Local authorities should be doing much more than they are for providing planning application support
Dirk Hazell, ESA
Speaking at an oral evidence session for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Select Committee, held at Westminster last Wednesday (November 12), senior figures in the Association called for a new approach to planning at both a national and local government level.
Citing conclusions drawn by an Audit Commission report published in September 2008 (see letsrecycle.com story), the chief executive of the Environmental Services Association (ESA), Dirk Hazell, told MPs that “there are real difficulties getting infrastructure on-stream”.
He added that this could put the UK's achievement of the EU's 2013 landfill diversion “at risk”, and called for more to be done by councils, stating that “what would also be helpful is local authorities should be doing much more than they are for providing planning application support.”
And, responding to a question over how much emphasis the UK should place on waste minimisation, due to it being at the top of the waste hierarchy, Mr Hazell warned: “Our concern with minimisation is that if the Government focuses too much on minimisation at this stage it can serve as an excuse for not focussing on infrastructure.”
Planning Bill
In its written evidence submitted to the Committee, the ESA took issue with the Planning Bill that is currently passing through Parliament, labelling it “broadly irrelevant” to the waste and recycling sector.
The Planning Bill is currently entering the latter stages of its passage through Parliament and is scheduled for its third reading in the House of Lords tomorrow (November 18) and to enter the 'ping-pong' stage, where amendments are debated by both houses, next Monday (November 24), prior to it receiving Royal Assent.
The bill includes the establishment of a new decision-making Infrastructure Planning Commission to take the role held by the Secretary of State for major infrastructure decisions such as large waste facilities and power stations, with timetabled hearings and appeals.
However, the ESA's written evidence labels the commission an “additional layer of decision making which could add complexity, confusion and delay to the planning system, at a time when additional waste management infrastructure is urgently required.
“Instead, a stronger regional dimension to waste management planning is needed, with regions better resourced and empowered to make strategic planning decisions,” it added.
And, the ESA's chairman Richard Skehens, who is also managing director of waste management company Grundon, told the Committee that the Planning Bill should be extended to “smaller facilities”.
He also outlined a series of other measures which, he claimed, would make the planning process easier for waste management companies to navigate.
“Firstly the timely delivery of waste development frameworks would be very useful, there are only five in place – at least it'd give a bit of steer to where we want to go,” he said.
Rights
Mr Skehens also called for changes to the system of permitted development rights, whereby not all changes to an existing site require separate planning permission.
He said that, if the system was changed to allow developments such as a weighbridge to be covered by the rights, “it could actually make the industry more efficient”.
Addressing the dual-tracking of applications for planning permission and pollution prevention and control (PPC) permits, he said: “It would make life easier if the hurdle of having to have planning permission wasn't there, because the permit sometimes lines the planning permission.”
And, he added that local authorities should enforce deadlines for people to make appeals against PPC permits, highlighting the high level of “last minute” objections to them.
In the time before the Planning Bill becomes law, he called for “greater emphasis” to be placed on the 2005 guidance for planning waste management facilities, PPS110, stating that “at least it would allow things to move forward”.
Business
On the same day as waste and recycling minister Jane Kennedy said that business waste would be a “top priority” for her at Defra (see letsrecycle.com story), the ESA representatives also expressed concerns over the situation with regards business waste and recycling.
Veolia's regulatory affairs director, Gill Weeks, described the low levels of awareness of their duty of care among small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) as “quite frightening”.
She advocated a major national campaign to boost levels of business awareness, and added that “I still think that we should put some sort of funding back into the Environment Agency to help fund the fight against environmental crime.”
Mr Skehens echoed her sentiments, and said: “I think more education of SMEs would be beneficial and it shouldn't just be down to waste management companies.”
To fund enforcement, Mr Hazell advocated a “ring-fenced” fund from the proceeds of Landfill Tax, explaining that “we do agree a bit of landfill tax should be used to protect the Landfill Tax revenue.”
The committee also heard evidence from John Bland, treasurer of the Greater Manchester Waste Disposal Authority (see letsrecycle.com story) and Lindsay Millington and Graeme Carus on behalf of the British Metals Recycling Association.
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