Meeting documents

Appendix F

Joint Waste Core Strategy: Preferred Options

Answers to some of the most Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Strategy?

The West of England Waste Core Strategy is a planning policy document that will help guide decisions on the future development of waste recycling, recovery and treatment facilities. It would be a part of each council's Local Development Framework. Along with other policy documents, it would help planning officers and planning committees at the four local authorities across the West of England to deal consistently with applications to build new facilities, whether from the commercial sector or the public sector.

How does it relate to the discussions that the West of England councils are having about specific treatment solutions for household waste?

It is completely separate. The Waste Core Strategy is a planning document to help manage the future development of all kinds of waste facilities - and not only those being considered by local authorities to deal with household waste. It does not seek to consider the rights or wrongs of any specific waste treatment technologies. By agreeing the Waste Core Strategy, the four West of England councils would not be committed to any technological solution or particular type of facility on any site.

Why are new waste treatment, recycling and recovery facilities needed anyway?

The four West of England councils are committed to doing all they can to encourage the reduction, recycling and re-use of waste. However, there are currently no strategic waste recovery facilities in the sub-region. There are also only limited commercial and industrial waste management and treatment facilities in the area, which increases costs for local employers and has a negative impact on the area's economy. All this means that a great deal of the West of England's waste has to be transported many miles away where a significant proportion is buried in landfill sites. Clearly, this is not sustainable. Landfill is no longer an environmentally acceptable or affordable way of dealing with waste and a great deal of environmental damage is also caused by transporting waste out of the area.

How much waste do we need to deal with today?

Currently, the West of England generates about 2 million tonnes of waste each year. This includes about 1.1 million tonnes of 'non-inert' household, industrial and commercial waste and 900,000 tonnes of 'inert' construction rubble. About 40% - or 618,000 tonnes - of the 'non-inert' waste and around half of the 'inert' construction rubble is still buried in landfill - and most of that is transported to areas outside of the West of England. The current level of environmental damage is significant.

Will the problem be greater in future?

Yes. According to government policies set out in the Regional Spatial Strategy, the area's population, housing levels and economy are all expected to grow significantly over the next decade and beyond. It is estimated that by 2020, the sub region will need to have the capacity to deal with around 2.5 million tonnes of waste of all types. Because of their commitment to reduce, reuse and recycle waste, the four councils in the West of England have a target of dealing with at least 800,000 tonnes of waste by 2020 through recovery processes - yet today the area doesn't have any kind of strategic recovery facility.

Why not just recycle more waste - so there would be no need for new recovery facilities?

Recovery processes enable specific types of waste to be taken from the waste stream and either re-used for their original purpose or reprocessed to create new products and materials or to generate energy. They are a welcome alternative to burying waste in landfill sites, which significantly damages the environment and contributes to climate change.

Even with the best achievable increase in the initial recycling of domestic and commercial waste, there would still be a substantial amount of waste of all types that needs to be recovered or treated in this way.

Why do we have to base the strategy on the government's projections - isn't that data out of date?

The government requires Waste Core Strategies across the UK to be developed using the policies of each area's Regional Spatial Strategy - a blueprint for future land use planning developed by the Regional Assembly and adopted by the government. Failure to do so could leave councils open to potential challenge by developers whose planning applications are refused.

How will having a Waste Core Strategy help protect local environments?

The strategy would identify those sites across the sub region most suitable for new waste recycling, recovery and treatment facilities. This would then enable planning officials and committees to use planning controls in the most effective way to protect residents and local environments from inappropriate and harmful developments in unsuitable locations.

Does it mean that waste facilities will be built in the areas identified as suitable?

No. Just because a site has been identified as suitable does not mean a facility can automatically be built there. Each specific scheme would require planning permission and applicants will need to demonstrate that the facility would not have unacceptable impacts on neighbouring environments and those living and working nearby.

Are we the only area in the UK to be developing such a strategy?

No. All local authorities are required to develop a waste planning policies as part of their portfolio of planning policies, known as the Local Development Framework.

Why can't each council do this on their own - why does it need to be a sub regional strategy?

Many waste recycling, recovery and treatment facilities will be strategic in nature, dealing with large quantities of waste from across a wide area. By having a shared strategy the four councils can work together to ensure these facilities are in the most appropriate locations, to minimise the impact on the environment and to support the local economy.

What would be the consequences if we can't agree a strategy?

Without an agreed strategy, councils would be open to potential challenge by developers whose planning applications are refused in future. As, importantly, waste facilities might be developed in a piecemeal way and, as a result, the area may not have the network of facilities it needs to deal with its waste. In turn this would damage both the environment and the economy.

What are the options?

Three options have been considered to date. In broad terms they are:

Option A - which identifies two very large sites, one in North West Bristol and one near Keynsham or Weston-super-Mare, which could house a range of treatment facilities.

Option B - which identifies an extensive network of eight small sites spread throughout the sub region.

