London Mayor Ken Livingstone's spatial development strategy, the London Plan lays out policies on planning for the next 15 to 20 years, particularly focussing on the themes of health, opportunity and sustainability.
The document takes forward aims laid out in the Mayor's Municipal Waste Management Strategy to recycle 25% of London's household waste by 2005, 30% by 2010 and 33% by 2015.
– Nicky Gavron, Mayor's advisor
Establishing a planning framework that London boroughs are to broadly follow in their own planning strategies, the London Plan stresses the importance of reducing London's current dependency on neighbouring regions for the disposal of its waste.
Commenting on the London Plan, London Remade chief executive Hugh Carr-Harris said: “We welcome the Mayor's recognition of the need for substantial new recycling facilities and his commitment to work with the boroughs to ensure that strategically important sites for waste management and disposal are not lost to other forms of development.”
If the Mayor's recycling targets are followed, 1 million tonnes of household waste would need to be recycled by 2005, 1.35 million in 2010 and 1.65 million in 2015. This would still leave over three million tonnes of waste requiring disposal.
Incinerators
The Mayor has said preference will be given for new waste management technologies to help keep a lid on the number of mass burn incinerators needed for London. Currently about 20% of the capital's waste is incinerated.
However, the Plan does recognise the need for new energy recovery plants, particularly for residential waste. The document said that ultimately, existing incinerators should only be taking in non-recyclable waste.
– Hugh Carr-Harris, London Remade CEO
The Plan also aims to boost markets for recyclables by setting standards for green procurement in the materials used in construction programmes.
Nicky Gavron, the Mayor's advisor on strategic planning, said: “London is a wasteful city. We must recyle much more of our waste and reduce our use of energy, through the sustainable design and construction of our buildings.”
Heartening
Mr Carr-Harris said it was “heartening” that the Mayor recognised the economic opportunities and regeneration benefits in recycling, but warned that it was now up to the London boroughs to carry out the Mayor's vision in attracting reprocessing investment.
The London Remade chief executive said: “It is now vital that the boroughs work with the Mayor to implement this vision. If they do not, London will miss its recycling targets by some distance and miss out on the creation of jobs and training opportunities in the process.”
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