East of England Local Government Conference&#39s planning guidance criticised

The EELGC, the regional association of 54 local authorities in the region, drew up the guidance to provide a “context” for Waste Local Plans prepared by strategic planning authorities and assist in the waste collection and disposal plans of all local authorities.

However, the South East Regional Assembly , a “voluntary regional chamber” for the South East, slammed the document for providing inaccurate information, insufficient detail and a lack of supporting evidence.

A statement from the Assembly said: “In particular, the East of England's proposed policy on waste overplays local self-sufficiency and needs to take a broader view of inter-regional waste movements.”

Figures
According to the EELGC document, around 6 million tonnes of waste comes from the industrial and commercial sectors in the region each year, of which 53% is landfilled, 47% recovered. 2.9 million tonnes of municipal waste is produced annually – 80% going to landfill, 17% recycled. The document also reported 7 million tonnes of construction and demolition waste from the region, and it is believed that around 30% of this is recycled, though figures are uncertain.

On top of this, the report said that around 4 million tonnes of waste is imported – mostly from London – each year to sites in Essex and Bedfordshire.

Targets
The Conference guidance recommends the following targets for local waste plans:

But Keith Mitchell, chairman of the South East Assembly's Regional Planning Committee, said: “The EELGC's consultation puts forward a very broad range of development options with little supporting detail.”

He added: “The absence of detail concerning the pattern of growth requires continuing dialogue between our two regions as the Government's draft planning guidance policies are developed.”

Click here to read the full EELGC consultation document RPG14.