Heidi sets off on road trip – to the future
THE new director of street scene services at West Lancashire borough council is relishing getting started in her new role.
Heidi McDougall comes to West Lancashire from Derbyshire Dales District Council
There she was head of environmental services and her wide range of responsibilities included refuse collection, waste management and street cleansing.
At Derbyshire Dales, she led the team to deliver a range of fundamental improvements including saving time and money on collection rounds.
With 20 years’ experience in local government, Ms McDougall started her career as an environmental health officer at Tameside Council.
She worked at Rossendale council before going on to work at Salford council where, as a neighbourhood manager, she worked closely with local communities to tackle issues such as anti-social behaviour, initiating environmental projects and the transfer of assets for communities to manage.
In her new role with West Lancashire she will have responsibility for the council’s approach to the street scene, including street cleansing, grounds maintenance, refuse and recyclables collections, the council’s transport fleet and commercial and bulky waste collections.
Ms McDougall said: “I enjoy working with people and I am looking forward to the challenges ahead.
“A key priority for the council is to be ambitious for our environment by enhancing its cleanliness.
“I am looking forward to bringing my wealth of experience to West Lancashire, working with councillors, staff and the community to make sure we make the best use of our resources in street scene services, and continue to provide value for money.’’
She added: “Like most authorities West Lancashire borough council is having to work hard to balance the budget, and I am focussed on making all our services the best they can possibly be for residents within the resources available.”
Cllr Kevin Wilkie, the council’s portfolio holder for street scene, said: “Heidi brings a lot of skills and experience to the role of director and is an excellent recruit for the council.
“I am very much looking forward to working with her.”
Away from work Ms McDougall loves the outdoors and enjoys going walking or cycling.