search.noResults

search.searching

note.createNoteMessage

search.noResults

search.searching

orderForm.title

orderForm.productCode
orderForm.description
orderForm.quantity
orderForm.itemPrice
orderForm.price
orderForm.totalPrice
orderForm.deliveryDetails.billingAddress
orderForm.deliveryDetails.deliveryAddress
orderForm.noItems
Regulatory Creep!


"Regulatory creep is the 'hidden menace' of the red tape burden. Regulatory creep arises when the rules are unclear - when there is confusion about; standards, guidance and regulation. Operators are leſt not knowing what is expected of them and what constitutes compliance with the law. But what is very clear is that the penalty will be high if they fail to do the right thing. It is also clear that though hidden, the 'menace' is real - uncertainty creates additional burden and cost."


As many of you already know, I was born into the waste management industry – perhaps for my sins! My journey has been long and adventurous and I have loved (almost) every second of it! Growing up in my family skip hire, waste transfer and recycling business has provided me with an absolute grounding and thorough understanding of what makes the world of waste tick. So enthused was I by the world of waste that I read BSc Environmental Management for my fi rst degree and secured my WAMITAB certifi cate of technical competence during my industrial placement. Working in the waste sector set the foundations for what would become of me to this day – a lawyer!


I never much cared for the legal profession, but the animosity that grew during my years served at our waste transfer station, in terms of the heavy burden of regulation, inspired me to study law and become a specialist in environmental regulatory law. My motivation stemmed from the undue burdens that, in my view, are placed on waste and resource operators. I thought, if we (my family business) are suff ering the impact of overburdensome regulation, then so too must fellow operators across the country. I have a genuine empathy with independent operators and a desire to assist wherever and whenever I can.


So, back to the concept of ‘Regulatory Creep’, a term I heard banded about when I was new to all this “red tape” that my Dad oſt en referred to. I found the term quite humorous, conjuring up the idea of a ‘creep’ who had regulatory issues! But, when one really considers the term and its defi nition, it is actually very apt to the situation our


sector currently fi nds itself.


We all go out to do an honest day’s work and earn our living, but this is against a backdrop of pressures imposed on us by the ‘extended state’, which includes; T e Environment Agency, Health & Safety Executive, Traffi c Commissioner, Planning Inspectorate, Local Authorities and other ancillary unsuspecting participants in the regulatory landscape such as the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy. All of these regulators have far reaching powers that are designed to ‘regulate’ our businesses, and whilst one cannot argue that there is a defi nite need for our sector to be regulated to safeguard against risks to; human health, the environment and the amenity of our localities, such regulation needs to be proportionate, reasonable and outcome focussed and not, as many of you may have experienced, draconian!


A quote from, T e Earl of Northesk spoken in the House of Lords, really does say it all… "Many within Parliament, let alone among the wider public, see statutory instruments and the regulations that they encompass to all intents and purposes as muscles that envelop the fl esh of statute, or as an impenetrable fog... moreover, the unstoppable tide and growth of regulation is the stuff of nightmares.”


How can we achieve the unachievable? I feel your anxiety and frustration when you are told, yet again, that what you have proposed to secure compliance, for example with your permit conditions, does not ‘cut the mustard’. I totally understand the treadmill feeling of trying your best and feeling like you are getting nowhere!


All I can advise is “hang on in there” ….. what we have created with UROC, with your support, is a real, well considered and respected voice that truly represents our sector. We must not underestimate the real strength in numbers as, ‘United Resource Operators’ we really can make long and lasting changes for the longevity and security of our businesses today and for our future generations to come!


5


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36