Scottish waste management industry experts registered a strong message of concern at a Glasgow conference last week that plans for several new facilities had recently been refused planning permission. Many were concerned that pressure from local communities was causing local politicians to refuse planning permission for facilities even if they fit in with local and national waste plans.
Mr Finnie acknowledged the problem and urged local councillors to think twice on such issues. “Local communities and councillors and ministers have got to have the guts to stand up for this National Waste Strategy,” he said at the Eventful Scotland waste management conference. “If that's what we believe is the way to improve the environment substantially, there are hard decisions to be taken.”
He later told letsrecycle.com that there was confusion amongst both the public and councillors about the need for some waste sites under the waste strategy. “We have a job to do to get people to understand the distinctions between landfills and different types of recycling plant and to say, if you have signed up for an area waste plan, you've got to take it and say how can I achieve it?”
But Mr Finnie shied away from the idea of re-drafting planning legislation such as the Town and Country Planning Act 1997. Instead, he said, the government should “look carefully” at the revised national planning guidance note to local authorities.
Charging
Mr Finnie also ruled out immediate plans to charge householders for waste. “I think this is slightly premature. If we are going to charge people we have to show we have tried other things first,” he said. “It may be that at some future stage we might want to consider how to move on to the next stage – but I don't think at the moment that would be the right approach.”
He added that charging might be considered when Scotland was closer to its 2006 goal of 25% recycling or composting. But for the moment, he said, the National Waste Plan was “bringing the public with us” and already changing attitudes.
And Mr Finnie said he felt great sympathy for local authorities because they had been asked to fund “the cheapest, most efficient waste system in the world” 10 years ago, which was now being superseded by plans for recycling.
Targets
The minister said he expected Scotland to meet its 2006 target of 25% recycling, although not “without difficulties”.
“Going up from less than 8% to 25% is one hell of a challenge. We have to recognise that by any international comparison – such as mainland Europe – we are very much bottom of the league.”
He maintained that Scotland could still meet its ambitious 2020 target of 55%, however. But he added: “let's plan to walk before we run. We have got to get this infrastructure in place.”
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