waste development plan€¦ · asbestos, mercury, liquid paints and pressure treated lumber etc. 2....

Hertfordshire County Council

Waste Development PlanDraft Issues and Options Paper

September 2004

County Development Unit, HCC, Contact: 01992 556 227

APPENDIX 1

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Table of Contents

1. INTRODUCTION............................................................................................. 1

2. BACKGROUND.............................................................................................. 2

2.1 What is Waste? .................................................................................................................................... 2

2.2 Why Review the Existing Plan? ....................................................................................................... 3

2.3 The Hertfordshire Environment ....................................................................................................... 3

2.4 Existing Waste Management Situation .......................................................................................... 5

3. CONSULTATION ACTIVITIES ..................................................................... 10

3.1 Statement of Community Involvement ........................................................................................ 10

3.2 Stakeholder Workshop .................................................................................................................... 10

3.3 District Officer Meeting.................................................................................................................... 10

3.4 Other Activities .................................................................................................................................. 11

4. TOWARDS A NEW VISION AND PLAN OBJECTIVES .............................. 12

5. POLICY CONTEXT AND TARGETS............................................................ 14

5.1 Overview .............................................................................................................................................. 14

5.2 Waste Management Targets ........................................................................................................... 15

5.3 Conclusion .......................................................................................................................................... 20

6. KEY ISSUES AND OPTIONS FOR THE WASTE DEVELOPMENT PLAN . 21

6.1 Required Contents of the Waste Development Plan ................................................................ 21

6.2 Key Waste Management Issues..................................................................................................... 22

6.3 Exploring the Issues and Options ................................................................................................ 22

6.4 Development of Options.................................................................................................................. 26

7. CONCLUSIONS............................................................................................ 35

REFERENCES ........................................................................................................ 36

APPENDIX A – GLOSSARY & ABBREVIATIONS................................................. 38

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A1. Abbreviations ............................................................................................................................................ 38

A2. Glossary ..................................................................................................................................................... 43

APPENDIX B – FEEDBACK FROM STAKEHOLDER DAY OCTOBER 2003 &DISTRICT OFFICERS WORKSHOP MARCH 2004..................................... 61

TECHNICAL APPENDICES (SEPARATE VOLUME)1. Policy Overview2. Existing Waste Management Facilities in Hertfordshire3. New Technologies for Waste Management Facilities

Figures:1. Existing Waste Management Facilities in Hertfordshire2. General Land Use Patterns and Transport Network3. Natural and Ecological Features of Hertfordshire

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1. Introduction

The existing Hertfordshire Waste Local Plan 1995-2005 was adopted inJanuary 1999 and contains policies setting out planning criteria for arange of waste management facilities. It also identifies potential sitesto meet Hertfordshire’s waste management needs. The Plan promoteswaste minimisation, re-use, recycling and recovery, with disposal bylandfill as a last resort.

The Waste Local Plan is a legislative requirement (under the Town andCountry Planning Act 1990) and forms part of the Development Plan forHertfordshire. It sets out the policies to be taken into account by theCounty Council as Waste Planning Authority when dealing withplanning applications for waste management facilities. However, manyof the policies also relate to development for which the ten District andBorough councils are planning authority.

The Government requires plans to be reviewed regularly and changesmonitored to inform the frequency of review. It is expected that plansshould be reviewed in full at least once every five years and that partialreviews may be appropriate on a more frequent basis.

Development of a new document (called a Development rather thanLocal Plan) to replace the existing Hertfordshire Waste Local Planunder the new planning system needs to accord with processesoutlined in the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004. The newWaste Development Plan will draw together strategic and operationalpolicies, and will also be an important vehicle for ensuring that theHertfordshire Joint Waste Management Strategy 2002-2024(Hertfordshire County Council, WasteAware Hertfordshire Partnership,2003) is delivered throughout the county.

This paper outlines the key issues and options for developing a newWaste Development Plan for Hertfordshire. There are a number of keyfactors driving the need for change in the way Hertfordshire’s waste willneed to be managed in the future, including:

• significant policy shifts towards greater minimisation, recovery andrecycling of waste;

• landfill space is running out;• new government legislation and EU directives;• rapidly increasing costs of waste management; and• increasing public expectations.

The Waste Development Plan needs to provide strategies for dealingwith all of these issues, in both scale and over time. The plan periodneeds to cover a minimum of 10 years (i.e. 2006-2016) but should alsobe mindful of more long-term issues and will look to complement theWaste Management Strategy to at least 2024.

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2. Background

2.1 What is Waste?

The Environment Agency defines waste as: ‘Any substance or objectthat you discard, intend to discard, or are required to discard….and assuch is subject to a number of regulatory requirements.’

The Waste Development Plan must consider a range of waste streams,generally referred to as one of three types: Municipal, Construction /Demolition and Commercial / Industrial.1. Construction and demolition waste consists of waste building

materials resulting from the construction, remodelling, repair ordemolition of buildings, bridges, pavements and other structures.Construction and demolition waste can include rubble (e.g.concrete, wood, masonry, metals, asphalt), packaging, plastics andhazardous materials. These hazardous materials include lead,asbestos, mercury, liquid paints and pressure treated lumber etc.

2. Commercial / Industrial waste is created from premises which areused wholly or mainly for trade, business, sport, recreation orentertainment. Should the premises be owned or controlled byLocal Government (or agents) then the waste can also be termedmunicipal waste.

3. Municipal waste includes household waste and any other wastescollected by a Waste Collection Authority or Waste DisposalAuthority or its agents, such as commercial or industrial waste andwaste resulting from the clearance of fly-tipped materials and litter.

There is a substantial amount of research and data available formunicipal (household) waste, although considerably less for Industrial /Commercial and Construction / Demolition waste. Other classificationsto be considered in the Waste Development Plan include:• Agricultural waste;• Clinical, difficult and special wastes;• Hazardous waste;• Waste water and sewage sludge;• Liquid waste and dredgings;• Nuclear and radioactive waste;• Contaminated land waste; and• Scrap metal.

There are a range of waste facilities to manage such waste, including:• waste separation and recycling facilities;• composting facilities;• incinerators (with or without energy recovery);• other waste-to-energy facilities;• emerging technologies e.g. Mechanical Biological Treatment;• transfer stations; and• landfill.

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2.2 Why Review the Existing Plan?

The new planning system requires authorities to prepare LocalDevelopment Document’s (LDD) within a broader Local DevelopmentFramework (LDF). Waste matters must be addressed throughpreparation of Waste Development Plans, classified as LDDs. Thisprovides an opportune time to review the existing Waste Local Plan, asit is now some five years from the time of its adoption (1999).

There are other compelling reasons for a review of the existing WasteLocal Plan 1995 – 2005, including issues arising and alternate optionsfor waste management as outlined in this paper.

2.3 The Hertfordshire Environment

2.3.1 Community and Economic Characteristics and Pressures

Hertfordshire lies just to the north of London and stands astride keyroutes between London and the major cities of the Midlands and NorthEngland. It borders Cambridgeshire, Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire,Essex and Greater London and is one of the six counties of the EasternRegion of England (others include Bedfordshire, Essex, Suffolk, Norfolkand Cambridgeshire County Councils and Luton, Peterborough,Thurrock and Southend-on-Sea Unitary Authorities).

The county has a population of just over 1 million, who live in 427,000households, increasing at 1% per annum. Whilst 70% of the land areais rural, there are around 30 small to medium sized towns (3,000people or more) including market towns, garden cities, new towns,large urban areas and rural villages. Most live in a broad band runningacross the south of the county from Hoddesdon in the east to Watfordin the west. Some settlements have more in common with Londonthan Hertfordshire as a whole. Though containing significant towns likeHitchin and Stevenage, the north and east of the county is largely rural.

Hertfordshire as a whole is relatively affluent. There are deprivedcommunities often side by side with more affluent areas, wheredisadvantaged individuals and groups find difficulty in accessing the fullrange of available services and facilities. Deprivation is also an issuein rural areas. The cost of living is high, house prices are one thirdabove the overall national average and access to services can belimited.

The diverse nature of Hertfordshire is reflected in the background of itspopulation. In 2001 over one in ten of Hertfordshire’s residentsconsidered that they belonged to a minority ethnic group, both blackand white. This masks considerable variation. In Watford the figurewas one in five and in Hertsmere, one in eight. By contrast, only one in

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fifteen residents in East Herts said they belonged to a minority ethnicgroup.The age structure of Hertfordshire is broadly similar to that of theEastern Region as a whole with around one quarter of residents aged19 years and under and one in six over 65. Again, there are variationsacross Hertfordshire’s districts – over one third of Stevenage’sresidents are under 19. In Watford, only one in eight are over 65 years.

Hertfordshire is a buoyant, prosperous county with one of the strongesteconomies in the UK. Hertfordshire residents generally enjoy highstandards of living, high per capita income, with unemployment lowerthan the national average. Proximity to London and four major airportsoffers opportunities to residents and businesses alike but also bringsdisadvantages, such as crime, environmental damage and theeconomic pressure of migration.

2.3.2 Transport and Related Pressures

Hertfordshire is the sixth most populated highway authority area inEngland, with 0.522 cars per head (the 4th highest car ownership inBritain). These residents make over 4 million journeys every day, orover 1.25 billion journeys per annum, contributing to the severecapacity problems on the road and rail networks.

Hertfordshire’s geography has a significant effect on local transport,with the settlement pattern comprised of many medium sized townsseparated by only a few miles and no dominant settlement acting as acore of the transport network. Instead, there is a complex transportinteraction between all of the towns, resulting in difficulties to meettransport needs of commercially viable passenger transport services,and a high reliance on road / car based transport.

The county’s road and rail networks are heavily influenced by longdistance through-traffic, with large volumes of through movements onroads including the M1, A1(M) and M25, and the East Coast, Midlandand West Coast Main Line railway routes. Passengers and employeestravelling to and from the two major airports just outside of the county’sborders (Stansted and London Luton) and Heathrow provide anadditional strain, in particular for Hertfordshire’s radial road and railnetwork. A lack of east-west links in northern Hertfordshire andincreasing airport passenger numbers will push Hertfordshire’stransport network to its limits.

This complexity has significant implications for waste management andfeasibility of site selection for different facilities. The industry needsaccess to well connected transport networks, for both collection anddisposal, complicated by the various development pressures outlinedabove and in section 2.2.2. These pressures look set to intensify overthe next decade.

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2.3.3 Environmental Features and Development Pressures

Hertfordshire has a high quality environment, including attractivecountryside and thriving towns. Historic buildings and landscapesmake a significant contribution to the special character of Hertfordshireand contribute to a rich and varied cultural heritage, which benefitsresidents and visitors alike.

Nearly two thirds of the Hertfordshire land area is designated as GreenBelt. Some of the key natural features include the Chiltern Hills to thewest and north west, designated as an Area of Outstanding NaturalBeauty.

However, both the natural environment and the built environment aresubject to pressures, particularly from development and congestionlinked to increased levels of traffic. The planned extension of Stanstedand Luton Airports could also have significant effects on Hertfordshire.Parts of the east of the county fall within the Government’s London-Stansted-Cambridge-Peterborough Corridor Growth Area. Proposalsfor additional development around Luton and Dustable could affectNorth Hertfordshire. The East of England’s plans for housingdevelopment in the next two decades represents a significant challengeto the unique quality of Hertfordshire. It is estimated that as many as49,000 new homes will be needed in Hertfordshire between 2001 and2016, and provisionally another 72,000 new homes due to growthplans. As much as 70% of this growth will be in single personhouseholds.

Implications of these characteristics and trends for waste managementinclude:• pressures for housing and infrastructure;• consequential generation of construction and demolition waste;• increases in household waste – particularly with the rise in single

households and overall increase in household numbers; and• increases in commercial and industrial waste.

2.4 Existing Waste Management Situation

2.4.1 What waste is produced

The existing Waste Local Plan predominantly considers threecategories of waste:• Type A – inert waste such as Topsoil, Subsoil, Brickwork, Concrete,

Stone, Clay, Sand, Silica, glass and ceramics. Mixtures of thesematerials such as hard-core and weathered tar-coated stone(construction and demolition type waste).

• Type B – Industrial and commercial waste that is generally non-toxic and non-putrescible.

• Type C – Municipal Collected Waste or Civic Amenity waste.

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Changes in the categorisation of wastes over the years makes itdifficult to estimate waste arisings, although some key characteristics ofwaste Types B and C are outlined in section 2.4.2.

The UK Waste Classification Scheme uses a numerical code for eachwaste stream and the composition of the waste. For example there areseveral layers, each representing a different level of detail:

22 Is general and biodegradeable waste2202 is construction and/or demolition waste220202 is asphalt, bitumen and/or coated roadstone

The national Waste Categories are as follows:

Waste Type & Description Category No.Inert waste 21.00.00General and Biodegradable waste 22.00.00Metals and discarded (scrap) composite Equipment 23.00.00Contaminated general 24.00.00Healthcare risk wastes 25.00.00Asbestos 26.00.00Mineral wastes and residues from thermalProcesses

27.00.00

Inorganic chemical 28.00.00Organic chemical 29.00.00Mixed chemical “smalls” 30.00.00Radioactive 31.00.00Explosives 32.00.00

Source: Environment Protection Act 1995, Section 34

It is likely that there will be further refinement of these categories toaccord with recent changes in European Union classifications.

2.4.2 How much is produced

Municipal (mainly household) or Type C waste makes up approximately25% of the managed waste in Herts, and comprises:• “dustbin” waste;• litter;• street sweepings;• bulky waste collections;• waste received at the Household Waste Recycling Centres;• recycled waste from the domestic waste stream; and• clearance of fly-tipped material.

Pressures for Municipal (household) waste include:• generation of around 559,000 tonnes of municipal waste in 2002/03;• annual growth of 2.5% of this waste stream;

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• export of around 67% of this waste, of which 88% is landfilled;• recycling and composting of around 18% of the total amount

generated, via kerbside and bring-systems; and• 25% is the national recycling target by 2005, although Hertfordshire

has a statutory target of 30% by 2005/6 and a local target of 50% by2012/13.

Type B or commercial and industrial waste generates over 1.5 milliontonnes per annum, including construction and demolition waste. About50% of this is recycled, and targets are for 66% by 2005 and 75% by2010.

