Chapter 17
WASTE
PROPOSALS WHICH LOCATE WASTE MANAGEMENT FACILITIES AS CLOSE TO THE SOURCE OF WASTE AS POSSIBLE AND ACCORD WITH THE OBJECTIVE OF THE NORTH WEST REGION TO BE SELF SUFFICIENT IN MANAGING ITS OWN WASTE WILL BE PERMITTED. PROPOSALS FOR THE PROVISION OF WASTE TREATMENT AND DISPOSAL FACILITIES AND METHODS OF WASTE TREATMENT THAT REDUCE THE VOLUME AND POLLUTION POTENTIAL OF WASTE WILL BE PERMITTED PROVIDED THAT:
a.SUCH PROPOSALS DEMONSTRATE THAT THEY ARE THE BEST PRACTICABLE ENVIRONMENTAL OPTION FOR A PARTICULAR WASTE STREAM;
b.THEY WILL NOT HAVE UNACCEPTABLE ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS; AND
c.THEY WILL NOT CONFLICT WITH OTHER POLICIES WITHIN THE PLAN.
17.1This policy supports the Council’s objective of promoting sustainable waste management through reduction, re-use and recycling of materials and reflects the guidance contained in PPG 10: Waste Management, September 1999.
17.2In recognition of the need for sustainability, waste management policy and practices have evolved significantly in recent years and the way that we manage our waste will continue to change rapidly over the next 20 years. The EC Framework Directive on waste requires each country to become self sufficient in the management of its wastes through a range of integrated waste facilities. Nationally, the White Paper, “Waste Strategy 2000”, sets out the government’s commitment to reducing the amount of waste that is finally disposed of to landfill and targets derived from the Waste Framework Directive. These include the aim of recovering value from 45% of municipal waste by 2010, at least 30% of which will be through recycling and composting; and to recover value from 66% municipal waste by 2015 with at least 50% through recycling and composting. Over the next 15 years the Directive aims to reduce the quantity of biodegradable municipal solid waste disposed of to landfill to 35% of the 1995 tonnage.
17.3This builds on the concept of the waste hierarchy which prioritises our waste management with reduction, re-use and recycling being the preferred options and energy from waste, incineration and landfill being the least favoured option.
17.4The amount of municipal waste alone produced regionally for the period 1998 – 99 is estimated to be 3.8 million tonnes. (Environment Agency; Strategic Waste Management Assessment 2000) With municipal waste estimated at 1.5 million tonnes, Greater Manchester produces more than 40% of the regional total but only 19% of the amount we produce is recovered or disposed of within the County. The remainder is either exported to other sub regions of the North West (58%) or out of the region altogether (23%). Whilst there is clearly a need for new and improved methods of recovering and treating our waste in more environmentally friendly ways to ensure greater self-sufficiency within the Greater Manchester area, the necessary infrastructure is not yet in place. Unfortunately at present there is no guidance available to the ten District Councils within Greater Manchester on the range scale or types of waste management facilities that will be needed to deal with our existing and projected waste arisings. There will continue to be a need for a certain amount of landfill capacity for the foreseeable future but the supply of empty consented landfill sites within the Greater Manchester area is rapidly diminishing. Work has recently been carried out by the Regional Technical Advisory Body (RTAB) for the North West to assess the situation and to examine a number of waste options. These will inform early revisions to Regional Planning Guidance and a Regional Waste Strategy which will inform a Waste Management Strategy for Greater Manchester and provide guidance on the number and type of waste treatment and disposal facilities required to meet our needs.
17.5An urbanised area such as Rochdale generates substantial volumes of waste material from both businesses and households. In the year 2001-2002, the Borough generated some 90,500 tonnes comprising of 86,000 tonnes of household and 4,500 tonnes of commercial wastes. This was disposed of by the Greater Manchester Waste Disposal Authority in the manner described above. Recycling within the Borough currently averages a rate of 5%. The Council has already prepared a Waste Reduction and Recycling Strategy for the Borough which forms part of a joint recycling plan produced by the Greater Manchester Local Authorities and the Greater Manchester Waste Disposal Authority and incorporates the existing Greater Manchester Waste Disposal Management Plan. It sets out how the Council proposes to reduce waste and maximize recycling activities to meet the targets set but an increase in recycling and pre disposal treatment of waste will require an increased range of waste handling, treatment and disposal facilities across the Borough within the life of this Plan.
