It is understood that the investigation involves the county council's use of a composting facility run by F Hardy & Sons Ltd at a site in Cotham, Newark.
” We have now finished with our investigation and are now considering what if any action we can take over this matter. “
– Environment Agency
The site was granted planning permission in 2003 as a small operation taking green waste from local landscape gardeners, operating on an exemption to waste licensing rules because of its small size.
Once the site became operational, waste from household waste recycling centres and doorstep collections in the Rushcliffe area were accepted. However, rather than limit the amount of waste taken in, the operator “undertook a process of shredding and spreading the material straight to land thus bypassing the composting process,” county council officers have confirmed.
“large quantity”
In a report dated November 29, county council officers explained: “The large quantity of waste could not be managed on the permitted operational areas and the operator established a system of shredding the waste and disposing it on surrounding land without it having been composted.”
The Environment Agency has confirmed it has been, and is now considering, legal action.
A spokeswoman commented: “We have now finished with our investigation and are now considering what if any action we can take over this matter in line with our enforcement and prosecution policy.”
The county council confirmed the investigation had looked into the use of “an unlicensed compost facility in Newark, Nottinghamshire”, with a spokesperson saying: “I can confirm the county council has been fully co-operating with the Environment Agency into this matter.”
Permission
New planning permission has now been given by Nottinghamshire county council for the Cotham site, for operations to process up to 15,000 tonnes of green waste each year. This expanded the original permission for the site from an area of 50m by 35m to an area of 105m to 55m.
The expansion of the site means it now requires a full waste management licence from the Environment Agency, officers noted.
In recommending that planning permission be given, county planners were told by the county council: “Concerns have been raised that the expansion of the site could result in a continuation of breaches of planning control, albeit on a larger scale. However, the operator argues that an expansion of the operational area will provide a sufficiently large area to properly manage the green waste.”
PFI
Nottinghamshire county council currently composts around 25,000 tonnes of green waste each year through centralised composting facilities, many of which are small-to-medium sized enterprises.
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Under a new PFI treatment and disposal contract expected to be signed with waste firm Veolia Environmental Services in June, Nottinghamshire expects to increase its green waste composting to 100,000 tonnes per annum.
Briefing councillors concerning the contract's aims, officers said “existing third party composting sites” would be used along with a new windrow composting facility proposed for a site near Bilsthorpe.
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