It is recognised throughout the industry that there is a lack ofinformation on specific waste streams, growth rates, composition lifecycles and impact, and that this is hampering the development ofeffective strategies for waste management. The Waste ImplementationProgramme (WIP), operated through the Department for Environment,Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) and in conjunction with theEnvironment Agency, is attempting to address this issue.

Existing data is particularly limited on commercial and industrial waste,although findings from a national commercial and industrial wastesurvey should be available later in 2004, with full survey reports andregional breakdowns available late 2005.

2.4.3 Where is it disposed of and what is the capacity of these sites?

Hertfordshire has extremely limited landfill capacity and as a resultexports the majority of waste for disposal to county’s outside theregion. This includes over half of generated commercial and industrialwaste and around 80% of municipal waste collected by dustcart,contrary to the principle of regional self-sufficiency.

For the municipal waste stream, disposal in 2000/2001 was as follows:• 77% to three landfill sites (up to 80% in 2002/03):

⇒ with the largest proportion going to the Brogborough landfill sitein Bedfordshire, via the Waterdale waste transfer station locatednear Garston.

⇒ the remainder was sent to the North Hertfordshire Landfill Siteand at Ugley Landfill site in Essex.

• 8% via a waste incinerator at Edmonton in North London, whereelectricity is generated from the process.

Annual input capacity of waste management facilities in Hertfordshire(based on available data from 2000) is outlined in Table 2.1.

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Table 2.1 Number and Approximate Annual Input Capacity of WasteManagement Facilities (December 2000)

Inert wastefacilities

Non-inert wastefacilities

Compostingfacilities

Householdwaste sites

No Capacity(‘000 tonnespa)



No Capacity(‘000tonnes pa)

26 1,000 4 46 3 53 19 180Source: East of England Regional Technical Waste Advisory Body, 2003: 70-71Notes:• Inert waste facilities – includes inert waste transfer and recycling/composting facilities.

Inconsistencies exist between how data is monitored between different areas.• Non-Inert waste facilities – includes all transfer and recycling/composting facilities dealing

with commercial and industrial and/or municipal waste. Includes MRFs.• Composting facilities – includes both windrow and in-vessel facilities.• Household waste sites – some of the capacity information is based on actual inputs rather

than capacity.

Hertfordshire County Council’s existing landfill contracts expire in 2007and incineration contract expires 2017. Additional data onHertfordshire’s existing waste management sites and facilities isincluded in a separate Technical Appendices volume, although updatedinformation is currently being compiled.

2.4.5 Whose responsibility is it?

Responsibility for waste management sits with several differentorganisations. Essentially it comprises:

• Waste Planning Authorities (WPA) – local authorities (usuallyCounty Councils) with responsibility for land-use planning controlover waste management. WPAs are also responsible for ensuringan adequate framework in their development plans to enable thewaste management industry to establish appropriate facilities formanaging amounts of waste over a period of at least 10 years. Thisshould be done through preparation of Waste Local Plans (nowWaste Development Plans).

• Waste Disposal Authorities (WDA) – responsible for the safemanagement of household and some commercial wastes arising intheir areas, directed to waste disposal facilities (either to a partly-owned arms-length local authority waste disposal company ordirectly into private sector), as specified by the EnvironmentalProtection Act 1990. WDAs are usually County Councils, andinclude responsibilities for development and implementation of jointmunicipal waste management strategy with districts.

• Waste Collection Authorities (WCA) – responsible for safe andefficient collection of household and some commercial wastesarising in their areas, and in accordance with approved wasterecycling plans. WCAs are usually District Councils, who are alsoresponsible for environmental health issues.

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• Regional Technical Advisory Bodies (RTAB) – responsible forassembling relevant data across regions and providing advice onoptions and strategies for dealing with waste needs.

• Environment Agency (EA) – responsible for prevention orminimisation of effects of pollution on the environment, for issuingwaste management licences and enforcement of any conditions itimposes, and for providing up to date information on waste arisingsand extent / need for management and disposal facilities. This roleis complementary to the WPA. Whilst planning permission(responsibility of WPA) and waste management licensing(responsibility of EA) are separate requirements, in consideringapplications both organisations must consult with each other forcomments on proposals, prior to determination.

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3. Consultation Activities

3.1 Statement of Community Involvement

In accordance with recent legislative changes, a Statement ofCommunity Involvement (SCI) is being prepared for both the Wasteand Minerals planning process for Hertfordshire County Council. TheSCI will outline all proposed consultation and communication activitiesto be undertaken through the plan preparation stage and also inimplementation stages, including development control.

The Waste Development Plan will be prepared in full compliance withthe SCI, and will also recognise Hertfordshire County Council’scorporate communications objectives, including:• Identifying opportunities to improve public involvement in services

and decision-making.• Supporting communications with members.• Continuing to improve our web communications and access to

services online.• Improving the quality and effectiveness of the council’s

communications as a whole, particularly in terms of accessibility.

To date two targeted workshops and other background informationgathering activities have been undertaken to commence the planreview process. This Key Issues and Options stage is the firstwidespread opportunity for community involvement and will involveestablishment of processes, groups and databases of interestedindividuals for utilisation through the next stages.

3.2 Stakeholder Workshop

The ‘Stakeholder Day’ was organised as a pre-cursor to the WasteLocal Plan review process, as an opportunity to engage a wide varietyof people who have an interest in the Plan to discuss important issues.Over fifty-five invitations were sent out to a wide variety of peopleincluding district planning officers, industry representatives and localaction groups. Over 30 people attended the day, and issues andoptions discussed at the workshop have been integral in the drafting ofthis Issues and Options Paper and the Strategic EnvironmentalAssessment/Sustainability Appraisal (SEA/SA) of the Paper.

A summary of feedback is provided in Appendix B.

3.3 District Officer Meeting

A one day workshop was held with County Council and all ten districtcouncils in the Hertfordshire area to explore issues regardingimplementation of the existing Waste Local Plan and in wastemanagement in general.

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Themes explored included:

• Implementation Issues;• Delivery Mechanism; and• Site Identification.

A summary of feedback is provided in Appendix B.

3.4 Other Activities

Other engagement activities being undertaken include distribution of asurvey to all relevant industry representatives operating in theHertfordshire area seeking industry views on adequacy of the existingWaste Local Plan, site selection and availability issues and generalindustry needs and trends.

To inform the process it is also necessary to review the existingseventy-seven sites identified in the Waste Local Plan for adequacy inpromoting alternative waste management facilities for managementover the next decade. A site selection study has been commissionedto assist with this, results of which will feed into the draft WasteDevelopment Plan.

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4. Towards a New Vision and Plan Objectives

The aim of the existing Waste Local Plan is:

“To reduce the amount of waste and its environmental impact”

The County Council seeks to revise this aim and incorporate it into anoverall Vision for Hertfordshire’s waste management over the nextdecade and beyond. Your input is sought on an appropriate futurevision, and the following is provided as a starting point for discussion:

Vision for Waste Management in 2016:“The Hertfordshire community is waste conscious and aware,and leads the country in its adoption and implementation of thewaste hierarchy. Members of the general community, industryand County Council alike place significant emphasis on wastereduction, reuse and recycling, with waste disposal to landfill atan all time low. A mix of established and newer emergingtechnologies have been embraced to ensure that Hertfordshireeffectively manages its own waste within its own borders.”

Once an agreed vision is in place it will be important to exploreobjectives for the new Waste Development Plan. Your input is alsosought on these, which may be different to the existing planobjectives, which include:

1. To reduce and minimise the amount waste produced for disposal,including through industry operations (e.g. packaging)

2. To facilitate the provision of sufficient waste management facilitiesin Hertfordshire to accommodate the equivalent of the County’s ownarisings

3. To recognise that waste management generates employment and ispart of the infrastructure which supports business in general

4. To locate waste recycling, handling and reduction facilities as closeas practicable to the origin of waste

5. To promote the development of waste management facilities whichincrease the proportion of waste managed further up the wastehierarchy

6. To minimise the traffic generating effects of waste managementdevelopment

7. To mitigate against the possible effects of greenhouse gases

8. To reduce the overall demand for resources (including land)

9. To involve the wider community in the waste management debate

10. To facilitate the increased use of recycled waste materials asaggregate in Hertfordshire

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11. To facilitate a shift away from road transport as the principal meansof transporting waste

12. To minimise the impact of waste management development on thenatural and built environment

13. To maximise the recovery of value (including energy) from waste,where this represents the Best Practicable Environmental Option

14. To adopt the Best Practicable Environmental Option whenconsidering alternative forms of waste management development

Objectives for the Hertfordshire Waste Local Plan Review StrategicEnvironmental Assessment / Sustainability Appraisal (SEA/SA) havebeen developed in conjunction with the key stakeholders and Land UseConsultants (July 2004). They are objectives of the SEA/ SA and assuch are separate from the Plan itself, and are grouped into thefollowing categories:

• Social progress which meets the needs of everyone;• Effective protection of the environment;• Prudent use of natural resources; and• Maintenance of high and stable levels of economic growth and

employment.

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5. Policy Context and Targets

5.1 Overview

Guidance on waste management and targets to be achieved is set outin a number of tiered documents, from EU directives to national,regional and local level strategies.

Applicable European Directives include:• The Landfill Directive;• The Biological Treatment of Waste Directive;• The Incineration Directive;• The Waste from Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive; and• The End of Life Vehicles Directive.

Other directives for consideration include:• The Framework Directive on Waste (75/442/EEC as amended by

91/156/EEC);• The Hazardous Waste Directive (91/689/EEC);• The Groundwater Directive (80/68/EEC);• The Assessment of the Effects of Certain Public and Private

Projects on the Environment (the EIA Directive) (Directive85/337/EEC as amended by Directive 97/11/EC);

• The Urban Waste Water Directive (91/271/EEC);• The European Waste Strategy (97/C76/01);• The Strategic Environmental Assessment Directive (2001/42/EC)• The European Habitats and Species Directive (92/43/EEC);• Any other directives adopted since the publication of PPG10.

National, regional and local legislation and guidance includes:• Waste Strategy 2000 for England and Wales – with reference to

current national targets together with policies to encourage asustainable waste management approach to meeting the currentand future needs.

• Regional Planning Guidance (the emerging RPG 14, which willultimately be expressed as the Regional Spatial Strategy).

• Planning Policy Guidance (PPG) for England– specifically PPG10‘Planning and Waste Management’ and PPG23 ‘Planning andPollution Control’.

• Regional Waste Management Strategy (EERWTAB, 2003).• Hertfordshire’s Waste Strategy 2002-2024 for municipal waste

(Hertfordshire Waste Partnership, 2003).

The Waste Development Plan needs to incorporate all of the aboveand provide the strategic and operational policies by which applicationsfor new waste management facilities will be judged in order to meetagreed targets. An overview of these key policies and strategic contextfor drafting the new Waste Development Plan is provided in a separate

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Technical Appendices volume. Some of the key targets Hertfordshireis currently working towards are provided in the following section.

5.2 Waste Management Targets

5.2.1 Regional Waste Management Strategy: current targets

The Regional Waste Management Strategy (East of England RegionalTechnical Waste Advisory Body, 1993) provides estimates based on a3% per annum growth of Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) to 2010 and nogrowth in Commercial and Industrial (C&I) waste arisings. Theseinclude volume and levels of waste recovery likely to be needed toensure government targets are met, as outlined in Table 5.1.

Table 5.1 Herts Forecast Waste Data 2005-2020 (‘000 tonnes)2000 2005 2010 2015 2020

MSW Wasteproduced

517 599 695 695 695

Recovered 123 240 347 486 486Residual 394 359 348 209 209

C&I Wasteproduced

1,104 1,104 1,104 1,104 1,104

Recovered 563 729 828 828 828Residual 541 375 276 276 276

TotalMSW+ C&I

Wasteproduced

1,621 1,703 1,799 1,799 1,799

Recovered 686 969 1,314 1,314 1,314Residual 935 734 485 485 485

Source: East of England Regional Technical Waste Advisory Body, 2003: 107

This implies that recovery of the combined waste stream will need toincrease from 686,000 in 2000 to over 1.3 million tonnes in 2015,nearing a doubling of existing recovery of commercial and industrialwaste, and quadrupling of municipal solid waste. In reality, inresponding to some of the growth and development pressures outlinedin earlier sections of this paper, the situation for commercial andindustrial waste is probably underestimated.

The Regional Waste Management Strategy suggests that to increaserecovery of municipal solid waste recycling or composting will be themost realistic options in the short term, although targets may still not beachieved without incineration or other treatment of the waste stream.Improvements in levels of recovery of commercial and industrial wasteneed to occur through increased separation at source and by collectioncompanies, and other technologies such as thermal treatment ofcombustible waste will have to be employed, applicable to both wastestreams.

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It should also be noted that co-disposal of hazardous and non-hazardous wastes ceased from 16 July 2004, in line with the LandfillDirective, tightening environmental standards at landfill sites andreducing dependency on this traditional waste management approach.As at July 2004 the total number of facilities in the UK licensed toaccept hazardous waste has decreased from around 240 to aroundone dozen. This has created a new challenge for industry and forplanning authorities and will be one of the key considerations in the siteselection process undertaken as part of the draft Waste DevelopmentPlan.

As at July 2004 in the East of England there was only potential site(Warboys Cambridgeshire) for disposal of hazardous waste, althoughplanning permission for this use was recently refused byCambridgeshire County Council. The second site on the boundarybetween East of England and the East Midlands region (Kings Cliffe,Northants) is permitted, although it is understood is currentlyexperiencing issues with compliance.

5.2.2 Adopted Waste Local Plan 1995-2005 and Waste ManagementStrategy 2002-2024: current targets

The targets incorporated in the adopted Waste Local Plan 1995-2005reflect those set out in the Government’s White Paper, “Making WasteWork”, published in 1995, the relevant guidance at the time. Theseinclude:• Minimisation (Prevention) Re-Use and Recycling:

• 25% reduction after 2000 in the 1987-93 volume ofconstruction and demolition waste requiring disposal.

• 25% reduction after 2000 in the 1987-93 volume of non-inertwaste (including industrial and commercial waste) requiringdisposal or the use of alternative waste treatmenttechnologies.

• 25% National household (now referred to as municipal)waste recycling target by the year 2000 to apply tohousehold waste arising in Hertfordshire.

• Recovery by materials recycling, energy recovery and composting:• 40% recovery of municipal waste by 2005;• 50% (provisional target) recovery of industrial and

commercial waste by 2005.

