Recycling minister visits Somerset Waste Partnership
Lord Henley – who has undertaken a number of fact-finding missions since being assigned the waste and recycling brief in May – met councillors, senior staff and contractors at the partnership's Taunton headquarters last week (September 17). He then toured the Colley Lane recycling depot in Bridgewater before visiting the nearby Walpole landfill site. On his visit, the minister was told how the SWP's work, alongside arrangements with contractors May Gurney and Viridor, has helped save the six local authorities it represents a combined £5 million over the past three years.
Commenting on the visit, councillor Derek Yeomans, chair of the SWP board, said: “This was a very useful opportunity to both showcase the substantial achievements of Somerset Waste Partnership and talk directly with a government minister about the priorities and policies they want local authorities to pursue.”
Minister welcomes response to municipal waste consultation
Welsh environment minister Jane Davidson has welcomed the response to the country's Municipal Sector Plan consultation, which closed last week (September 13).
The plan is intended to form an evidence base for the Welsh Assembly Government's policy for dealing with municipal waste and recycling, and it set to be published in full in March 2011. The development of the Municipal Waste Sector Plan is the first of a raft of sector plans being devised by the government, with consultations set to be launched in due course on: collections, markets and infrastructure; wholesale and retail waste; and, construction and demolition waste. The sector plans initiative was unveiled at the launch of the country's Towards Zero Waste strategy in June 2010 (see letsrecycle.com story).
Commenting on the Municipal Waste Sector Plan consultation, Ms Davidson said: “I am extremely encouraged by the high number of people who responded, which illustrates what I have been saying for a long time – that people do care about what happens to their rubbish and about doing their bit to keep waste out of landfill and recycle more.”
Veolia breaks ground on Staffs regional office
The company is developing its new 40,000 sq ft office at Kingswood Lakeside, which will see property firm Opus Land deliver a building to BREEAM ‘excellent' rating, including the use of roof mounted solar panels, a rainwater collection system and contact lighting. Once the development is complete staff from Veolia's offices in Wolverhampton and Brownhills, Walsall will relocate to the site, in a move which is also aimed at helping improve working and communication across all departments. The planning application for the new ‘green' regional office was approved by Cannock Chase district council in March this year.
Speaking at the ceremony, Tom Spaul, chief operating officer for Veolia Environmental Services (UK) said: “By working closely with Opus Land and Staffordshire county council we have managed to push forward this development at pace and plan to move in to our environmentally friendly offices by summer 2011. We believe that this move and our recent successful waste contract bid demonstrates our long term commitment to the Staffordshire economy.”
EA launches public consultation on Worksop waste-wood incinerator
The Environment Agency is consulting on its draft decision to issue an environmental permit to NRL Heat and Power Ltd in Worksop for a waste wood-to-energy incinerator.
The Agency received an application from NRL Heat and Power for an environmental permit to burn waste wood and generate electricity at Worksop Recycling Centre at Shireoaks Road. The Agency has considered the permit application and other relevant information and responses and is now consulting the public before making a final decision. The consultation is aimed at allowing people to give their views on the Agency's draft decision and will last until Friday 24 September 2010. A draft environmental permit and decision document outlining how the Environment Agency has reached its draft decision are now available for public consideration.
Steve Proffitt, pollution prevention and control team leader said: “We have considered this permit application very carefully and drafted a permit with conditions that would require NRL Heat and Power Ltd to operate in a way that will protect both the environment and human health.”
Brotherton purchases first Liebherr rehandler
The West Yorkshire-based company has purchased an A 924 C Litronic to become a “lynchpin” of its materials handling activities at its Otley site. It will be used to load and unload vehicles, stockpile and feed the baling press for the company, which specialises in the collection and reprocessing of end-of-life vehicles as well as commingled scrap metal across West and North Yorkshire. The company runs its own fleet of skip and flat-bed trucks for collections and processes around 4,500 tonnes a year. The end product is baled by a 450 tonnes Lefort baling press and sold on to national and international merchants.
The A 924 C Litronic materials handler purchased by Arthur Brotherton has been supplied to a high specification, with industrial long-reach equipment, an hydraulically elevating cab and numerous operational and safety features for this kind of specialist application.
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