The Select Committee Model

In order to strengthen the voice of Newcastle residents on issues associated with waste, BAN Waste decided to adopt wholly democratic ways of working in partnership with residents, the Labour Party and other political parties; Council Officers; the Environment Agency, the Health Authority, waste experts, businesses and trade unionists.

BAN Waste, in partnership with the above-mentioned groups, set about pioneering a unique method of engaging the public and other interested organisations in analysing and reporting on a new waste strategy for the city. BAN Waste raised over £100,000 to set up a committee of residents, councillors, officers, business people, community representatives, environmentalists and trade unionists adopting similar working practices to those used by parliamentary Select Committees.

In order to give the process and decisions of the Committee authority, BAN Waste organised a series of hearings at which experts were invited to speak to the group on a range of issues and respond to questions. An interim report recommending a range of waste management systems was then written and members of the public were invited to comment on the recommendations contained in the report at a series of Community Days. The strategy received widespread approval. The waste strategies proposed by the Council and BAN Waste were then subjected to evaluations of their economic feasibility and health and environmental impacts.

The approach proved highly successful. An evaluation of the process by Northumbria University’s Sustainability Unit recommended the system as a new and innovative approach to participatory democracy. The report writers indicated that the model was suitable as a means of public policy-making across a diverse range of policy proposals which could be replicated and adopted across the country. (For a copy of the Evaluation Report, click here xxx.)