Further work needs to be conducted to review current achievement orotherwise of these targets.

Targets for municipal waste, clean materials recovery facilities (MRF),composting, residual treatment facilities and other waste streams areoutlined in the following sections.

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Municipal Waste

The Waste Strategy 2000 England and Wales (DETR, May 2000),maintains the target of recovering 40% of municipal waste by 2005 andintroduces targets for recycling or composting 17% of household wasteby 2003, rising to 25% by 2005. These targets have been incorporatedinto the Hertfordshire Joint Municipal Waste Management Strategy2002 - 2024. In addition, the Hertfordshire authorities have agreed toset a target to recycle and/or compost 50% of household waste by2012, or earlier.

The county has a shortfall of void space for non-inert waste with limitedfuture landfill capacity from current planning permissions. Currentlandfill space will reach full capacity by 2008. Alternative wastemanagement facilities will therefore need to come on stream if thetargets are to be met.

Clean Materials Recovery Facilities (MRF)To achieve the 2005/06 Hertfordshire targets set out in the JointMunicipal Waste Management Strategy, it will be necessary to providebetween one and four sites for clean MRF processing based on anoperating capacity of between 25,000 tonnes per annum (tpa) –100,000 tpa. The number of sites would need to double to achieve the50% recycling target in 2012 and increase to between 3 – 12 sites bythe end of the strategy period. Given a 2 to 3 year lead in time,preliminary discussions with industry commenced in 2002/2003 andwork will need to commence soon to ensure that sufficient MRFcapacity is in place to achieve the 2005/06 targets (Hertfordshire WastePartnership, 2003).

CompostingBased on current estimates of future waste growth and composition, toachieve the Hertfordshire 2005/06 recycling target it will be necessaryto provide 3 sites for centralised composting based on an optimum sizeof 20-25,000 tpa (with a range of 1 – 4 sites based on 10,000 – 50,000tpa). The number of sites would need to double to achieve the 50%recycling target in 2012 and increase to 8 sites by the end of thestrategy period. Given a 2 to 3 year lead in time, work has started withcontracts let for green waste facilities up to 2008, and there are tendersout for in-vessel composting, closing date for tendering beingDecember 2004. This will help to ensure that sufficient compostingcapacity is in place to achieve the 2005/06 targets. (HertfordshireWaste Partnership, 2003).

Residual Treatment FacilitiesIn order to treat the residual waste there are a number of options interms of waste management processes. The following table looks atthe forecast amount of waste generated and the residual waste thatwould need to be managed.

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Table 5.2 Waste Generation Forecasts and TargetsYear 2003/4 2005/6 2010/11 2012 2015 2024Total estimatedHousehold Waste(000 tonnes)

595 625 685 722 778 946

National RecyclingStandard % (Bracketsdenote WSDG targets)

20% 30% 30% 33%(50%)

33%(50%)

33%(50%)

National RecoveryStandard %

--- 40% 45% 45% 67% 67%

Target recycling(000 tonnes)

119 188 206 361 389 473

Residual waste(000 tonnes)

476 437 479 417 389 473

(Hertfordshire Waste Partnership, 2003)

The residual treatments being explored are Anaerobic Digestion,Biological Mechanical Treatment and Gasification/Pyrolysis in order tomeet the future targets for the reduction of biological waste to landfill.The extent of such processes will be dependent on the actualperformance of recycling and composting schemes in diverting wastefrom the residual waste stream. It is already apparent that it will not bepossible to achieve Landfill Reduction targets in 2013/14 and beyondwithout using a recovery processing technology.

Consequently it is estimated that that the following facilities would berequired.

Table 5.3 Types of Waste Facility and Forecast DemandYear 2005/6 2010/11 2012/13 2020/21 2023/24Type of wastefacility

Optimumsize (tpa) Likely number required

MRFs 60,000 2 4 4 5 6Composting Sites 25,000 3 5 6 7 8ResidualTreatmentFacilities (includingtransfer)

150,000 1 2 2 3 3

(Hertfordshire Waste Partnership, 2003)

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Commercial and Industrial Waste

The Government’s Waste Strategy 2000 includes a target to reduce theamount of industrial and commercial waste (which includesconstruction and demolition waste) landfilled to 85% of 1998 levels by2005. For Hertfordshire it is estimated that 541,000 tonnes werelandfilled in 1998, so the target would be to reduce this to 459,000tonnes by 2005.

Table 5.1 provides forecasts for production, recovery and residualtreatment for the Commercial and Industrial waste stream to 2020. Thelatest survey information indicates that just over half the wasteproduced is currently recovered (East of England Regional WasteTechnical Advisory Body, 2003). The target for 2005 is 66% recovery,which will mean recovering a further 166,000 tonnes of waste. This islikely to be secured by greater separation of waste at source and by thecollection companies carrying out increased sorting of collectedmaterial. Increases in landfill tax and new regulations limiting the rangeof materials going into landfills will be another initiative to move practicein this direction. By 2015 where recovery of 75% of the waste is theaim (representing a further 265,000 tonnes to be recovered),development of the above methods will be important, so that effectivelyall material is sorted or treated to remove recyclables.

Landfill capacity is estimated at 279,000 tonnes per annum in 2000,with a likely capacity of 279,000 tonnes per annum in 2015 (East ofEngland Regional Waste Technical Advisory Body, 2003). In order toconserve the limited capacity for wastes that can only be disposed ofby landfill it will be important for the Waste Development Plan toidentify sufficient sites for other waste management processes.

Special and hazardous wastes are likely to pose a disposal problem asco-disposal of these wastes has come to an end. Further informationon the scale and nature of these wastes and their disposal needs isvital if a coherent local and regional approach is to be developed, andshould have a high priority.

Current position against targets in Adopted Waste Local Plan

Between 1987 and 1993 some 8.5 million tonnes of Category A waste(construction and demolition) and 3.9 million tonnes of Category Bwaste (commercial) was disposed of in Hertfordshire, giving a total of12.4 million tonnes and an average of 2.1 million tonnes per annum.The target required that this should be reduced by 25% in 2000, to 1.6million tonnes. By 1998 this figure had fallen to 1.1 million tonnes with445,000 tonnes of construction and demolition and 112,000 tonnes ofcommercial/industrial waste being landfilled, giving a total of 557,000tonnes.

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In terms of municipal waste the target of recycling 25% of householdwaste by 2000 was not met. However, the revised target of 17% by2003/04 has been met for the county as a whole, standing at about22%, including waste recycled through the Household Waste RecyclingCentres.

5.3 Conclusion

Inevitably, given the need for Hertfordshire to move towards self-sufficiency in dealing with its own waste, the indications at this stageare that there is a shortfall in sites needed to manage the total wastearisings in the county. Whilst the intention is to move away fromlandfill, there are likely to be residual wastes that will need to bedisposed of in this way, together with residual wastes from thecommercial/industrial sector.

The introduction of new legislation together with the effect of increasingcosts of disposal at waste landfill sites, and the costs of sendingrecyclates to specialised reprocessing plants, will also have aninfluence in the quantity of waste to be managed.

As current and proposed legislation comes into force, it is anticipatedthat the quantity of materials available for reprocessing will increase.As part of the implementation of Hertfordshire’s Waste Strategy(Hertfordshire Waste Partnership, 2003) a review of the sites availablefor waste reduction/processing and their capacities was undertakenand is discussed above. From these figures, together with the regionaltargets for industrial and commercial waste, an indication for possiblefuture waste management facilities can then be translated into theWaste Development Plan.

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6. Key Issues and Options for the WasteDevelopment Plan

6.1 Required Contents of the Waste Development Plan

In considering key issues and options for the new Waste DevelopmentPlan, it will be important to ensure compliance with current governmentguidance and legislative requirements for the content of such Plans.The new Plan and related policies will therefore need to:

• Contain policies relating only to land use and development matters.• Not duplicate provisions in other legislative regimes.• Include policies based on:

• Best Practicable Environmental Option (BPEO) and its linkto the waste hierarchy – considering the overall assessment oflocations against any findings of strategic level BPEOassessments.

• Need – policies should refer to the necessity to demonstrateneed for a waste development which outweighs any harm thatmay result and be consistent with other land use planningobjectives.

• Proximity principle – policies should refer to proximity betweensource and management of waste, and the need to take theavailable transport network into account when assessingproposals. Policy justification should identify principal sources ofwaste production and preferred means and routes for transport.

• Regional self sufficiency – policies should refer to theobjective of securing self-sufficiency at an appropriategeographical scale; and integration between waste sources,waste management facilities and the existing and proposedtransport network.

• Environmental Protection – policies should refer to areaswhere development would generally be acceptable, includingcriteria used to determine acceptability; areas wheredevelopment would generally be unacceptable unless there isan overriding need; and environmental matters to be taken intoaccount when determining all waste development proposals.

• Site Selection – policies should refer to the objectives of theGreen Belt; the ‘very special circumstances’ in which wastedevelopment would be acceptable; the ‘other considerations’ tobe taken into account; and the types of waste developmentwhich would be acceptable.

These matters are integral to consideration of the following issuesand options for the new plan.

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6.2 Key Waste Management Issues

Key issues and priorities for the Waste Development Plan have beendeveloped in conjunction with stakeholders through the consultationprocesses outlined above. They include:

• Waste Hierarchy - Promoting and ensuring implementation of thewaste management hierarchy:½ Waste Reduction½ Re-use½ Recovery and Composting½ Energy Recovery with Heat and Power½ Landfill with Energy Recovery½ Landfill

• Site Selection - Finding appropriate and available sites formanaging current and future waste generation.

• Managing environmental effects - of waste management,including addressing concepts such as the proximity principle,BPEO and regional and county self sufficiency.

• Ensuring compliance - with ever-changing EU legislation e.g.hazardous waste, tyres, and on Waste from Electrical andElectronic Equipment (WEEE).

• Raising the profile and embracing New Technologies -encouraging waste to be seen as the responsibility of all sectors ofthe community, and as a resource, particularly through embracingnew technologies (i.e. in employment generation, opportunities forutilising waste by-products etc.).

6.3 Exploring the Issues and Options

Some of the emerging themes for consideration in the WasteDevelopment Plan are:

1. The Waste Hierarchy2. The Need for Land3. Environmental Impacts and Mitigation4. Planning for New Technologies

These are explored in the following sections, with comments drawnfrom consultation activities and some preliminary conclusions made forthe next stages of the Waste Development Plan.

6.3.1 The Waste Hierarchy

As part of the UK Waste Strategy the Government produced a nationalWaste Strategy 2000 for England and Wales that contained a numberof key principles that would shape the Waste Management Strategy ina new way. The key principles are outlined in Section 6.1.

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The Waste Local Plan contains policies that promote the application ofthe Waste Hierarchy by:

• Reduction in waste produced – by greater producer responsibility,reduced packaging, increased public awareness leading the drivefor non-essential packaging.

• Re-Use of all Waste Categories – including the re-use of whitegoods, such as cookers, washing machines, fridge’s and the re-useof car parts recovered from the End of Vehicle Life Directive – tocome into effect during the Plan period. It may also includefurniture reuse, similar to the existing Furniture Reuse Projects(FRPs) in existence throughout Hertfordshire County (nine at thetime of writing).

• Recycling – waste material through composting or recovery ofenergy. The residual that cannot be processed further will then as alast resort be disposed of in landfill (where applicable).

Ideas and Feedback from the Stakeholder Day• Reduce the demand for energy and increase the proportion of

energy generated and consumed in Hertfordshire from renewableresources.

• Involve all sections of the community in waste planning decisionmaking and local action, by promoting waste education awarenesseducation programmes in school and the community.

• Promote easily accessible recycling systems for all members of thecommunity, and to ensure clear and understandable signage andlanguage is used.

Options for the future proposed at the Stakeholder Day included:• Community based recycling centres re-using furniture and white

goods for re-distribution to the less affluent within Hertfordshire –linked to the producer responsibility.

• Self-sort of recyclates into different coloured containers carried outto promote householder awareness of the actual size of waste thatone tonne represents.

• Encourage community and business partnerships to promote theneed for the Waste Hierarchy and the necessity for wastemanagement facilities within Hertfordshire as a secondary re-use.

6.3.2 The Need for Land

The Waste Local Plan addresses the land-use implications of the wastearising for the County. Put simply, the waste produced in the Countyhas to go somewhere to be treated and then be disposed of. Giventhat each household produces over 1 tonne of waste a year (and thisaccounts for just one third of the total managed waste stream) thisequates to a large amount of waste that needs to be dealt with.

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The current Waste Local Plan identifies areas of search for permanentfacilities for the re-use, recovery, transfer and recycling of waste.

Ideas and Feedback from the Stakeholder Day• The Waste Local Plan should have high expectations and tight

policies covering the location, operation and restoration of sites.• The operator should demonstrate need for the facility.• We should encourage the districts/boroughs to be more responsible

for the waste they produce.• We need good PR as to the location of new facilities.

Options for the future proposed at the Stakeholder Day included:• Do not identify areas of search or safeguard existing sites and rely

on a market lead approach.• Identify areas of search and safeguard existing sites.• Have criteria based policies for new facilities together with

identifying areas of search and safeguarding existing facilities.

6.3.3 Environmental Effects and Mitigation

Continual changes in legislation and in technology shape the optionsavailable to Hertfordshire County Council when evaluating the wastemanagement facilities available to deal with the current waste problem.

Any applications that are received for Waste Management facilities areevaluated against the policies contained within the Waste Local Plantogether with adopted Development Plan documents. Should furtherinformation be required it is usually presented in the form of anEnvironmental Impact Assessment, Traffic Impact Assessment orlandscaping schemes for the returning of a site to it’s original landquality and character. All parties that are directly affected by aproposal are consulted so that all opinions can be heard.

Should there be the possibility of environmental damage even after theprogramme of operations has been agreed, the County Council canenforce planning conditions that ensure the minimal disturbance to thesite and neighbours. These conditions restrict the possibility of theissues shown below becoming a problem.

Ideas and Feedback from the Stakeholder DayThe concerns listed below come from a cross section of interestedparties and generally the concern was over the siting and operation ofWaste Management Facilities within Hertfordshire.• Waste management facilities would result in more environmental

changes to the air, water, traffic, noise and ultimately a reduction invalue of property.

• Waste processing does not promote a positive image and thecontribution to Hertfordshire’s economy is minimal.

