Julie James MS, Minister for Climate Change
The Landfill Disposals Tax Communities Scheme is a Welsh Government scheme stemming from the Land Disposals Tax (Wales) Act 2017 (LDT Act). The provisions within the current scheme are distributed under contract by the Wales Council for Voluntary Action (WCVA) for the period April 2018 to March 2024. The scheme provides funding for projects, which support biodiversity, waste minimisation and the diversion of waste from landfill and other environmental enhancements.
Its overall objective is to recognise the negative impact for communities living near a landfill site and aims to offset some of those impacts through the means set out in the scheme. To achieve this a proportion of the revenues raised from landfill disposals tax is allocated to the scheme, to be awarded as grants to successful projects. Over the last four years, grants of £5,000 to £50,000 have been made available in two annual bidding rounds, with one significant project per year being offered funding of up to £250,000.
Communities and projects which are within five miles of a landfill site or a waste transfer station which sends a minimum of 2,000 tonnes of waste to landfill each year, are eligible to apply to the Landfill Disposals Tax Communities Scheme.
A review of the Landfill Disposals Tax Communities Scheme has been undertaken in line with the requirements of the LDT Act. This review was informed by work undertaken by Eunomia Research and Consulting on behalf of Welsh Government who have sought the views of stakeholders as part of the evidence they have collected.
The evidence collated for the review is very positive about the scheme, how it has been delivered, its impact and the value for money it has delivered since it commenced in 2018. The evidence also demonstrates that a wide range of communities have benefitted through the support that the scheme has provided, enabling the delivery of the previous and current Programme’s for Government and several important policy priorities directly in communities around Wales. The evidence also clearly supports continuing with its delivery in the short to medium term. This report will be published in the coming weeks.
Having undertaken the review and considered the evidence available at this point in time, the scheme will continue in its current form in the short term. However, I will be reconsidering this evidence and that from wider sources, to inform the development of a revised scheme within the next 6 months.
Once this additional evidence is available, it is my intention to revise the scheme to ensure that it more effectively supports the delivery of the Programme for Government and is more flexible to respond to the needs of the communities that are eligible to receive support through it. After the additional evidence has become available, a revised scheme will be laid before the Senedd and work will commence to ensure its future delivery.
The content of the current scheme published on 28 March 2018, can be accessed on the Senedd website:
Landfill Disposals Tax Communities Scheme
Further information about the current programme delivering the scheme is available on the WCVA website:
https://www.wcva.org.uk/funding/landfill-disposals-tax-communities-scheme
This statement is being issued to keep members informed that the review has completed, as per the requirements of the LDT Act and to indicate the future direction of the scheme.