Governance | NLWA

Working for north London

North London Waste Authority (NLWA) aims to work to the highest standard for north London’s residents and businesses, ensuring that the health, safety and wellbeing of all involved in and using its services are protected.

The Authority is made up of 14 councillors, two from each of the seven north London boroughs. It is these 14 councillors that make decisions relating to the disposal of north London's waste and hold NLWA accountable for meeting its responsibilities.

Authority meetings are held five times a year and a Programme Committee meets in between Authority meetings. Additional meetings can be held if necessary. An urgency committee has also been established to meet and consider appropriate business where necessary. Members of the public and press can attend part one of all Authority meetings.

Formal Authority meetings were held remotely as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic between April 2020 and April 2021. Authority meetings from 24 June 2021 will be run using a hybrid approach. For details on how to make a deputation at a hybrid meeting, see Deputations for Hybrid Meetings.

Part two agenda items are confidential for a number of reasons, including commercial confidentiality. Copies of all meeting reports are available here.

NLWA's Standing Orders are another key part of how the organisation conducts its business at political and officer level. A standing order is a rule of procedure adopted by a governing body for its own internal use and regulates how business is carried out at committee meetings.

View North London Waste Authority's Standing Orders (last updated in June 2024).

Equality objective

NLWA aims to create a positive, inclusive work environment and build strong relationships with all its partners to allow everyone to give their best. The Authority is also required to set an equality objective to enable better performance of the general equality duty under the Equality Act 2010 (Specific Duties and Public Authorities) Regulations 2017. NLWA's equality objective states:

We will aim to ensure that we provide a waste disposal and waste prevention service that is fair, accessible to all and promotes equality of opportunity.
We will aim to ensure that we implement the North London Heat and Power Project in a way that is fair and accessible to all and promotes equality of opportunity.
We will aim to ensure that we communicate the activities of the North London Waste Authority in a way that is fair, accessible to all, and promotes equality of opportunity.

The measurable outcomes of this objective are:

Authority's activity	Measurable outcomes
Provide waste disposal and recycling services [through contracts with operators]	To regularly audit the operating procedures and policies of all of our contractors to ensure they discharge their responsibilities in accordance with Equality Legislation and policies of the Authority. To monitor the application of these procedures and policies in action to ensure they meet expectations in reality.
Provide public-facing services through reuse and recycling centres	We will ensure our facilities are staffed adequately and those staff are trained to ensure those that are less physically able are supported to dispose of their items in the most sustainable way.
Plan and coordinate services with boroughs for waste management from the current time to the long term	To consider with boroughs and through wider community focused consultation (including with those groups that represent the interest of residents with specific protected characteristics), the impacts our services have on the individual and to ensure appropriate adjustments are built in that provide equality of opportunity.
Take responsibility for the stewardship of assets owned by the Authority for the purposes of service provision	Ensure the accessibility of assets are assessed annually and reasonable adjustments are made for those with disabilities.
Promote positive behaviour by residents through outreach and campaigns which reduce residual waste	Carry out research to provide audience insight into communities across north London, identify the most effective routes to resident engagement and messaging that will motivate actions to prevent waste. Research and identify community groups which could take advantage of community grants but are not currently engaged with NLWA. Increase spend in marketing community grants to reach more people and provide support with applications to reduce barriers to participation.
Provide information to the public on the Authority’s activities	Ensure accessibility and inclusion are part of communications planning process and campaign templates. Follow communications planning best practice and ensure communications is tailored to different audiences. Use the Government Communications Service guidance on accessible communications to evaluate and inform activities. Work with borough communications teams to amplify messaging and maximise reach of communications.
Deliver world class new facilities through the North London Heat and Power Project (NLHPP)	Deliver Ecopark House in 2023, as a model community facility accessible to people with disabilities. Achieve participation in apprenticeships and on-site skills training from under-represented groups in the construction workforce, specifically BAME and female, in excess of current industry benchmarks. Monitor and verify the application of the London Living Wage as a uniformly applied minimum standard for on-site working across all contracts. Publish project material; newsletters, advertising for apprenticeships, etc., in an accessible format for at least two local communities for whom English is not the first language.

Freedom of Information

You may request information from NLWA under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 and the Environmental Information Regulations (Statutory Instrument 2004 No. 3391).

Given the nature of NLWA's activities and the fact that environmental information is interpreted quite broadly, NLWA now generally answers information requests under the Environmental Information Regulations rather than the Freedom of Information Act.

However, you may submit a request under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 or Environmental Information Regulations – NLWA will answer the request according to the appropriate legislation.