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• With the average family producing 1 tonne per year of waste andthe population of Hertfordshire increasing, the problem with wastewill continue to grow.

Questions Posed:• Should we maintain the same quantity of waste management

facilities?• Is there sufficient information provided about waste management

options for Hertfordshire?• Should there be more joint partnerships to reduce possible

environmental changes resulting from a new waste managementsite?

6.3.4 Planning for New Technologies

Waste is an ever-growing problem and new solutions to deal with it arebeing developed all the time. Over the past few years a number of newand innovative technologies have been introduced to reduce thevolume, treatment and disposal of waste.

Different technologies are used in the management of different wastestreams and it is essential that the full scope of produced waste iscatered for within the Waste Development Plan.

Even if recycling, composting and reuse of waste is optimised there willstill be a residual that needs to be managed. As landfill capacity is fastrunning out and this method of disposal is seldom viewed as the bestpracticable environment option, other methods of residual treatmentfacility are needed.

Some of the options that have been studied as feasible for their use inHertfordshire are:• Biological mechanical waste systems – which consist of a

mechanical stage, where recyclables and rejects (batteries, tyresetc.) are separated to leave an organic fraction. This fraction is thensent, in the biological stage, for treatment using composting anddigestion techniques. These systems provide a new generation ofintegrated waste management technology able to reduce landfilland mass burn incineration and to increase recycling andcomposting. They are often referred to as Biological MechanicalTreatment (BMT) or Mechanical Biological Treatment (MBT),depending on which stage is first.

• Anaerobic digestion is the decomposition of waste in the absence ofair.

• Gasification is a waste treatment process where waste is heated toproduce a combustible gas that can be burned in excess air togenerate heat.

• Pyrolysis is the decomposition of waste by heating in an enclosedvessel in the absence of air to produce gas for combustion.

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New and developing technologies such as those listed above are notspecifically covered in the current Waste Local Plan, however a criteriabased policy (WLP19) covers proposals for energy waste to energyplants. The review of the plan will therefore need to ensure that ifproposals for other technologies are explored for Hertfordshire thecriteria exists by which they can be judged.

Ideas and Feedback from the Stakeholder Day• Need to be open and up front about new technologies and inform

the public of any new processes that may be being considered.• The commercial driver for the new facility needs to promote good

PR and allay any fears.• Promote the benefits but not hide the risks associated with these

new technologies.• Publicise the Waste Strategy feasibility studies.

Options for the future proposed at the Stakeholder Day included:• Refuse proposals for the development of new technologies within

Hertfordshire i.e. adopt the view that should only approve tried andtested methods of waste management.

• Continue as we are now without – i.e. maintain the current level offacilities and take no further action – maintain status quo.

• Promote the development of new technologies and provide criteriabased policies within the Waste Local Plan review against whichany new proposals can be judged.

6.4 Development of Options

Options for preparing the new plan have been developed from the keyissues list (see Table 6.1) and based on exploration of these issues(see Section 6.3). These are explored more fully in the SEA/SA (LUC,July 2004). The ‘no action’ option of continuing with the existing planapproach or trends has also been considered. The options are keptfairly broad so that the main differences between alternatives can beexplored at the next stages of the plan.

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Table 6.1 Options Developed for Key Plan Issues

Option Description

OVERALL BALANCE OF THE PLAN

Need vs. Environmental Effects

Current Planapproach

Contained in Waste Policy 1: “…the County Council willhave regard to the extent to which the (wastemanagement) development is sustainable in form andlocation and helps to conserve resources of land,water, materials, energy and the environment andminimises traffic congestion, travel distances, wastegeneration and pollution…(and) give preference to thelocation of waste…facilities as close as practicable tothe origin of waste”; and Waste Policy 2: “Theestablishment of…(waste management facilities)will besupported provided that in order to accommodate theequivalent of Hertfordshire’s own waste arisings, thereis a clearly established need for additional capacity andfacilities of the kind that the proposed developmentwould provide, which outweighs any materialagricultural, landscape, conservation or environmentalinterest affected by the proposal.” This is essentially abalance between environmental protection and meetingthe need for sustainable waste management facilities.

Option 1 Place greater emphasis on the need for wastemanagement facilities than environmental protection.

Option 2 While accepting that the need for waste managementfacilities is important, place even greater priority onenvironmental protection.

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Option Description

SITE IDENTIFICATION

Site Location (All options should take into account the 4 key principlesof waste management from PPG10: BPEO, Regional Self-Sufficiency,Proximity Principle and the Waste Hierarchy)


Contained in Waste Policy 12: “The County Council willgrant permission for the establishment of permanentfacilities on sites in the preferred Areas of Search,subject to the requirements of Waste Policy 2.” andWaste Policy 18: “The County Council will seek tosafeguard the following land for re-use, recovery,recycling or transfer of waste and will normally opposedevelopment proposals which would prevent orprejudice the use of this land for those purposes…” 30Areas of Search are listed in Waste Policy 12, whichare mostly within Employment Areas identified inDistrict Local Plans. Para. 6.34 notes that the Areas ofSearch contain sufficient sites to provide facilities forre-use and recycling of 25% of the “equivalent of allwaste arising” in Hertfordshire. Waste Policy 18 lists28 existing waste recycling and transfer sites andhousehold waste sites, and one proposed householdwaste site.

Option 1 Do not identify Areas of Search or safeguard existingsites for waste management facilities, and rely on amarket-led approach.

Option 2 Identify Areas of Search and safeguard existing andidentified sites for waste management facilities, buthave no criteria-based policies.

Option 3 Have criteria-based policies for waste managementfacilities without identifying Areas of Search.

Site Assessment


Paragraph 6.30 lists the criteria that were used toevaluate possible Areas of Search for inclusion in thecurrent Waste Local Plan, and Waste Policy 13contains the same criteria also used to assessproposals for facilities outside the preferred Areas ofSearch.

Option 1 Revise criteria in para. 6.30 and Waste Policy 13 forassessing sites for waste management facilities,through consultation with local stakeholders.

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Option Description

Option 2 Retain criteria in para. 6.30 and Waste Policy 13, butinclude a criterion: “provided the site represents aviable option for the waste management industry”.

ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS AND MITIGATION

PR/Communication/Awareness Raising


The Plan recognises at para 2.1 “that Local PlanningAuthority powers and influence in relation to waste,although considerable, do not extend to completecontrol over waste.” Communication, education andawareness raising about waste management issuesand the environmental effects associated with wastemanagement facilities are not within the remit of aWaste Local Plan. However, one of the Plan’s aimsand objectives listed in para. 3.2 is “To involve thewider community in the waste management debate”.

Option 1 The Council does more to raise awareness about widerwaste management issues and the environmentaleffects associated with waste management facilities.

Option 2 Developers do more to raise awareness about widerwaste management issues and the environmentaleffects associated with waste management facilities.

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Option Description

Facility numbers


Contained in Waste Policy 2: “The establishmentof…(waste management facilities) will be supportedprovided that in order to accommodate the equivalentof Hertfordshire’s own waste arisings, there is a clearlyestablished need for additional capacity and facilities ofthe kind that the proposed development wouldprovide…” i.e. the Waste Local Plan seeks to providefor sufficient sites to meet the need for wastemanagement in Hertfordshire.

Indicative numbers and types of facility required werebased on the Berkshire Waste Local Plan, and areincluded on p. 49 of Appendix 3. The Areas of Searchidentified in Waste Policy 12 of the Plan contain avariety of sizes of possible site, and provide forsufficient sites to provide facilities for re-use andrecycling of 25% of the “equivalent” of all wastearisings in Hertfordshire. Waste Policy 18 lists 28existing waste recycling and transfer sites andhousehold waste sites, and one proposed householdwaste site. Waste Policy 21 lists 27 existing mineralworking sites where disposal of waste will be permitted,and 5 former mineral working sites, provided it is inaccordance with restoration. Proposals to meet theremaining need for facilities will be assessed againstthe criteria-based policies in the Plan.

Option 1 In line with the revised targets, provide a small numberof large waste management facilities to meet the need.

Option 2 In line with the revised targets, provide a large numberof small waste management facilities to meet the need.

Option 3 In line with the revised targets, provide a mixture ofsmall and large waste management facilities to meetthe need.

Option 4 Favour extensions to existing sites, where adjoiningland allows this.

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Option Description

Green Belt


Contained in Waste Policy 16: “The use of land in theGreen Belt for the re-use, recovery, recycling andstorage of waste will not be permitted unless itmaintains openness and does not conflict with thepurposes of including land in the Green Belt. Theconstruction of new buildings in the Green Belt…willnot be permitted except in very special circumstances.The re-use of existing buildings in the Green Belt…maybe permitted subject to other relevant policies of theDevelopment Plan.” Para. 6.46 notes that compostingon a less than industrial scale could be appropriatedevelopment on sites in the Green Belt, subject to theadvice contained in PPG2.

Option 1 When considering proposals for waste managementfacilities, give more weight to Green Belt policy (PPG2)than to the need for the facility and the proximityprinciple, i.e. if a site is within the Green Belt, it will notbe permitted even if its location is close to the source ofthe waste needing to be managed.

Option 2 When considering proposals for waste managementfacilities, give more weight to the need for the facilityand the proximity principle than to Green Belt policy(PPG2), i.e. even if a site is within the Green Belt, it willbe permitted if its location is close to the source of thewaste needing to be managed and there is a clearlyidentified need that cannot be met elsewhere.

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Option Description

Brownfield land


Contained in Waste Policy 13 V) a): “Proposals forfacilities to re-use, recover, transfer and recycle wasteoutside preferred areas of search, or for additionalcategories of waste management within the Areas ofSearch, will be permitted subject to compliance withWaste Policy 2 and provided the proposals…V) arepreferably on land falling into one of the …a) landallocated for development, or subject to potentialredevelopment, or on despoiled land”. Thus, theWaste Local Plan favours development on brownfieldland, as do most development plans due to the nationalguidance in PPG1, that a sustainable planningframework should use already developed areas in themost efficient way. Other PPGs also advise usingpreviously developed land before greenfield sites fordifferent types of development, giving rise to competingdemands for brownfield land.

Option 1 Waste management facilities should be given priorityfor brownfield land over other forms of development(i.e. housing, employment).

Option 2 Other forms of development (i.e. housing, employment)should be given priority for brownfield land over wastemanagement facilities.

Local designations


Contained in Waste Policy 13 I): “Proposals for facilitiesto re-use, recover, transfer and recycle waste outsidepreferred areas of search, or for additional categoriesof waste management within the Areas of Search, willbe permitted subject to compliance with Waste Policy 2and provided the proposals…I) minimise impact onlocal or natural environments”; and Waste Policies 33-37 which provide a framework for protecting andconserving locally important landscapes, naturereserves, semi-natural habitats, parks and gardens,and archaeological remains from any impacts proposedwaste management facilities may have

Option 1 Increase the restriction on development of wastemanagement facilities in locally designated areas.

Option 2 Decrease the restriction on development of wastemanagement facilities in locally designated areas.

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Option Description

RE-USE OF INERT WASTE – LAND PREPARATION

Land preparation


Contained in Waste Policy 7 “In considering proposalsfor development. the County Council will have regard tothe extent to which clean, excavated material fromconstruction projects is to be re-used in the projectitself as a first objective or otherwise used:i) as preparation for development;ii) for land restoration; oriii) for site landscaping.”

Option 1 Encourage the maximum re-use of clean, excavatedmaterial.

Option 2 Balance the re-use of clean, excavated spoil withenvironmental considerations such as landscapeimpact.

RESIDUAL WASTE TREATMENT

New technologies for dealing with residual waste


Contained in Waste Policy 19: “Proposals for waste toenergy plants…should: A) avoid major existing orproposed residential areas; B) minimise impact on localand natural environment; C) …minimise the impact oftraffic; D) be within or close to a major…industrial area;E) …relate to existing or proposed waste managementor energy proposals; F) located where visual andlandscape impact is not a critical issue; G) complywith…Waste Policy 2”.

Option 1 Give preference to technologies for treatment ofresidual waste which have an energy dimension.

Option 2 Do not give preference to technologies for treatment ofresidual waste which have an energy dimension.

Landraise


Contained in Waste Policy 24: “Disposal of waste byraising the level of land will only be permitted where itwould assist the preparation of land for other approveddevelopment proposals or where the land is derelict ordegraded or where it can be demonstrated that it willnot give rise to unacceptable environmental and othereffects, and it would result in significant agricultural,land drainage, landscape enhancement or otherenvironmental benefit and…meet…Waste Policies 32-4.”

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Option Description

Option 1 Do not include landraise as a method for residualwaste treatment.

Mineral voids


Contained in Waste Policy 21 which lists 27 existingmineral working sites where disposal of waste bylandfill will be permitted in accordance with a schemeof working and restoration, 5 former mineral workingsites where filling is required to achieve satisfactoryrestoration of the site, and refers to sites identified forfuture mineral extraction and on other sites approvedfor mineral extraction in the Hertfordshire MineralsLocal Plan where there is a requirement for fill toachieve restoration; and Waste Policy 23: “The CountyCouncil will seek to safeguard significant mineralworking voids which could potentially be used for thedisposal of waste by landfill in the future in line with therestoration objectives set out in the relevant sub-area inthe Hertfordshire Minerals Local Plan…”

Option 1 The restoration of mineral voids should be paramount,and they should not be used for disposal of waste bylandfill, except where it is demonstrated that thedisposal is necessary to achieve the most appropriateform of restoration.

Option 2 The use of mineral voids for disposal of waste bylandfill is more important than the restoration of thosemineral sites.

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7. Conclusions

The existing Waste Local Plan is becoming outdated and in need ofreview, particularly to meet new European Union directives, regulatoryrequirements and strategies that have been adopted post-adoption ofthe Plan (such as Hertfordshire’s Waste Strategy 2002 – 2024).

New technologies are not covered in the current Waste Local Plan.Whilst termed ‘new’ these technologies are not necessarily new toindustry and best practice, although are only now being slowlyintegrated into the existing waste management system in Hertfordshireand elsewhere throughout the country. They include:

1. Biological Mechanical Treatment (BMT) / Mechanical BiologicalTreatment (MBT).

2. Anaerobic Digestion.3. Gasification and Pyrolysis (also known as Advanced Thermal

Treatment or ATT).

