Supplementary memorandum submitted by
the Local Government Association (LGA)
I am writing in response to the points raised
by Paddy Tipping MP in the course of the oral evidence given on
behalf of the LGA to the Select Committee on 1 July.
Essentially, it has to be recognised that the
successful siting of "waste" plants—whether high-temperature
incinerators, landfill sites or even open-air composting sites—is
difficult to achieve. There is a high level of public interest
and concern in the possibility of such sites appearing in a locality.
The LGA recognises that the Planning Green Paper
is concerned first and foremost with process rather than necessarily
changing a planning policy itself. In relation to waste, the proposal
is in two-tier areas for county councils to retain their present
responsibilities for waste (and minerals), including the preparation
of a Waste Local Plan.
In unitary areas, however, the proposed introduction
of Local Development Frameworks (LDFs) would mean that there is
considerable potential for closer integration of land use planning
and the inclusive process of developing and agreeing a Community
Strategy. This does represent a structural change, and it is one
which the Association sees merit in, since it should lead to the
two processes (development of Community Strategy and development
of LDF) informing each other. The process should allow for issues
(such as concern over proposals for waste facilities) to be considered
in a more open and accountable way, with greater understanding
of the issues, and hopefully a greater sense of community ownership
of end-results.
Clearly, local authorities (and the Environment
Agency, for that matter) have a key role to play in ensuring that
members of the public have a better grasp of the facts generally
in relation to different sorts of waste plants (both in terms
of overarching Government policy, and health and safety and other
concerns) and with regard to proposals for particular facilities.
The importance of effective public engagement should not be underestimated,
and local authorities and developers both have an important role
to play where waste infrastructure planning is concerned. Hertfordshire
County Council, for example, has a Waste Aware campaign,
which is aimed at making people in the area more aware of the
actual likely impacts of new waste facilities, and of existing
and emerging technologies for treatment of waste, thereby hopefully
leading to a more informed consideration of proposals as part
of the public consultation part of the development control process.
As regards the question of some form of national
hazardous waste management plan, it is understandable that, with
changes as a result of the Landfill directive, the pending review
of the Special Waste Regulations and the WEEE directive, attention
should be focused on achieving a sensible national pattern of
provision of hazardous waste facilities. In terms of realising
such a plan, it would be important to work at regional level,
through the existing regional planning processes, with the Regional
Technical Advisory Boards (RTABs) playing an important role. County
Councils and district councils in two-tier areas would need to
be closely involved, maintaining the crucial link with the local
democratic process.
Local Government Association
12 July 2002
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