Guidelines issued for siting waste facilities in England

Planning Policy Guidance Note 10: Planning and waste management (PPG10) is specifically designed to advise authorities on land-use decisions relating to new waste facilities. Emphasis has been placed on region-wide consultation to avoid an overly narrow, local authority focus.

The Government’s draft waste strategy A Way with Waste was published in June and will be completed and made public by early 2000 (see related story).

PPG10 acknowledges the importance of “incorporating re-use/recycling facilities in new developments” and the need to “minimise environmental impacts resulting from the handling, processing, transport and disposal of waste”. It also notes that authorities should “have regard to the need to protect areas of designated landscape and nature conservation value from inappropriate development”.

Four principles should be employed when deciding on locations for waste facilities:

• consideration of Best Practicable Environmental Option for each waste stream
• regional self-sufficiency
• the environmental benefits of waste management taking place as close as possible to its place of production
• consideration of the waste hierarchy (part of the Best Practicable Environmental Option)

PPG10 is available for £10 from the Publication Sales Centre, DETR, Unit 21, Goldthorpe Industrial Estate, Goldthorpe, Rotherham, S63 9BL.