An overview of these and other technologies is provided in theTechnical Appendices volume. The plan also needs to includemechanisms for more active promotion of flexibility in waste treatmentoptions and use of sites, including:

½ Local recycling and reprocessing points in order to promote self-sufficiency.

½ Creation of markets to sell recyclate.½ Recycling of aggregate.½ Consideration of growing waste streams including of items like

tyres, electrical and electronic equipment etc. and new conceptssuch as Waste Parks.

The review will also simplify existing policy and improve usability forplanners, policy makers, developers and the wider community.

The overview of issues, options, draft Vision and existing planobjectives outlined in this paper is provided to stimulate publicdiscussion. At this stage no decisions or preferences have been putforward in relation to any of the options. This will be the subject ofsubsequent reports following an extensive consultation programmethroughout late summer / autumn 2004.

Please send responses to Sue Davidson by Friday 26 November2004. A response form is provided to assist you, and prompts forresponse on the draft Vision and Objectives; Targets; Issues andOptions; Monitoring and Key Performance Indicators.

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References

Department for the Environment, Transport and the Regions (May2000) Waste Strategy 2000 for England and Wales(see also:http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/waste/strategy/cm4693/)

DEFRA (2003) Government Response to Strategy Unit Report ‘WasteNot, Want Not’ DEFRA, London

East of England Local Government Conference (September 2002)East of England Your Region Your Choice Your Future Consultationon options leading to Regional Planning Guidance (RPG14) for theEast of England EELGC, Flempton

East of England Regional Waste Technical Advisory Body (July 2003)Regional Waste Management Strategy East of England EERA,Flempton

Hertfordshire County Council County Development Unit (1999)Hertfordshire Waste Local Plan 1995 – 2005 Adopted January 1999HCC, Hertford

Hertfordshire Waste Partnership (2003) Hertfordshire Waste StrategyA Joint Municipal Waste Management Strategy for Hertfordshire 2002 –2024 HCC, Hertford

Hertfordshire County Council (June 1999) Implementation ofHertfordshire Waste Local Plan Policies A Guide for District CouncilsHCC, Hertord

Land Use Consultants (July 2004) Hertfordshire Waste Local PlanReview Strategic Environmental Assessment / Sustainability AppraisalPrepared for Hertfordshire County Council London

Land Use Consultants for Department for Transport, Local Governmentand the Regions: London (May 2002) Guidance on Policies for WasteManagement Planning DTLR, London

Minutes of the Waste Planning Panel Meetings:http://www.hertscc.gov.uk/incpaper/Pages/Groups/173.htm

ODPM (2004) Progress on Minerals and Waste Planning Research:January 2004 ODPM, London

ODPM Planning Policy Guidance Note 10: Planning and WasteManagement ODPM, London

ODPM Planning Policy Guidance Note 23: Planning and PollutionControl – Consultation ODPM, London

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Symonds Group, in association with WRc Office of the Deputy PrimeMinister (October 2002) Survey of Arisings and Use of Constructionand Demolition Waste in England and Wales in 2001 ODPM, London

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Appendix A – Glossary & Abbreviations

A1. Abbreviations

AAP Area Action Plans

AMR Annual Monitoring Report

AONB Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty

ASR Areas of Special Restraint

BAP Biodiversity Action Plan

BPEO Best Practicable Environmental Option

CDU County Development Unit (HCC)

CIWM Chartered Institute of Waste Management

CS Community Strategy

DC District Council

DP Development Plan

DPD Development Plan Document

DEFRA Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

DEPRAS Development Plans Representations Advisory Service

DfT Department for Transport

EA Environmental Assessment

EEDA East of England Development Agency

EELGC East of England Local Government Conference

EERA East of England Regional Assembly

EIA Environmental Impact Assessment

EIP Examination in Public

ELV(s) End of Life Vehicle

ES Environmental Statement

ESA Environmental Services Association

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ETBPP Environmental Technology Best Practice Programme

EU European Union

EWC European Waste Catalogue

FRP Furniture Reuse Project

GDP Gross Domestic Product

GIS Geographical Information System

GLA Greater London Authority

GO-East Government Office for the East England

HCC Hertfordshire County Council

HGV Heavy Goods Vehicle

HRA Human Rights Act

IEMA Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment

IPC Integrated Pollution Control

LA Local Authority

LCA Landscape Conservation Area (being phased out)

LCA Life Cycle Assessment

LDA Landscape Development Area

LDD Local Development Document

LDF Local Development Framework

LDS Local Development Scheme

LEAP Local Environment Agency Action Plan

LGAP Local Geodiversity Activity Plan

LNR Local Nature Reserve

LPA Local Planning Authority

LTP Local Transport Plan

LTS Local Transport Scheme

LUC Land Use Consultants

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MDD Minerals Development Document

MGB Metropolitan Green Belt

MLP Minerals Local Plan

MPA Minerals Planning Authority

MPG Minerals Planning Guidance

MPS Minerals Policy Statement

MPS2 Minerals Policy Statement 2

MSW Municipal Solid Waste

NCC / EN Nature Conservation Council / English Nature

NGO Non-Government Organisation

NNR National Nature Reserve

ODPM Office of the Deputy Prime Minister

OPRA Operational Pollution Risk Appraisal

PI Planning Inspector

PO Programme Officer

POS Planning Officers Society

PPG Planning Policy Guidance

PPGN Planning Policy Guidance Notes

PPS Planning Policy Statements

RAWP Regional Aggregates Working Party

RDA Regional Development Agency

RES Regional Economic Strategy

RIGS Regionally Important Geological and Geomorphological Site

RPB Regional Planning Boards

RPG Regional Planning Guidance

RPG9 Regional Planning Guidance for the South East

RPG14 Regional Planning Guidance for the East of England

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RPP Regional Planning Panel

RPTG Regional Planning and Transport Group

RRMG Regional Research and Monitoring Group

RSS Regional Spatial Strategies

RTAG Regional Technology Advisers Group

RTS Regional Transport Strategy

RWTAB Regional Waste Technical Advisory Body

SA Sustainability Appraisal

SAC Special Area of Conservation

SAM Scheduled Ancient Monument

SCI Statement of Community Involvement

SEA Strategic Environmental Assessment

SEEDA South East England Development Agency

SoS Secretary of State

SPA Special Protection Area

SPD Supplementary Planning Documents

SPG Supplementary Planning Guidance

SPZ Source Protection Zone

SSSI Site of Special Scientific Interest

SWMA Strategic Waste Management Association

TAC Technologies Advisory Committee

T&CPA Town and Country Planning Act 1990

TRIF Technology Research and Innovation Fund

UDP Unitary Development Plan

WCA Waste Collection Authority

WDA Waste Disposal Authority

WDP Waste Development Plan

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WEEE Waste from Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive

WIP Waste Implementation Programme

WISARD Waste Integrated Systems for Recovery and Disposal

WLP Waste Local Plan

WML Waste Management Licence

WRAP Waste and Resources Action Plan

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A2. Glossary

Aftercare The maintenance work needed to ensure that a restoredlandfill site does not produce environmental problems.

AftercareCondition

A condition imposed on a planning permission requiringthat such steps shall be taken as may be necessary tobring land to the required standard for whichever of thefollowing uses is specified in the condition, namely:

1. Use for agriculture;

2. Use for forestry; or

3. Use for amenity.

The steps which may be specified in an aftercare conditionor aftercare scheme, and hence which are included in themeaning of “aftercare”, are “planting, cultivating, fertilising,watering, draining or otherwise treating the land”.

Afteruse The use to which a landfill site is put following itsrestoration.

AgriculturalWaste

A general term used to cover animal excreta, litter, strawwaste, carcasses and silage liquors.

AnaerobicDecomposition

The microbial breakdown of waste in the absence of air.The decay process produces methane, carbon dioxide andhydrogen sulphide.

AnaerobicDigestion (AD)

A waste treatment process which involves macerating(chopping up) the waste in water to produce an organic‘soup’ which is then put into large circular vessels calleddigesters (the same as found in sewage treatment works)without any oxygen. Bugs break down the biodegradablepart of the waste to produce methane and a soil improver.The methane is then fed into an engine to producebiodegradable waste going to landfill, required by theLandfill Directive.

• Recycles – glass, grit, metals, paper and organic wasteinto soil improver.

• Generates electricity from – paper, cardboard, kitchenad garden waste – which were not separated by thehouseholder for recycling.

Aquifer A subsurface zone or formation of rock which containsexploitable resources of ground water.

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• Confined aquifer – an aquifer in which the water isconfined under pressure by overlying and underlyingimpermeable strata.

• Unconfined aquifer – where the upper surface of asaturated zone forms a water table.

Backfill The material used for or the act of refilling an excavation.

Bedrock The solid rock underlying soils.

Best PracticableEnvironmentalOption (BPEO)

The BPEO is the option that provides the most benefits orleast damage to the environment as a whole, at acceptablecost, over the longer term as well as the short term. It isthe outcome of a ‘systematic and consultative decision-making procedure which emphasises the protection of theenvironment across land, air and water’ (12th Report of theRoyal Commission on Environmental Pollution, 1988).

Best Value The Local Government Act 1999 places a duty on localauthorities to deliver services (including waste collectionand waste disposal management) to clear standards –covering both cost and quality – by the most effective,economic and efficient means available.

Best ValuePerformancePlan

An annual document that must be published by eachindividual local authority to help local people see how theirCouncil is servicing and representing them.

Best ValuePerformanceStandards

Waste Strategy 2000 set national standards for therecycling, composting and recovery of municipal wastes.These standards were made statutory through the LocalGovernment (Best Value) Performance Standards Order2001.

BiodegradableWaste

That component of waste that will decompose over timethrough the action of bacteria, fungi or algae, with orwithout oxygen. The EU Landfill Directive itself definesbiodegradable waste as ‘any waste that is capable ofundergoing anaerobic or aerobic decomposition’ (Article2(1)). The House of Lords in its report Sustainable Landfillhas noted that this definition is inadequate since it omitsany reference to time. It therefore recommended thatbiodegradable waste should be defined in terms of its abilityto degraded completely within the aftercare period set outin the Directive ‘for leaving the site in an environmentallybenign state’. That period is now given as 30 years(Common Position, European Environment Council, 23March 1998).

Biological The process of extracting energy from organic material or

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Treatment turning it into compost. Examples include anaerobicdigestion and windrow composting.

Bio-mechanicalTreatment

A process that combines biological treatment with themechanical separation of certain recyclable materials suchas ferrous metal.

Bird Strike Damage caused by birds striking the fuselage or enteringthe engine of an aircraft.

Borehole A hold drilled in the ground or landfill in order to obtainsamples of the geological strata, wastes or liquids. Alsoused as a means of venting or withdrawing gas fromlandfills.

Borrow Material Material extracted from a pit or area adjacent to a landfill foruse elsewhere on a landfill site. The pit thereby createdmay be refilled later using other material.

Bring Banksand BringSchemes

Typical examples are bottle, paper and textile banks, oftensituated in car parks and lay-bys.

Bulky Waste Generally any item which does not fit, or cannot be fittedinto a typical domestic dustbin.

Bund An embankment usually of clay or other inert material usedto prevent the lateral movement of wastes. Synonymouswith Berm (USA).

Calorific Value The heat liberated when a unit mass of a substance isburned as fuel under standard conditions. Calorific value ismeasured in GigaJoules (GJ) per tonne.

Capping The covering of a landfill with impervious material to inhibitpenetration by liquids.

CentralisedComposting

Large-scale schemes which handle kitchen and gardenwaste from households and which may also accept suitablewaste from parks and gardens. Schemes may rely onaerobic methods or use anaerobic digesters.

Civic AmenitySites

In Hertfordshire these are normally described as HouseholdWaste Sites and are places provided by the CountyCouncil, where the public can dispose of their ownhousehold waste, free of charge. The waste they receivegenerally consists of bulky items such as beds, cookersand garden waste as well as materials intended forrecycling.

Clean MRF A waste handling facility that only processes ‘clean’recyclable material, that has been collected separately from

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the ‘dirty’ elements of the waste stream that are not suitablefor recycling, and which are taken elsewhere for disposal orprocessing. Clean MRFs therefore normally only receivewaste from separate household recycling collections orfrom recycling bring banks.

Clinical Waste More properly known as healthcare waste, it is wastearising from medical, nursing, dental, veterinary,pharmaceutical or similar practices, which may presentrisks of infection.

Combined Headand Power

A highly fuel-efficient technology which produces electricityand heat from a single facility.

Compacting Increasing the density of solid waste in landfills by therepeated passage of heavy machinery over its surface.Also refers to baling machines and stationary compactorsfor use in compacting solid waste into containers.

CompactionRatio

The ratio of input volume density to final volume density ofcompacted solid waste. See also Volume Reduction ratio.

Compost Organic matter decomposed aerobically and used asfertiliser or soil conditioner.

Compost Plant A facility for carrying out composting. Large scale schemesmay handle kitchen and garden waste collected directlyfrom households and civic amenity sites and may alsoaccept suitable waste from municipal parks and gardens.

Composting An aerobic (in the presence of air) biological process inwhich organic wastes, such as garden and kitchen wasteare converted into a stable granular material which can beapplied to land to improve soil structure and enrich thenutrient content of the soil

Composting (invessel)

Shredded waste is placed inside a container or chamberthrough which air is forced. This method allows goodcontrol of temperature, moisture and aeration leading torapid composting (sometimes as little as two weeks)although it will then need a period of outdoor maturation.

Composting(Windrowing)

Shredded waste is placed in elongated heaps, calledwindrows, normally outdoors. The windrows are turnedmechanically to periodically aerate the composting waste.The process takes at least 16 weeks, at the end of whichthe compost represents bout half the weight of the inputmaterial.

Conditioner (ForSoil)

Material added to soil to improve its structure and therebyits ability to support vegetation.

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ContainmentSite

Landfill site where the rate of release of leachate into theenvironment is extremely low. Polluting components inwastes are retained within such landfills for sufficient timeto allow biodegradation and attenuation processes to haveoccurred; thus preventing the escape of polluting species atunacceptable concentration.

Contamination Contamination is the addition, or the result of the addition,or presence of a material or materials to, or in, anothersubstance to such a degree as to render it unfit for itsintended purpose.

ContaminatedLand

Any site which may be contaminated to some degree byvirtue of its previous usage forms a potential risk to waterquality, especially if redevelopment takes place. Potentialsite developers are advised to contact the EnvironmentAgency at the earliest opportunity to discuss the need forhistorical information and site investigation to determine thedegree of contamination, if any, of both soil and water.

