Cornwall county council is currently reviewing its Waste Local Plan prior to completing the procurement of its 30-year PFI contract, for which SITA UK is currently preferred bidder.
” The review provides an opportunity to develop a framework for the provision of new enhanced facilities for recycling and composting “
– Cllr Matt McTaggart, Cornwall CC
The review will see the existing Plan replaced with the new Waste Development Framework stating the county council's preferred options for the management of Cornwall's waste until 2016.
Cllr Matt McTaggart, executive member for strategic planning and transport at Cornwall county council, explained: “The review provides an opportunity to build on the strengths of the existing Plan and to develop a framework for the provision of new enhanced facilities for recycling and composting.”
As well as the resource management parks, the county council states the need for a wider network of household waste recycling centres, waste transfer stations and a centrally-located municipal energy-from-waste facility.
Although there are no specific plans for more landfill provision, the county council does acknowledge a new landfill site may be required in the time period covered by the framework, and has said a site search will be carried out.
Cornwall currently generates around 650,000 tonnes of waste each year, a figure that is predicted to rise to 713,000 tonnes by 2015.
Non-municipal
Cornwall's proposal for resource management parks to handle commercial and industrial waste coincides with a growing recognition nation-wide that councils must take more of a leadership role in the management of non-municipal waste (see letsrecycle.com story).
Cornwall's framework states: “The management of commercial and industrial waste in Cornwall is undertaken on a commercial and competitive basis. However, the county council recognises the important role that it can play in identifying sites for the management of waste generated by the commercial and industrial sector.”
The county generates just over 450,000 tonnes of commercial and industrial waste each year, with about 204,000 tonnes recycled or re-used and 77,000 tonnes recovered.
Parks
Cornwall county council has outlined a series of possible sites for new resource management parks, and where possible, the sites are “in close proximity to key areas of population and appropriate infrastructure”.
The framework suggests small sites could be used for the parks if little land is available, but argues that larger sites would be preferable, catering for a larger catchment area with a greater number of facilities.
Suitable sites suggested include an existing commercial incinerator at Liskeard, Caradon as well as Falmouth Docks, Dudnance Lane in Pool, an existing waste transfer station at St Erth and land at Par Docks in Restormel.
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Cornwall has also called on the private sector to come forward with proposals for dealing with commercial and industrial waste.
On municipal waste, SITA UK is now drawing up its proposals for its PFI contract, in the light of the existing Cornwall Waste Local Plan and the new Framework. The company is expected to sign a contract in the summer 2006, with the contract period starting in April 2007.
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