Option C - which suggests a balanced network of five sites in key strategic locations that would be of varying sizes and suitable for a range of different facilities.

The three options apply only to recovery facilities. The Core Strategy also includes the preferred approach to waste minimisation, recycling and landfill.

Do the options identify which kinds of facilities will go on which sites?

No. The options identify sites of different sizes that may be suitable for one or other kind of recycling, recovery or treatment facility. They do not define precisely which type of facility or technology is appropriate for each site. As we have said, the Waste Core Strategy does not deal with the issue of appropriate technologies for dealing with waste.

Which option is being recommended to the four West of England councils - and why?

Option C is considered more flexible than Option A and more deliverable than Option B. In summary it would:

• provide the required strategic waste management infrastructure - enabling facilities to be developed to deal annually with 390,000 tonnes of waste in North West Bristol, 150,000 tonnes near Keynsham; 100,000 tonnes at Weston-super-Mare; 100,000 tonnes at Yate and 60,000 tonnes in inner, south or east Bristol;
  
• provide more opportunities for the commercial sector;
  
• minimise waste transport, energy consumption, greenhouse gas emissions and other emissions from waste transport.

If the four councils identify a preferred option at this stage, does this mean the decision will already have been made?

Not at all. The next phase of consultation will invite comments on all three options. However, by identifying a preferred option the councils are indicating to the public their preference - and advising the public of the option they believe, based on the evidence, is the most effective and deliverable. The council will carefully consider the outcomes of the consultation, alongside any expert advice they receive, before making a final decision.

What opportunities will there be for me to have my say?

From early January to mid-March 2009 there will be a range of opportunities provided for individuals, groups, businesses and other interests to express their views. These include:

• Public Exhibitions at Council offices and other suitable locations
  
• On-line information, discussion groups and response forms
  
• Publicity and promotion and distribution of documents
  
• Drop-in events - at least two per Council area
  
• Response to invitations from Parish/Town Councils and other groups to attend their meetings
  

• Stakeholder/environmental groups workshop

• Consultation with interested bodies (eg environmental organisations)

• Industry/landowner workshop

• Formal Consultation with Statutory bodies

Is there scope for using Commercial and Industrial facilities in the West of England for Municipal Waste?

Other than landfill facilities, there are limited commercial and industrial waste management/treatment facilities located within the West of England. In the future there may be scope for the joint use of treatment facilities by municipal and commercial and Industrial waste. However, as the availability of Commercial (merchant) facilities is not guaranteed, the West of England Authorities are pursuing the provision of facilities to ensure that municipal needs will be met.

What is the role of Combined Heat and Power facilities in the proposed Urban Extensions?

Waste treatment facilities that provide fuel directly or indirectly to users as Combined Heat and Power could have an important part to play in the proposed new urban extensions and in other large urban developments. The opportunity to install such facilities from the outset should be tested during the early planning / master-planning stages for all forms of major development.

Is there a need for smaller recovery facilities?

In terms of the treatment of residual waste facilities (for waste which is not re-used, recycled or composted) there will be economies of scale relating to the size of plant. This is expected to be a key factor leading to a demand for larger sites to accommodate larger facilities, but limiting the demand for smaller facilities. This is one of the factors which has led to the selection of Option C as the preferred option, rather than Option B, which assumes a dispersed pattern of smaller facilities.

Why is there no indication of the type or range of types of technology that could be located on the identified sites?

The intention is that the Joint Waste Core Strategy should be technology neutral. This reflects Government policy which requires that Core Strategies should not generally prescribe the waste treatment techniques that will be used to deal with specific waste streams, only indicate a particular type - eg "recovery". The identified sites were chosen because it was considered that they would be suitable for a range of waste treatment technologies. This increases the flexibility to allow new technologies, some of which may be at a prototype stage at the present time, to come forward at a later date. However, if further study (such as in relation to the Habitats Regulations Assessment or Flood Risk) suggests that certain technologies would not be suitable for specific sites, this would need to be reflected in the wording of the site specific planning policies and proposals which will be in the final Joint Waste Core Strategy.

Will there be an Energy from Waste plant on any of the identified sites?

The number of identified sites will be reduced following further appraisal and consultation. Of those remaining, it is unlikely that all will be developed for Energy from Waste technologies as there is likely to be a need for a range of types of facilities. There may not be an Energy from Waste facility on any of the selected sites.

Will the new Plan only deal with how planning applications for municipal waste will be assessed?

No. The Plan will provide policies for any kind of waste development - including applications from commercial developers - but excepting radioactive waste and waste water.

Will the Plan deal with private planning applications?

Yes. The Plan will guide decisions on any planning application from private applicants - as well as those from Local Authorities.

How will sites for local waste facilities be identified?

The Joint Waste Core Strategy deals with large scale strategic facilities. In addition, there will be a network of local facilities. Where sites for local facilities need to be identified, this will be undertaken through Development Plan Documents prepared separately by each of the Unitary Authorities.