Cover Material used to cover solid wastes deposited in landfills.Daily cover is used to cover each lift or layer at the end ofeach working day to prevent odours, windblown litter, insector rodent infestation, and water ingress. Intermediate coverrefers to cover material deposited over wastes at the end ofa particular phase of landfilling. Final cover is the layer orlayers of material placed on the surface of a landfill duringits restoration.

Decomposition Breakdown of matter into more simple molecules.Decomposition may be caused by physical, chemical ormicro-biological action.

Dewatering The removal of water from sludges or pulps by filtering,centrifuging or other means – removal of water, bypumping, from a void that is being filled within inert wasteso as to create a drier working environment.

Dirty MRF A facility that processes mixed municipal waste that hasundergone little or no separation of segregation duringcollection, i.e. the mixed content of a normal householdrefuse bin, which comprises of the ‘clean’ recyclable wastemixed with the ‘dirty’ waste that is not suitable for recycling.

Doming 1. In a landfill context, doming is the laying of waste and/orcover material (intermediate and final) such that thecentre of the covered area is higher than the peripheryto assist surface water runoff and thus minimise wateringress.

2. The water table within a landfill may present a domed

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configuration as a result of the disposal of largequantities of liquid waste associated with the variablepermeability of the landfilled material.

Drains Channels or pipes used to assist the removal of liquids.Agricultural or field drains are constructed usingunsocketed, unglazed earthernware or porous concretepipes laid end to end with open joints or with continuousperforated plastic pipes. French drains are constructed byfilter material e.g. gravel, up to the surface.

Dredgings Material removed from a dock, harbour, reservoir, river,canal or water course (whether natural or artificial) andforming part of or projected from the bed of the dock,harbour, reservoir, river, canal or water course before itsremoval.

Earthworks Engineering work associated with the movement of soilsand materials on a landfill.

Ecology The study of living organisms in relation to theirsurroundings.

Effluent The fluid discharged or emitted to the external environment.

Emission A material which is expelled or released to the environment.Usually applied to gaseous or odorous discharges toatmosphere.

Energy fromWaste

The combustion of waste under controlled conditions inwhich the heat released is recovered to provide hot waterand steam (usually) for electricity generation.

EnergyRecovery

The recovery of useful energy in the form of heat and/orpower from burning waste. Generally applied toincineration, but can also include the combustion of landfillgas and gas produced during anaerobic digestion.

EnvironmentAgency

Established in April 1996, combining the functions of theformer local waste regulation authorities, the NationalRivers Authority and Her Majesty’s Inspectorate ofPollution. Intended to promote a more integrated approachto waste management and consistency in waste regulation.The Agency also conducts national surveys of wastearisings and waste facilities.

EnvironmentalImpact

The total effect of any operation on the surroundingenvironment.

EnvironmentalStatement

Information about the likely effects of a proposeddevelopment submitted by an applicant for planningpermission so that the planning authority is able to make an

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environmental assessment.

EnvironmentalTechnologyBest PracticeProgramme(ETBPP)

A Government (DEFRA) initiative to demonstrate thebenefits of reducing resource use and environmentalimpact to companies across the whole of the UK.

Exempt facility A waste recovery operation (also occasionally certaindisposal at the waste producer and some storage activities)registered with, but no licenses by, the EnvironmentAgency. Exempt facilities are subject to general rules (e.g.on the types and quantities of wastes received).

EU LandfillDirective

Adopted by the Member States during 1999, is intended toreduce the environmental effect of the landfilling of wasteby introducing uniform standards throughout the EuropeanUnion. The main objectives are to stimulate recycling andrecovery of waste, and to reduce emissions of methane (apowerful greenhouse gas). The Directive requires the UKto reduce the proportion of biodegradable municipal solidwaste going to landfill to 35% (by weight) of the 1995 levelby 2020. It also introduces the mandatory ‘pre-treatment’ ofputrescible waste and a ban on the co-disposal hazardousand non-hazardous wastes.

EWC European Waste Catalogue. A list of codes and wastedescriptions established under European law. It includesthe hazardous waste list.

Ferrous Metals A term used to describe iron and its alloys, e.g. steels. It isalso used to describe the general class of metallic materialscontaining iron, cobalt and nickel as major components.

Fly Ash A fine ash collected from the exhaust gases of anincineration process.

Fly Tipping The unregulated and hence illegal dumping of waste.

Gasification A process where waste is heated in a low-oxygenatmosphere to generate a low heat content gas for burningin an engine or turbine.

Gate Fee The fee, usually quoted in pounds (£) per tonne, forprocessing waste at a treatment and/or disposal facility.

Grade The slope imparted to landfill surfaces designed to assistfree drainage of surface water and reduce infiltration.

Grader A machine used to form a landfill surface slope.

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Gradient Slope.

GreenhouseEffect

The warming of the Earth’s surface and the loweratmosphere due to gases such as carbon dioxide andmethane (“greenhouse gases”) which form a barrier toinfra-red radiation from the Earth.

Ground Cover Plants grown to prevent or reduce soil erosion.

Groundwater Water associated with soil or rocks below the groundsurface but is usually taken to mean water in the saturatedzone.

Hardstanding A concrete or asphalting area on which vehicles ormaterials can be parked, cleaned or stored.

HazardousWaste

Waste that meets the criteria in the Hazardous WasteDirective (91/689/EEC) by coming from a specified wastestream (annex I) and having one or more hazardousproperties (annex III), and taking into account whether itcontains any of some 50 hazardous substances (annex II).

HealthcareWaste

Sometimes described as clinical waste, it is waste arisingfrom medical, nursing, dental, veterinary, pharmaceutical orsimilar practices, which may present risks of infection.

HomeComposting

Compost can be made at home using a traditional compostheap, a purpose-designed container, or a wormery.

HouseholdWaste Sites

Sometimes described as Civic Amenity Sites, these areplaces provided by the County Council, where the publiccan dispose of their own household waste, free of charge.The waste they receive generally consists of bulky itemssuch as beds, cookers and garden waste as well asmaterials intended for recycling.

HydraulicContinuity

Occurs when liquid can flow freely and continuouslythrough strata and in relation to landfill, through and aroundthe fill.

Hydrogeology The study of water in rocks.

Impervious Used to describe materials, natural or synthetic, which havethe ability to resist the passage of fluid through them. Thisproperty is not absolute, and a cut-off permeability of 10-7 –10-8 cm/sec for water is often used to describe a landfillliner material as impervious.

Incineration More properly known as mass-burn incineration, is thecontrolled burning of waste, either to reduce its volume orits toxicity. Energy recovery from incineration can be made

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by utilising the calorific value of paper, plastic, etc. toproduce heat or power. Current flue-gas emissionstandards are very high. Ash residues still tend to bedisposed of to landfill.

IntegratedPollutionControl

A system introduced under Part 1 of the EnvironmentalProtection Act, designed to ensure best availabletechniques not entailing excessive costs, are used toprevent, or where that is not practicable, to reduceemissions from a range of the potentially most pollutingindustrial processes, including some waste managementfacilities. Gradually being replaced with Pollution,Prevention and Control requirements under the EU IPPCDirective.

IntegratedWasteManagement

Involves a number of key elements, including: recognisingeach step in the waste management process as part of awhole; involving all key players in the decision-makingprocess; and utilising a mixture of waste managementoptions within the locally determined sustainable wastemanagement system.

KerbsideCollection

Any regular collection of recyclables from premises,including collections from commercial or industrial premisesas well as from households. Excludes collection servicesdelivered on demand.

Landfill The deposit of waste into land in such a way that pollutionor harm to the environment is prevented and, throughrestoration, to provide land which may be used for anotherpurpose.

Landfill,Engineered

A landfill which is to be filled with biodegradable wastewhere the Waste Regulation Authority require the baseand/or the cap to be finished to a specified standard ofpermeability.

Landfill Gas A by-product from the digestion by anaerobic bacteria ofputrescible matter present in waste deposited on landfillsites. The gas if predominantly methane (65%) togetherwith carbon dioxide (35%) and trace concentrations of arange of vapours and gases.

Landfill Sites Are areas of land in which waste is deposited. Landfill sitesare often located in disused quarries or mines. In areaswhere there are limited or no ready-made voids, thepractice of land-raising is sometimes carried out, wheresome or all of the waste is deposited above ground, and thelandscape is contoured.

Landfill Tax Where landfill operators can claim up to 90% tax credit

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Credit Scheme against donations they made to Environmental Bodies, whomay, in turn, use the money to carry out activities defined inregulations. These include research and educationactivities to promote re-use and recycling.

Landraising The deposit of waste above the original level of land, insuch a way that pollution or harm to the environment isprevented.

Landspreading Recovering waste by spreading onto land principally foragricultural benefit or ecological improvement. Sewagesludge and wastes from, for example, the food, brewingand paper pulp industries can be used for this purpose.

Leachate Liquid which seeps through a landfill, and by so doingextracts substances from the deposited waste.

LeachateTreatment

A process to reduce the polluting potential of leachate.Such processes can include leachate recirculation, sprayirrigation over adjacent grassland and biological andphysio-chemical processes.

Licensed Site A waste disposal or treatment facility which is licensedunder the Environment Protection Act for that function.

Licensing The granting of formal permission for landfill operations at aspecified site.

Life CycleAssessment(LCA)

The systematic identification and evaluation of all theenvironmental benefits and disbenefits that result, bothdirectly and indirectly, from a product or function throughoutits entire life from extraction of raw materials to its eventualdisposal and assimilation into the environment. LCA helpsto place the assessment of the environmental costs andbenefits of these various options, and the development ofappropriate and practical waste management policies, on asound and objective basis.

Liner A natural or synthetic membrane material, used to line thebase and sides of a landfill site to prevent leachate seepinginto surrounding geological strata.

Litter The haphazard distribution of waste on land. At landfillsites this is usually the light, windblown, fraction inhousehold waste such as paper and plastic which escapesbefore the waste is compacted and covered.

MaterialsRecovery

Synonymous with recycling.

MaterialsRecovery

A specialised building which separates, processes andstores recyclable materials which have been collected

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Facility (MRF) either separately or as mixed waste.

Methane CH4, a colourless, odourless, flammable gas, formed duringthe anaerobic decomposition of putrescible matter. It formsan explosive mixture in the range 5-15% methane in air.

MoistureContent

Weight of moisture (usually water) contained in a sample ofwaste or soil. Usually determined by drying the sample at105oC to constant weight.

Non-FerrousMetals

Metals which do not contain iron.

Non-Fossil FuelObligation

A requirement on regional electricity companies in Englandand Wales to purchase from specified producers, at apremium price, for a fixed period, specified amounts ofelectricity generated by methods other than burning fossilfuels.

Nutrients Materials used by plants and micro-organisms to sustainlife.

Odour The (unpleasant) smell of a material or collection ofmaterials. The characteristic odour of landfill gas is duemainly to alkyl benzenes and limonene, occasionally andadditionally associated with esters and organo-sulphurcompounds.

Open GateLandfill

A landfill run as a commercial operation that receives wastefrom many waste producers.

Permeability A measure of the rate at which a fluid will pass through amedium. The coefficient of permeability of a given fluid isan expression of the rate of flow through unit area andthickness under unit differential pressure at a giventemperature. Synonymous with hydraulic conductivitywhen the fluid is water.

pH A measure of the acidity or alkalinity of a liquid acidic =pH<7, or alkaline = pH>7, pH 7 is neutral.

PrecautionaryPrinciple

The avoidance or the reduction of risks to the environmentby prudent action taken before any serious problem isencountered.

ProducerResponsibility

Requires industry and commerce involved in themanufacture, distribution and sale of particular goods totake greater responsibility for the disposal and/or recoveryof these goods at the end of their useful life.

Proximity The proximity principle (as applied to wastes) is that theyshould be treated or disposed of as near to their place of

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Principle origin as possible so as to minimise the instance that theyare moved.

Putrescible Readily able to be decomposed by bacterial action.Offensive odours usually occur as by-products of thedecomposition.

PutrescibleFraction

That part of household wastes which will decompose mostreadily and which often is responsible for offensive odours;commonly due to the decomposition of food and vegetablematter present in the waste.

PutrescibleWaste

Solid materials that degrade rapidly such as waste food andhorticultural waste.

Pyrolosis A process where waste is heated to high temperature in theabsence of oxygen to produce a secondary fuel product.

Recyclables Materials that can be recycled.

Recyclate Material recovered from the waste stream for recycling.

Recycling Involves the reprocessing of wastes, either into the sameproduct or a different one. Many non-hazardous industrialwastes such as paper, glass, cardboard, plastics and scrapmetals can be recycled. Special wastes such as solventscan also be recycled by specialist companies, or by in-house equipment.

RecyclingCredits

Are paid by the County Council tot he District and BoroughCouncils under The Environmental Protection (WasteRecycling Payments) Regulations 1992 as an incentive forthem to recycle household waste. They may also be paidto Third Party recyclers, such as non-profit makingorganisations.

Reduction Reducing the quantity or the hazard of a waste producedfrom a process. It usually results in reduced raw materialand energy demands – thus also reducing costs.

Residual Waste The elements of the waste stream that remains afterrecyclable or compostable materials have been separatedor removed.

Restricted-UserLandfill

Sometimes known as ‘factory-curtilage landfill’ sites withinownership of the waste producer or restricted to specificusers.

Restoration

Re-Use Can be practised by the commercial sector with the use ofproducts designed to be used a number of times, such as

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re-usable packaging. Householders can purchase productsthat use refillable containers, or reuse plastic bags. Theprocesses contribute to sustainable development and cansave raw materials, energy and transport costs.

Runoff Rain or melted snow which drains from the land surfaceand in the case of landfill, drains from the surface of the fill.

Screen 1. A mesh, supported vertically, used to capture windblownrefuse (paper, plastic etc.) i.e. a litter screen.

2. A mesh or perforated plate used for separatingpulverised or shredded refuse into fractions according toparticle size.

3. A mechanical device used to separate medium andlarger sized solid material from an effluent prior tofurther treatment. The separated solids are called‘screenings’.

Self-sufficiency Dealing with wastes within the region or country where theyarise.

Separatecollection

Kerbside schemes where materials for recycling arecollected either by a different vehicle or at a different time tothe ordinary household waste collection.

