26/05/10 - ALTRINCHAM COUNCILLOR ACCEPTS 2 TOP AWARDS

Altrincham Councillor Michael Young accepted two awards on behalf  of the Greater Manchester Waste Disposal Authority (GMWDA) for its world-class environmental sustainable Contract. They received two further awards and contributed to four other award winners at the Public Private Finance awards ceremony in London on 13 May.

GMWDA winning entries, judged by the most respected names in the PFI/PPP field, were for ‘Best Waste Project’ and the Judge’s award for ‘Innovation’

In their citation for the innovation award, judges were particularly impressed by the “innovative funding methods (used) to deliver one of the most complex and technologically innovative waste programmes ever seen in Britain.”

Work on the Contract was also reflected in the four further awards.

The first, for ‘Best Central Government Team’, was presented to the Waste Infrastructure Delivery Programme (WIDP) who are part of DEFRA, for their work in supporting the delivery of the Project.

Three more winners emerged who had been judged best in their class, in part because of their contribution to the Greater Manchester project.  These awards were presented to Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation (SMBC) for Best Funders. Price Waterhouse Coopers (PWC) for Best Financial Advisors and Ashursts for Best Legal Advisors.

Councillor Michael Young, Vice Chair of GMWDA, after collecting the award commented: “It was a staggering night of achievement for us, in which the industry recognised our Contract in 6 of the 17 award categories.  I was absolutely thrilled to have been able to receive on behalf of the Authority two of the highest accolades in the industry.  Our success is not about just building things, but is about the fantastic way in which our citizens have embraced the changes to the way they present their recycling materials.”