37-point action plan to improve DWP's governance, leadership, financial controls and project and risk management.

The partnership said 33 of the 37 actions had been carried out.

By 2018/19, the DWP has targets to increase Dorset's recycling rate to 68%, reduce landfill waste to less than 15%, increase customer satisfaction to more than 80% and drive down costs by £2m a year.