Sewage Sludge Sludge resulting from the treatment of raw sewage. Ittypically contains 70-90% water, prior to dewatering.

Shredder A mechanical device which tears or cuts material into smallpieces, used to reduce the size of refuse, scrap metal,paper, card, plastic pieces etc.

Slag Solid residues from incinerators that have melted and fusedon cooling. At sufficiently high temperatures a glass mayform.

Sludge An intimate mixture of solid and liquid.

Soil The medium in which plants live and grow and from whichthrough their roots they obtain water and nutrients.

Soil Stripping The removal of top soil and subsoil either preparatory tofurther work or for use as cover material.

Solid Residues A general term used to cover fly ash, ash and clinker fromthe grate, and the sludge from the treatment of liquideffluents.

Special Waste In UK legislation wastes that consist of, or contain, any of31 specified groups of substances and are dangerous tolike as a result of their corrosivity, flammability or toxicity, or

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because they have a flashpoint of 21oC or less, or whichare medicines available only on prescription.

Spoil Materials removed during mining or mineral extraction.When formed into a mound or artificial hill it is known as aspoil heap.

Stack Gases The gases that are released to the atmosphere from thestack of an incinerator.

Subsidence The sinking of the landfill surface due to consolidation andfilling of underground void space.

Subsoil The less well structured and less biologically active layerbelow top soil which acts as a reserve of nutrients andwater for plant growth in the top soil.

Surcharge 1. To fill a landfill above final contours to allow forsubsequent settlement.

2. A large heap of solid material, e.g. rubble, which ismoved in stages over the surface of a landfill to compactthe fill prior to building on it.

SustainableDevelopment

Development, which is sustainable, is that which can meetthe needs of the present without compromising the ability offuture generations to meet their own needs.

SustainableWasteManagement

Using material resources efficiently to cut down on theamount of waste produced. And, where waste isgenerated, dealing with it in a way that actively contributesto the economic, social and environmental goals ofsustainable development.

Topsoil The biologically active surface of soil which provides amedium for the cultivation of plants.

Trade Effluent Waste water from an industrial process discharged tosewer under an agreement with the statutory undertakerproviding the sewer.

Transfer Station A depot where waste from local collection vehicles isloaded into larger vehicles, rail wagons or barges forcarriage in bulk to a treatment or disposal site.

Treatment Involves the chemical or biological processing of certaintypes of waste for the purposes of rendering themharmless, reducing volumes before landfilling, or recyclingcertain wastes.

Unitary A local authority which has the responsibility of being both a

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Authority Waste Collection Authority and a Waste Disposal Authority.

UK WasteClassificationScheme

A classification of waste types used by the Agency for theNational Waste Production Survey and for wastemanagement licenses.

Vent Usually refers to a facility provided in a landfill to permit theescape to atmosphere of gases and vapours generated bydeposited waste during biodegradation. Perforated pipes,placed laterally or vertically within the landfill, aresometimes used.

Vermin Used collectively to describe insects and small wild animalswhose habitat is associated with filth, disease and decay.

Void Space Unused licenses capacity at a landfill site (Elsewhere thismay refer to the unused, permitted capacity or merely thesize of a void).

VolumeReduction

The ratio between the original and final volume ofcompacted refuse.

Waste Is the wide-ranging term encompassing most unwantedmaterials and is defined by the Environmental ProtectionAct 1990. Waste includes any scrap material, effluent orunwanted surplus substances or article that requires to bedisposed of because it is broken, worn out, contaminated orotherwise spoiled. Explosives and radioactive wastes areexcluded.

WasteAware Hertfordshire’s waste awareness-raising initiative.

Waste Arisings The amount of waste generated in a given locality over agiven period of time.

WasteCollectionAuthorities(WCAs)

The ten District and Borough Councils of Hertfordshire arethe Waste Collection Authorities (WCAs) for their residents.They have a statutory responsibility to provide a wastecollection service to householders and, on request, to localbusinesses. WCAs also collect bulky items of householdwaste and carry out street cleansing activities.

Waste Disposal The process of getting rid of unwanted, broken, worn out,contaminated or spoiled materials in an orderly, regulatedfashion.

Waste DisposalAuthorities(WDAs)

Hertfordshire County Council is the WDA for Hertfordshire.Amongst other functions, it is legally responsible for thesafe disposal of household waste collected by the WCAs,and the provision of the Household Waste Sites (HWSs).

Waste Suggests that: the most effective environmental solution

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Hierarchy may often be to reduce the amount of waste generated –reduction; where further reduction is not practicable,products and materials can sometimes be used again,either for the same or different purpose – reuse; failing that,value should be recovered from waste, through recycling,composting or energy recovery from waste, only if none ofthe above offer an appropriate solution should waste bedisposed.

Waste LocalPlan

A statutory framework document for the County thatfacilitates the provision of sites for the waste managementfacilities that will be required to meet Hertfordshire’s needs.

WasteMinimisation

‘Waste minimisation’ is action to prevent waste beingproduced, as opposed to ‘waste reduction’, which refers tomethods of treating wastes that have already beenproduced in order to minimise the amount of wasterequiring final disposal. Minimising the quantity of wasteproduced is seen as the most desirable option and shouldbe at the heart of any strategy. Minimising waste saves notonly on the collection and disposal costs – but also on thecost of raw materials and their use, as well as productioncosts.

WasteManagement

Is a generic all embracing term that encapsulates: wastedisposal, waste transfer, waste processing, recovery orrecycling operations, and waste incineration/waste toenergy and similar emerging waste technologies.

WasteMinimisation

Reducing, or checking the growth of, waste.

WasteModelling

A process by which an area’s waste management needscan be assessed against a range of critical factors such aswaste composition and growth.

Waste PlanningAuthorities(WPA)

Local authorities (usually County Councils) withresponsibility for land-use planning control over wastemanagement. WPAs are also responsible for ensuring anadequate framework in their development plans to enablethe waste management industry to establish appropriatefacilities for managing amounts of waste over a period of atleast 10 years. This should be done through preparation ofWaste Local Plans (now Waste Development Plans).

WasteReduction

Achieving as much as possible is a priority action.Reduction can be accomplished within a manufacturingprocess involving the review of production processes tooptimise utilisation of raw (and secondary) materials andrecirculation processes. It can be cost-effective, both interms of lower disposal costs, reduced demand for raw

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materials and energy costs. Households through actionssuch as home composting, reusing products and buyinggoods with reduced packaging can carry it out.

WasteResourcesAction Program(WRAP)

Is an organisation whose mission is to promote sustainablewaste management by working to create stable andefficient materials for recycled materials and products, byremoving barriers to waste minimisation, reuse andrecycling.

Waste TransferStation

A site to which waste is delivered for sorting prior to anotherplace for recycling, treatment or disposal.

Wastes,Commercial

Waste from shops, offices, businesses and places ofentertainment.

Wastes,Constructionand Demolition

Masonry and rubble wastes arising from the demolition orreconstruction of buildings or other civil engineeringstructures.

Wastes, Difficult Wastes which due to their nature and physical propertiescan give rise to particular pollution risks or nuisance andmay require special management for disposal, including awide variety of waste types.

Wastes,Domestic

Waste or refuse that arises from private house;synonymous with ‘household waste’.

Wastes,Hazardous

A waste that, by virtue of its composition, carries the risk ofdeath, injury, or impairment of health to humans or animals,the pollution of waters, or could have an unacceptableenvironmental impact (qv) if improperly handled, treatmentor disposed of. The term should not be used for waste thatmerely contains a hazardous material or materials. Itshould be used only to describe wastes that containsufficient of these materials to render the waste as a wholehazardous within the definition given above.

Wastes,Household

‘Household waste’ is defined as waste from a privatedwelling or residential home or from premises forming partof a university or school or other educational establishmentor forming part of a hospital or nursing home.

Wastes,Industrial

An ‘Industrial waste’ is defined as waste from any factorywithin the meaning of the Factories Act 1961 and anypremises occupied by a body corporate established by orunder any enactment for the purpose of carrying on undernational ownership any industry or part of an industry orany undertaking, excluding waste from any mine or quarry”.Generally taken to include waste from any industrialundertaking or organisation.

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In the Environmental Protection Act 1990, “industrial waste”means waste from any of the following premises:

a) any factory (within the meaning of the Factories Act1961);

b) any premises used for the purposes of, or in connectionwith, the provision to the public of transport services byland, water or air;

c) any premises used for the purposes of, or in connectionwith, the supply to the public of gas, water or electricityor the provision of sewerage services; or

d) any premises used for the purposes of, or in connectionwith, the provision to the public of postal ortelecommunications services.

A detailed list of “waste to be treated as industrial waste” iscontained in Controlled Waste Regulations 1992. This listincludes “waste from dredging operations”.

Wastes, Inert Wastes that do not undergo any significant physical orbiological transformations when deposited in a landfill.

Wastes,Municipal

Municipal waste is that waste that is collected and disposedof by or on behalf of a local authority. It will be generallyconsist of household waste, some commercial waste andwaste taken to civic amenity waste collection/disposal sitesby the general public. In addition, it may include road andpavement sweepings, gully emptying wastes, and someconstruction and demolition waste arising from localauthority activities.

Wastes, Special A particular class of hazardous wastes, so controlled byregulation that pre-notification of their transport and depositis required to be given to statutory authorities.

Wastes, Toxic That class of ‘hazardous waste’ constituents in which areharmful to a significant degree.

Weighbridge A machine used to weigh large objects such as vehicles.Used to weigh the quantity of waste received at a landfillsite.

Wheel Cleaning The process by which dirt and mud adhering to the wheels(and maybe the chassis) of vehicles that have travelledover a landfill site is removed, before they gain access topublic roads.

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Appendix B –Feedback from Stakeholder Day October 2003& District Officers Workshop March 2004

B1 Stakeholder Day 2003

HCC held a Stakeholder Workshop on 24th October 2003 to gainstakeholders’ views on the key issues for the WLP review, and also todiscuss the sustainability appraisal objectives for the SEA/SA of theWLP. An information pack was sent to all stakeholders in advance ofthe workshop, which contained an explanatory note on SEA/SA and thework undertaken by Land Use Consultants (LUC) to date. This noteincluded a table of draft SEA/SA objectives as the basis for discussion.

The day was split into two sessions: WLP issues in the morning; andSEA/SA objectives in the afternoon. HCC facilitated the morningsession whilst LUC facilitated the afternoon session.

B1.1 Output From Morning Session: Issues for the Waste Local PlanReview

Output from Group One – New Waste SitesConsidered :What do we mean by Sites? – decided to focus on sites other thanlandfill or mass burn.Discussed issues that arise in discussion of new sites:• Traffic• Noise• Dust• Vermin• Property prices• Pollution• Liquid run off• NIMBY attitudesCommunications• Many of the above perceptions arise from a lack of communications

with stakeholders• Need to develop positive messages• Need to link waste disposal to community and personal

responsibilities• Need to engage more people in consultationCommercial Viability• Sites still need to be commercially viable• Need to talk to developers and industry more• Need to accept that I may make more sense to ship out waste to a

well run disposal facility out of county rather than try to developsites of dubious commercial viability within the county.

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Location• Developments in types of disposal techniques available give us

more options on location of facilities.Environmental issues• Need to remember that even lighting can cause environmental

problems for local wildlifeWaste Local Plan should have following components:• High expectations – sites will be of high quality• Tight policies which cover location, operation and restoration of

sites.

Top Five Priorities1. Commercial involvement at start of planning process2. Establishing where there is actually a NEED for a facility, focussing

on the County as a customer3. Education / Community Involvement / Changing People’s attitudes –

use sticks and carrots4. Should be aiming for high standards – we should have high

expectations5. Problem should be a district responsibility, i.e. tie local creation of

waste to local disposal – implications for size of facility /management responsibility / peoples ownership of process

Output from Group 2 - New Technologies

Brainstorm• Why has mass burn been excluded? ( short term/long term)• Keep public informed• Minimise fear ( more factual information - too much ill informed

debate)• Taking responsibility for waste ( individual and household ownership

of the issue and solutions))• Incentives/penalties• Culture change needed (cf Germany)• Explain benefits and risks (of each technology)• Waste to energy v waste to recycling• Learn form elsewhere - best practise• Energy crops• Food waste• Home composting• Sewage• Scale - housing estate, settlement, county based - options• 'integrated waste parks'• transport - vehicle movements - wider environmental impact of

options- evaluation.• Develop the market for products - commercial interest/competition,

mixed economy• Retail and farming community• 'compost mountain'

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Top Five PrioritiesIn ranked order:-1. Waste to energy potential. Include mass burn as longer- term

option.2. Build on work with young people to develop sense of responsibility

within households and communities. Explain the issues andchallenges regarding technological options - get engagement andownership- consensus.

3. Evaluate benefits and risk. Learn from, and share with, others-including Transportation pros and cons

4. Identify and develop the markets, and commercial interest in them.Support for a mixed economy approach.

5. Consideration of the optimum scale of operation.

OTHER ’PARKED’ ISSUES• How to take account of Local Strategic Plan objectives? ( eg District

based )• How will Local Development Frameworks work together to conform

and deliver waste outcomes?• Should HTCOA be more aware of countywide waste issues?

Outputs from Group 3 – Environmental Effects

The group started exploring general themes around this issue –NIMBYism, the shared nature of the problem, its cumulative nature etcThen went of to address some specific issues:• Whether it is right to dismiss certain approaches because of

perceived environmental effects (ie incineration) and also toconsider that this may be the best approach to certain (e.g. clinical)waste.

• Is there a contradiction in not wanting certain technologies withinHerts, but OK to use them elsewhere (our own Nimbyism?)

• Exploring the different scale and significance of differentapproaches to waste – global v local etc

• Issues around transportation of waste, and the hidden effects ofmoving it around, fuel use for trips to recycling locations etc

• Aspects of longer term education strategies to help the wider publicunderstand the complex issues associated with this – inc. thepositive effects: using materials for positive means – road building,heating schemes etc.

