New regulations on the licensing of sites for waste management purposes had been due to come into force on July 1, but Friday saw a change of mind within government over the exemptions for small-scale composting sites to operate without incurring the costs of full waste management licences (see letsrecycle.com story).
” This U-turn is another example of how difficult it is for the composting industry to plan strategic investments.“
– Dr Jane Gilbert, Composting Association
The Composting Association has said the new exemptions regime had taken the industry over five years to prepare for, including two full public consultations. And, it said local authorities and composting companies across England and Wales have been developing strategies and facilities based on these rules.
The Association's chief executive, Dr Jane Gilbert, said: “This U-turn is another example of how difficult it is for the composting industry to plan strategic investments running into millions of pounds when goal posts are being moved continually. Composters across England and Wales have been working with local authorities to help them meet their LATS targets on the basis that the legislation had been agreed.”
Dr Gilbert added: “The Association understands that the latest U-turn has been introduced because very small-scale community composters were being disproportionately over-charged. This should have been addressed during the consultations not 12 hours before the change over.”
Inequalities
The Association said revisions to the regulations were “desperately needed to provide proportionate regulation and readdress current inequalities”. It explained that under the current system – which Defra has said will remain in force until further notice – some operators of licensed sites have been undermined by unlicensed and/or licence-exempt operators running sites “to poor environmental standards”.
Although it is thought a major factor in Defra's decision not to go ahead with the exemption changes was the high fees for small composting sites, the Composting Association warned that by not making the changes other costs could, ironically, hit small composters just as hard.
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By making the changes, the costs to the community sector “seem likely to double”, it said, because the current regulations mean compost must be used on-site and to spread compost on land another exemption is required, which costs 546.
The Composting Association said it would be seeking a meeting with the minister “at the earliest opportunity” to discuss the matter further.
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