Conclusions and recommendations
1. Northern
Ireland's poor record of converting EU Directives on waste into
regulations has changed recently. The Minister confirmed that
some 45 pieces of legislation had been implemented which had "brought
Northern Ireland up to date with the UK and our EU partners".
We welcome this progress. (Paragraph 15)
2. Some progress in
implementing the Waste Management Strategy has been achieved,
but overall it has been slight. The crucial issue is the pace
of change, and whether Northern Ireland can achieve even its statutory
obligations in the remaining time available, far less a major
shift to the sustainable management of resources. (Paragraph 19)
3. If the 2010 and
subsequent targets for the amount of household waste sent to landfill
are not met, significant EU financial penalties, estimated to
be of the order of £180 million per annum for the United
Kingdom as a whole, may be imposed, and could be passed on to
Northern Ireland. (Paragraph 21)
4. The race is on
to meet the first major target in 2010 for reduction of waste
going to landfill. However, the excessive delays in the planning
process, the lack of appropriate infrastructure to provide alternatives
to landfill, and the absence of a clear funding strategy mean
that this target may not be met. (Paragraph 23)
5. The Planning Service
has been widely criticised for inordinate delays in reaching decisions
on applications for waste management facilities. We were astonished
to learn that it can take up to ten years to get planning permission
for waste management facilities, and we were given details of
a specific application by a private sector company for an extension
to a landfill site on which no decision has been made more than
eight and a half years after it was lodged. (Paragraph 24)
6. We are deeply concerned
that the continuing substantial delays in dealing with planning
applications for waste management facilities are having a major
impact on the provision of infrastructure to implement the Waste
Management Strategy. We also have concerns that the Department
appears to be limiting landfill applications at a time when disillusionment
with the planning process is deterring applications for alternatives
to landfill. (Paragraph 30)
7. There is a pressing
need to restore confidence in the waste management sector if Northern
Ireland is to create the infrastructure necessary to fulfil its
obligations. We appreciate that the Planning Service is currently
involved in a major review of process. However, we believe that
the diminishing time available for implementing the Waste Strategy
demands action now. We call on the Minister to take immediate
steps to ensure that decisions are taken on existing applications,
and that future planning decisions relating to waste management
are made within a reasonable time. Such decisions also need to
be made following adequate public consultation, not only with
statutory consultees. (Paragraph 31)
8. We believe that
the efforts to remedy the absence of alternatives to landfill
may be hindered by current work to develop a Northern Ireland-wide
Best Practicable Environmental Option (BPEO) (Paragraph 36)
9. If the intention
is to defer decisions on planning applications for facilities
still further on the basis that these might not be part of some
future Best Practicable Environmental Option (BPEO), then the
likelihood of those facilities being procured, let alone becoming
operational in the short to medium term, will be reduced radically.
Delays in procurement processes compound this problem. It is also
difficult to see how a regional level BPEO exercise can overcome
the problem identified by the Department in respect of site-specific
BPEO justifications. (Paragraph 38)
10. There is a danger
of confusion over the level at which decisions should be taken
about the type, scale, and location of facilities for dealing
with waste. If the regional level process is not prescriptive,
then its local impact will be limited. On the other hand, if the
intention is to be prescriptive, the process runs the risk of
excluding local input. A delicate balance must be found if an
inclusive, transparent, and effective process is to be put in
place. (Paragraph 39)
11. We are concerned
that waste management infrastructure planning and procurement
processes are seriously behind schedule. The Department seems
fairly confident that Northern Ireland is on track to meet the
25% recycling target by 2005. However, as planning applications
take at least a year to determine, and procurement processes have
barely begun, the prospect of meeting the first Landfill Directive
target in 2010 looks bleak. (Paragraph 42)
12. We call on the
Minister to identify quickly the required infrastructure taking
account of the shortening timescale available for planning, procurement,
and construction. An analysis of the views of would-be providers
should also be undertaken to establish why greater investment
in the sector is not taking place. (Paragraph 43)
13. We welcome the
recognition of the need for investment in waste management infrastructure
included in the recent draft consultation document 'Investment
Strategy for Northern Ireland 2005-2015'. However, the level of
investment needed has not been developed in any detail. We call
on the Minister to draw up urgently a robust and realistic funding
plan to provide the necessary infrastructure over the life of
the Waste Management Strategy. (Paragraph 50)
14. Within this overall
funding plan clear lines of responsibility for the provision of
local infrastructure by District Councils need to be identified.
