Waste sector trade body the Environmental Services Association (ESA) said the governments recognition that the planning system represented a real barrier to investment was good.
But, it stressed that it would be looking closely at the detail of the proposals, which also include placing a 12 month limit on applications to help address a chronic obstacle to economic growth (see letsrecycle.com story).
ESA’s director of policy, Matthew Farrow, said: Its good the Government has recognised that the planning system is a real barrier to business investment.
Prioritising and streamlining planning applications that result in growth and jobs should help the waste industry, which is ideally placed to deliver green growth and needs to invest 20bn in new facilities over the coming years. However, the details will matter and we will be looking at them closely.
The ESAs comments were echoed by Paul Levett, deputy chief executive of Veolia Environmental Services, welcomed the general message on planning in the Chancellors speech.
He added: We look forward to seeing the detail as it impacts the new infrastructure which is needed by our industry in order to deliver on the waste hierarchy.
And, Viridor chief executive Colin Drummond also urged the importance of analysing the detail of the plans.
He said: “The budget statement gives positive signs regarding planning, encouraging growth and green investment, all of which could help our industry deliver essential infrastructure. We look forward to examining the detail.”
The potential impact of the planning changes on industry as a whole was welcomed by the Confederation of British Industry, whose director-general, John Cridland, said: Reductions in regulations on businesses and the promise of a faster planning system will provide relief to companies trying to take on staff and invest.
Similarly, the Chartered Institution of Wastes Management said the move to speed up planning was “very welcome” given the problems faced in securing approval for new waste infrastructure.
“We remain concerned, however, about the potential tension between local planning priorities and more strategic environmental and resource efficiency objectives at the regional and national level,”the body said in a statement.
“Likewise, the presumption in favour of sustainable development is a helpful step, but only if accompanied by a robust and detailed definition of sustainable development that takes full account of our resource use and shuts the door on potential abuse of this loophole,” it added.
Friends of the Earth
However, the Chancellors plans drew a less positive response from environmental campaign group Friends of the Earth. It raised particular concerns over how the proposed presumption in favour of sustainable development could make it easier for waste management facilities such as incinerators to get planning permission despite public opposition.
The organisations waste campaigner, Dr Julian Kirby, told letsrecycle.com: Friends of the Earth is worried about the whether the move to fast-track sustainable development could disenfranchise people when something is developed in their community.
I worry that what they are doing is opening up the planning system so that people or organisations can just go ahead and build on sites just because there hasnt been any opposition to building it.
He added: The thing about a presumption in favour of sustainable development must have robust requirements for meeting what that sustainability is.
Green Investment Bank
The ESAs Mr Farrow also welcomed the Chancellors announcement that the proposed Green Investment Bank will receive additional government funding.
Additional funding and future borrowing powers for the Green Investment Bank are welcome as we see a potential role for the Bank in enabling some difficult to fund waste projects to go ahead, he said.
The additional money for the Green Investment Bank was also welcomed by the CIWM.
But, the professional body sounded a note of caution, explaining: “this still feels like a Government tinkering around the edges of genuine green economic growth.
“Supporting low carbon investment is essential and while a carbon price floor for energy generation sends out a positive signal, we are still a long way from having a robust and integrated framework for the future. We are keen to see more detailed thinking in the proposed Green Economy Roadmap due out later this year.”
Register for free to comment