Currently the strategy’s steering committee is scrutinising a series of draft waste management options presented by a group of stakeholders. The strategy, the first ever produced for the region aims to address cross-boundary issues by integrating the individual waste strategies of 22 local authorities.
“A key thrust of the regional strategy is to look at wider issues than those being considered by local authorities in order to develop sustainable waste management practice,” explained Rob Murfin, principal regional planner at the assembly. The strategy will consider all waste streams, including industrial waste. Local and metropolitan authorities deal exclusively with municipal waste issues.
Another important area to be tackled in the strategy is the issue of waste minimisation, which local strategies have not been able to consider. Educational schemes and the development of markets for recycled products will also be addressed as well as employment opportunities from increased recycling.
The regional strategy will also advise councils in the region on how to prioritise spending and help them develop best practice on issues such as recycling facility networks. No specific funding has been provided for the strategy, which has a mainly administrative function.
The steering committee will make a decision by the summer on the mix of waste management options in the draft strategy (the amount of landfill, recycling and incineration to take place). This will be followed by a wide public consultation phase. A final strategy is expected in January 2003.
The creation of a regional strategy has been driven by the government’s planning guidance note 10 which recommends the development of regional waste plans.
Leeds in the lead
Leeds City Council is a step ahead of the regional strategy, and is currently considering responses to the city’s waste strategy public consultation phase which ended on March 31 this year. If necessary the city strategy will be revised in July when all comments have been taken into account and the plan in its final form will be published later on in the year.
In line with sustainable development policies, the city is prioritising waste minimisation, and looking to find ways to maximise recycling or composting. “At the moment we throw away non-renewable resources – over 90% of our waste goes to landfill. If present trends continue, the amount of waste produced per year will double in 20 years’ time,” emphasises Councillor Elizabeth Minkin, who has responsibility for sustainable development.
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