The Minister must clarify the extent to which this local infrastructure
will require to be funded from local rates, and make a firm commitment
to provide an adequate level of central Government funding for
future years. (Paragraph 51)
15. We recommend that
a review of the relevant legislation is carried out to ensure
that adequate powers exist to enable District Councils, either
individually or collectively, to enter into appropriate arrangements
with the private sector and community sector providers of waste
services. (Paragraph 52)
16. The Waste Management
Strategy contained fifteen key targets on strategic leadership,
but the Waste Management Advisory Board Report shows positive
progress has been achieved in only four targets, three of which
relate to the establishment and work of the Advisory Board itself.
This is a lamentable performance and remedial action must be put
in hand at once to ensure substantive progress. (Paragraph 54)
17. The Department
of the Environment established a waste management steering group
in early 2004 to co-ordinate implementation of its Action Plan,
although this should have taken place much earlier. Other Departments
appear to have taken little action to date, and this is unacceptable.
We look to the Minister for the Environment to set appropriately
rigorous milestones for action within Government. (Paragraph 55)
18. We are deeply
concerned at the Government failure to provide strong leadership
in implementing the Waste Management Strategy. The Minister must
address this issue at once, and ensure that all Government Departments
are fully aware of their joint responsibility for the successful
implementation of the Strategy. (Paragraph 59)
19. The failure to
live up fully to its commitment to develop and implement green
purchasing policies and practices was a major missed opportunity
for the Government to lead by example. The recent issue of a low-key
internal guidance note (the Green Procurement Guide) is too little
too late, and we believe Northern Ireland cannot afford to wait
a further year to judge its impact. We urge the Minister to consider
the introduction of a strong code of practice, incorporating clear
targets (Paragraph 60)
20. Commercial and
industrial waste processing is not receiving adequate attention.
While the regional BPEO (Best Practicable Environmental Option)
exercise may help to identify appropriate treatment options for
non-municipal waste, we are concerned that the absence of firm
proposals to process such waste places a question mark over the
ability of the present arrangements to deliver the infrastructure
required at the appropriate time. Poor data is undermining the
integrity of targets for non-municipal waste and the Government
must take steps now to improve the quality of such data. (Paragraph
63)
21. Given the relatively
low cost of waste management relative to turnover for most industrial
sectors , it remains to be demonstrated whether any increase in
such costs would diminish Northern Ireland's attractiveness to
inward investors. Furthermore, significant social benefits are
likely to flow from improvements by the commercial and industrial
sectors in waste management. (Paragraph 65)
22. The establishment
and work of the Aggregates Recycling Task Group is a positive
development and there is a belief within the industry that this
is likely to enhance sustainability. The role of the Central Procurement
Directorate in instigating the Task Group has received recognition.
(Paragraph 66)
23. We are concerned
that non-municipal wastes have not been given the priority they
warrant in the sub-regional plans. We recommend that clear consideration
should be given to ways in which the relevant facilities can be
created. When mechanisms for procuring municipal waste facilities
are being developed, consideration must be given to how these
can incorporate non-municipal wastes in ways that are attractive
to the partners involved. (Paragraph 68)
24. We received no
evidence that higher costs in the management of commercial and
industrial waste would necessarily undermine the economic competitiveness
of Northern Ireland or deter investors. We recommend that the
Department of the Environment and Invest Northern Ireland cooperate
in the development of a coherent strategy for dealing with such
wastes in which the efficiency of energy and materials resource
management has a central place. We believe this is necessary if
Northern Ireland is to develop expertise in resource management
in commerce and industry for future export. (Paragraph 69)
25. We are concerned
at the absence of specific measures to reduce the growth of municipal
waste. We recommend that the Department undertakes a thorough
review of potential measures, including charging. (Paragraph 71)
26. We believe there
is a need to develop a clearer and more sophisticated understanding
of markets for recycled materials, and to identify those materials
for which it is desirable to develop local markets. The aim should
be to avoid giving undue support for investment in local reprocessing
capacity which has little chance of survival in competitive global
markets. (Paragraph 73)
27. Participation
in the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) has helped
to develop processing capacity, both inside and outside Northern
Ireland, for materials collected in the region. The Department
must continue to support WRAP in Northern Ireland as its range
of activities develops. We welcome the work that is taking place
with the Republic of Ireland to develop markets on an all-Ireland
basis. (Paragraph 77)
28. We call on the
Minister to undertake an urgent review of the Waste Management
Industry Fund, and market development funding generally, with
a view to ensuring greater participation by the private sector
and the involvement of the community and voluntary sector (Paragraph
80)
29. In making use
of the work underway by WRAP, Northern Ireland must seek to develop
new markets for materials extracted from the waste stream by supporting
the establishment of standards which use secondary materials.