• Scope for authorities to use well-being powers to identifycommercial gaps and create companies to use recyclable materials

• Exploring the issue of dumped waste and linking this to educationand enforcement

• Looking at getting local groups to think locally and possibly explorehaving their own facilities

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Top Five Priorities – equal weighting1. Minimise impact/effects of waste/disposal (inc. pollution of water,

soil and air, visual impact, smell, noise etc)2. Sustainable waste management strategy based on reduction and

avoidance – use of education and enforcement3. Proximity issues: origin, transport, treatment. Issues around

number, size and location of facilities: local v central etc4. Taking account of future factors (inc. climate change) - robust and

sustainable strategies.5. Emphasise positive environmental effects – e.g. protection of

countryside, preservation of resources, use of materials for positiveends – heating, road material etc

Output from Group Four – Waste Minimisation

Considered:Where does the responsibility lie?• Individual responsibility towards household waste – although this is

a small proportion of the problem• Packaging – commercial responsibility – both industry and retail• Manufacturers must have responsibility of recycling own products –

e.g. cars, computers, fridges etc.Packaging• Central Government should consider taxation – e.g. Northern

Ireland “bag tax”• Need to reach a balance between excess packaging used for

transporting goods and minimum safe levels for foodstuffs etc.Methods• Re-cycling but also re-use – schemes for second-hand furniture etc.• Changing attitudes – education, partnerships between industry,

retail, local authorities and schools.• Compunction – penalties for waste production – penalties for not

recycling.• Finding markets for the re-sale of recycled materials.

Top Five Priorities1. Responsibility for waste minimisation lies with every individual2. Manufacturers and retailers have a responsibility to recycle their

own products3. Should recycling be mandatory?4. Partnership approach to education and changing attitudes between

industry, the Government and individuals5. Re-use rather than recycle & find markets for recycled materials

Output from Group Five – RecyclingConsidered:• Location of facilities• Primary streaming (sorting) of waste should happen in individual

houses and businesses.

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• Some materials can only be recycled in large quantities and solarger central sites would be needed – liaison with neighbouringauthorities?

• Local sites in rural areas so people don’t have so far to travel.• Environmental impact of door to door collection – running vehicles

etc.

Top Five Priorities1. Central Government must use leverage to help change attitudes2. Streaming (sorting) of waste must happen in individual households

as well as in industry / retail3. Must consider the environmental impact of re-cycling – by-products,

effects of transport etc.4. Local authorities need to talk to each other (economies of scale and

sharing Best Practice)5. Re-usable forms of packaging should be used for transport

B1.2 Output from Afternoon Session: Objectives for the Waste LocalPlan Review Strategic Environmental Assessment / SustainabilityAppraisal

After an introduction to the SEA/SA legislation and guidance, thestakeholders were split into four groups to discuss the draft SEA/SAobjectives under the Government’s four themes of sustainabledevelopment:1. Effective protection of the environment;2. Prudent use of natural resources;3. Maintenance of high and stable levels of economic growth and

employment;4. Social progress which meets the needs of everyone.

The SEA/SA objectives will be used at a later stage to assess whetherthe WLP Review meets, or is working towards, the sustainability topicin question. Each group was asked to look at the draft SEA/SAobjectives for their sustainable development theme, and to discuss ifthe objectives were:• necessary;• suitably worded;• relevant to the WLP; and• sufficiently local (i.e. relevant to Hertfordshire).

The groups were then asked to try and prioritise the objectives withintheir sustainable development theme. This exercise was undertaken tosee if stakeholders considered any of the objectives particularlyimportant in terms of achieving a sustainable WLP, or in terms ofHertfordshire. Those objectives could then be given more weight whenthe sustainability appraisal of the WLP Review is undertaken.

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The four groups came back together for a final feedback session. Areporter from each group summarised the group’s discussions, andidentified suggested changes to objectives. Only one of the groupssuggested specific wording changes for the objectives (‘Effectiveprotection of the environment’), the others made suggestions for whichobjectives needed to be re-worded, or where objectives needed to beadded. For example, the ‘Social progress which meets the needs ofeveryone’ group considered that there should be objectives to coverdeprived areas and crime (i.e. fly-tipping and dumping). The ‘Prudentuse of natural resources group’ thought that there should also beobjectives for geology, air, vegetation, and light (i.e. to cover lightpollution).

Most of the groups felt that the objectives within their sustainabledevelopment theme were all of equal importance and should not beprioritised. There was also concern that it was too difficult to makepriority decisions regarding the objectives as there was not yet enoughbackground information in place. The ‘Effective protection of theenvironment’ group did have a go at prioritising their objectives, butthere was debate among the wider group regarding their prioritisationorder, and it was decided that none of the SEA/SA objectives should begiven more weight than others.

A full record of the afternoon SEA/SA stakeholder session wasproduced and circulated to attendees. This included a summary of thediscussions within each group, and the principle outcome being arevised set of SEA/SA objectives taking on board the views andsuggestions of the stakeholders.

Table B1 Draft SEA/SA objectivesSEA topic1 Existing Hertfordshire (HCC SA Guidance)2

/East of England (EERSDF)3 SustainabilityObjectives

Draft objectives for SEA/SA of Waste Local Plan

Effective protection of the environmentBiodiversity, flora and

faunaProtect and enhance biodiversity (HCC SA

Guidance)To protect and enhance biodiversity in

Hertfordshire.Air, Water and soil Reduce pollution (HCC SA Guidance) To reduce air, water and soil pollution and ensure

their quality continues to improve.Air Improve the choice of sustainable transport modes,

encourage their use, and reduce the need totravel by car (HCC SA Guidance)

To reduce reliance on road freight movements andencourage efficient use of rail.

Cultural heritage andlandscape

To protect and maintain our most valuable regionalassets such as designated habitats,landscapes of natural beauty, and ourhistoric built heritage, and to improve thewider environment by means of adequateinvestment and management (EERSDF‘High Level Objective’)

To protect and maintain Hertfordshire’s mostvaluable regional assets such as designatedhabitats, landscapes of natural beauty,historic built heritage, and greenspaces.


Protect and provide greenspaces (HCC SAGuidance)

Incorporated in above objective.


Protect landscape and townscape character (HCCSA Guidance)


1 The SEA topics are the topics identified in Figure 6 of the Draft SEA Guidance and reflect the requirements of the Directive and government guidance on sustainable

development. The Draft SEA Guidance lists possible objectives and recommends that they be adapted to take account of local circumstances and concerns ofspecific plans. For this reason, several objectives that have been included, do not link to any specific SEA topic and have been labelled ‘Other’ or ‘waste related’.

2 From Guidance on Sustainability Appraisals. Hertfordshire County Council, April 2003.3 From A Sustainable Development Framework for the East of England. East of England Regional Assembly, October 2001.

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SEA topic1 Existing Hertfordshire (HCC SA Guidance)2



Other Adhere to environmental standards andmanagement principles (HCC SA Guidance)

To ensure waste management facilities adhere toenvironmental standards and managementprinciples.

Prudent use of natural resourcesClimatic factors Plan for the impacts of climate change (HCC SA

Guidance)To increase energy efficiency and reduce demand

for energy (to help reduce greenhouse gasemissions and global warming).

Water and soil Ensure the efficient use of water and safeguardwater resources (HCC SA Guidance)

To promote the wise use of ground and surfacewater resources and safeguard againstunacceptable impacts.

Water and soil Soil not specifically addressed in HCC SAGuidance or EERSDF.

To reduce contamination and safeguard soil qualityand quantity and minimise the loss of bestand most versatile agricultural land.

Other Improve the sustainable use of resources (HCC SAGuidance)

Incorporated in Waste objective below.

Other Ensure the sustainable supply and use of energy(HCC SA Guidance)

Incorporated in ‘Climatic factors’ objective above.

Other Ensure the efficient use of land and buildings (HCCSA Guidance)

To ensure prudent use of land and other resources.

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Other To minimise our production of by-products orwastes, aiming for ‘closed systems’ wherepossible (EERSDF ‘High Level Objective’)

To minimise the production of waste, and thenpromote reuse, recycling, composting,alternative treatment options and energyrecovery before resorting to landfill, takinginto account the Best PracticableSustainable Option (EERSDF ‘Wasteobjectives’)

To minimise production of by-products or wastes,and then promote reuse, recycling,composting, alternative treatment optionsand energy recovery before resorting tolandfill, taking into account the BPEO(referred to as the BPSO in the EERSDF).

Other Move away from waste disposal to minimisation,reuse, recycling and recovery (HCC SAGuidance)


Maintenance of high and stable levels of economic growth and employmentEconomic

developmentTo achieve sustainable levels of prosperity and

economic growth (EERSDF ‘High LevelObjective’)

To ensure high and stable levels of employment soeveryone can benefit from the economicgrowth of Hertfordshire.

Economicdevelopment

Create a vibrant local economy (HCC SAGuidance)


Economicdevelopment

Maintain high and stable levels of employment(HCC SA Guidance)


Additional wasterelated topic

To foster joint working within and between publicand private sectors, with a view to betterinvestment in alternatives to landfill anddeveloping markets for waste materials.(EERSDF ‘Waste objective’)

To foster joint working within and between publicand private sectors, with a view to betterinvestment in alternatives to landfill anddeveloping markets for waste materials.

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To promote best practice in industry through wasteminimisation clubs and other business for a,and to encourage the extension of producerresponsibility initiatives (EERSDF ‘Wasteobjective’)

To promote best practice in industry through wasteminimisation clubs and other business for,and to encourage the extension of producerresponsibility initiatives.


To encourage the purchase and use of recycledproducts by public authorities andbusinesses (EERSDF ‘Waste objective’)

To encourage the purchase and use of recycledproducts by public authorities andbusinesses.

Social progress which meets the needs of everyonePopulation and human

healthMaximise the opportunities for leisure and a healthy

lifestyle for all (HCC SA Guidance)To protect and enhance recreation opportunities for

all, including access to the countryside.Population and human

healthMaximise the opportunities for leisure and a healthy

lifestyle for all (HCC SA Guidance)To protect the health and amenity of local

residents/communities (e.g. from the impactsof noise, dust and traffic).

Social inclusivenessand Materialassets

To achieve a more equitable sharing of the benefitsof prosperity across all sectors of society andfairer access to services, focusing ondeprived areas of the region (EERSDF ‘HighLevel Objective’)

Incorporated in ‘Economic Growth’ objective above.

Social inclusiveness Improve access to services and community facilitiesfor all (HCC SA Guidance)

Incorporated in ‘Accessible recycling’ objectivebelow.

Social inclusiveness Empower all sections of the community toparticipate in decision making and localaction (HCC SA Guidance)

To empower all sections of the community toparticipate in waste planning decisionmaking and local action and to ensure thepublic understand the importance of thewaste management industry.

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To promote easily accessible recycling systems(EERSDF ‘Waste objective’)

To promote easily accessible recycling systems.


To promote waste awareness educationprogrammes in schools and the community(EERSDF ‘Waste objective’)

To promote waste awareness educationprogrammes in schools and the community.

B2 District Officers Meeting / Workshop 2004

Notes from Small Group Discussions

At the Stakeholder event in October 2003 it was suggested that aspecific event be arranged for Planning and Waste ManagementOfficers from all eleven authorities (including County Council), whowere duly invited to attend a half day workshop in March 2004.

Following a general introduction and overview of waste management inHertfordshire, small group discussions were held to explore issues. Inparticular, two groups were formed to discuss the following:1. Implementation issues2. Delivery Mechanisms3. Site Identification.

Comments arising from each of these small group discussions aresummarised below.

B2.1 Implementation IssuesGroup One• What does existing plan cover?• Sites identified• Criteria for what is allowed on these sites• Sustainability issues• Is it up to date with current collection/disposal methods?• Need for co-ordination between districts• Lack of community awareness• Increase in exposure of WasteAware• Political support for Plan• S106 contributions for waste management• Flexibility of plan to incorporate new technologies

Group Two• Site availability• Public/Business perception about best use of sites• Shift in drivers to find sites• How will it happen without an under-pinning L A contract?• Should we build in spare capacity for C/I waste with Municipal

Waste• Short-term timescales of legislation versus long term planning

issues• Land owners – Waste bad neighbour therefore unacceptable with

other uses• High quality design• Traffic• Include in Master Planning• Wider than just local catchment

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• Lack of co-ordination between regional strategies

B.2. Delivery Mechanisms

Group One• SEA/SA? - Test out the most sustainable options• How to implement best options• Safeguarding/Planning Briefs• Data Set – Starting Point• Securing and enabling benefits – Unlocking Sites• Conflicting demands for land – hierarchy of uses?• Smaller facilities likely to be more achievable – proximity

Group Two• Consultation – Waste – Planning• Set criteria for development• Common guidance for all involved in waste development & planning• Joint involvement with Hertfordshire Waste Plan• Link all aspects of planning – size of development / Pre-discussions• Need a greater use of the Waste Local Plan at local level• Development Control – Early checklist vs. use of permit conditions

B2.3 Site Identification

Group One• Land designation – Green Belt?• Access• Adjacent land uses• Use RSS to Waste planning benefit – Green Belt inclusion• Less employment land in future – redesignate as housing• Engage waste industry

Group Two• Review existing sites:

• Why haven’t the ones in the WLP come forward – viability• Is there likelihood for use? – If not, then remove them from the

WLP• Site Selection criteria:

• Size• accessibility• location in relation to generators of waste

• Look into option of more/smaller sites – regulations may help here• Consider impact on: Community / Environment• Design-Type specific• Type of Waste management - need to know whether MRF, EfW,

Anaerobic Digestion, Waste Transfer Site. Has land useimplications and response received from consultations likely to varydependent on type of waste management facility proposed,

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• Communication - Including with the public. Make links tocountywide issues and inform the public in seeking support in siteselection

• Developers/Industry to be utilised, perhaps in similar way to how itwas done in development of the Waste Strategy 2002-2024 viaCommittees

• Take an aggressive approach and hard look at potential sites

The meeting concluded with a combined discussion on actions requiredas part of the Waste Local Plan Review, to assist in a joint workingpartnership with those departments responsible for applying thepolicies contained within the Plan at a local level.

ACTIONS• Raise profile of the Waste Management Plan• Industry to identify barriers – What do they want?• Check out existing sites in Plan• New Act:

• Issues and Options Paper• Site Selection• Core Strategy• Statement of Community Involvement. Building on - Community

Strategies and Waste Strategy• Explore means of getting sites identified and protected for waste

uses.• Agree Baseline data – projections for planning ⇒ SEA• Check identified sites in Waste Local Plan - match needs identified

in Strategy• Need direction from Waste Management staff on sites/suitability for

different technologies• Engage District Members