For example, the PAS100 standard can provide assurance about the
quality of compost; and the Quality Protocol is able to provide
confidence that quality aggregates can be produced from inert
wastes. The Department should consider linking recycling and composting
targets to the PAS100 standard to ensure the production of good
quality products for the market. (Paragraph 83)
30. We recommend that
the Department clarifies the status of existing guidance by the
Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs on the production
of compost following the recent Animal By-Products Regulations.
If the term 'Draft' no longer applies to the guidance, it should
be dropped. If it is the intention to develop the Guidance, an
indication of how and when this will be done should be given to
enable equipment suppliers to tender for contracts on a sound
basis (Paragraph 85)
31. We were encouraged
to hear from the Southern Waste Management Partnership that "in
recent months there have been some very firm measures taken by
the Police Service of Northern Ireland and the Garda Síochána
with regard to illegal trans-frontier shipments. To some extent
this has been quite effective and has dealt with the large movements
of waste across the border". (Paragraph 87)
32. We welcome the
action that has been taken to tackle illegal dumping, including
the high level of cross-border co-ordination and co-operation,
and meetings at Ministerial level. We recognise the difficulty
that the difference in landfill costs on either side of the border
raises for Northern Ireland. We strongly support the bid by the
Department for additional resources to tackle illegal dumping
activity and we urge the Minister to proceed with urgency to assess
whether legislative changes may be required. (Paragraph 91)
33. Fly tipping is
a growing and insidious problem, and we are pleased that the Department
of the Environment is considering a range of measures to deal
with it more effectively. We urge the Minister to ensure that
this work proceeds without delay and that the existing regulatory
powers are enforced fully. (Paragraph 96)
34. We support the
calls for the establishment of an Environmental Protection Agency
for the Northern Ireland although we recognise that its remit
would extend well beyond the issue of waste management. We are
pleased that the Minister appears receptive to this, and call
on her to undertake a review to identify the best option for Northern
Ireland (Paragraph 101)
35. We commend the
commitment of those working to develop and implement a strategic
approach to waste management in Northern Ireland. We recognise
that much good work has resulted. Nevertheless, Northern Ireland's
response to the challenge of managing waste and compliance with
EU Directives has been patchy and much too slow (Paragraph 102)
36. We believe that
mere compliance with the EU Waste Management Directives is insufficient.
Northern Ireland must strive to develop a strong indigenous waste
management strategy. Only by doing so can the vision for Northern
Ireland set out in the Strategy as a "centre of excellence
in resource and waste management" be realised (Paragraph
103)
37. The development
of the Strategy through the involvement of stakeholders, and the
co-operation and partnership achieved among District Councils,
have been positive achievements. However, the failure of Government
departments to provide strong overall leadership is disappointing,
and has put in jeopardy the likelihood of meeting the EU targets,
and realising the strategy's vision (Paragraph 104)
38. There are a number
of immediate challenges facing the Government. A revised Strategy
cannot wait until the end of 2005. The crisis in planning is delaying
the provision of infrastructure and endangering the further involvement
of the private sector. The absence of a clear funding plan must
be addressed, and better guidance on procurement provided (Paragraph
105)
39. To enable overall
progress to be made, strong Government vision and leadership is
needed. The Minister for the Environment should adopt the role
of 'waste champion' in Government to ensure that all Departments
and public bodies play their full part. However, Government action
alone will not ensure a sustainable environment. A strong response
from Government needs to be matched by timely and effective action
from all stakeholders. (Paragraph 106)
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