17.6The location of waste treatment and disposal sites is often a source of conflict within the community as local residents oppose proposals for sites near to them. However, we cannot continue to produce increasing quantities of waste and dispose of it without considering the impact of our actions on the environment. Whilst the Council recognizes the urgent need for additional facilities, no specific site allocations are identified on the proposals map due to uncertainty at the present time about the level of provision and type of facilities required. Until such time as the level of provision required has been established, the Council wishes to ensure that there is sufficient flexibility within its waste policies to respond to future demand for waste facilities and the development of new waste treatment technology and to encourage proposals which will contribute to the range of waste facilities within the Borough. To meet the need for future waste management sites which will assist the implementation of the Waste Reduction and Recycling Strategy, the Council will ensure that all practicable options are assessed and that a balance between waste management policies and other policies within the Plan is achieved by assessing proposals in relation to the Best Practicable Environmental Option (BPEO) for a particular waste stream. BPEO is a systematic consultative and decision making procedure which emphasises the protection and conservation of the environment across land, air and water. The BPEO procedure establishes for a given set of objectives, the option that provides the most benefits or the least damage to the environment, as a whole, at acceptable cost, in the long term as well as in the short term. Proposals for new waste treatment and disposal facilities will also be assessed against criteria based policies W/3 and W/4. Supplementary planning guidance relating to waste facilities will be prepared when the anticipated Waste Strategies emerge.
The following sites will be retained in their present uses for waste handling, treatment, transfer or disposal:
a.Waithlands, Rochdale - Civic Amenity site;
b.Peel Lane, Heywood - Civic Amenity site;
c.Spring Vale, Middleton - Civic Amenity site;
d.Regent Street site, Rochdale - transfer;
e.Rugby Road site, Rochdale - transfer;
f.Corporation Road site, Rochdale - transfer;
g.Prettywood site, Heywood - transfer;
h.Hooley Bridge site, Heywood - transfer;
i.Entwistle Road site, Rochdale - transfer;
j.Whittle Quarry, Heywood – disposal; and
k.Wilderness Quarry, Heywood – disposal.
Any proposed changes in the nature of the operations taking place on the above sites will be assessed in relation to criteria set out in Policy W/4
17.7Existing waste facilities are identified on the Proposals Map and will be retained. The sites referred to in this policy have established uses or planning consents for the types of waste activities listed. However, changes in use or operational developments resulting from improved waste management technology at these sites could lead to significantly different environmental or other effects from those arising from present uses and these would need to be considered in the light of the criteria set out in Policy W/4.
An application for a waste transfer, treatment or disposal facility will only be permitted, where the proposal:
a.Will not result in the sterilisation of significant quantities of any minerals either within or adjacent to the site;
b.Will not adversely affect natural, recreational, ecological, archaeological or historical interests;
c.Will not lead to an unacceptable permanent loss of best and most versatile agricultural land (Grades 1 to 3a), taking into account the quality of restoration likely to be achieved, or a loss of viability of agricultural holdings;
d.Will not have an unacceptable impact on the stability of underlying or adjacent land, drainage, water supply or ground water resources, including on or under adjoining land;
e.Will not have an unacceptable impact on the character or appearance of a Listed Building together with its setting, an Ancient Monument, or a Conservation Area;
f.Will not have an unacceptable impact on the amenity of dwellings or other environmentally sensitive properties by reason of visual prominence, noise, vibration, dust, smells, litter vermin, air pollution, water pollution, landfill gas migration or other nuisance;
g.Incorporates satisfactory access arrangements and the traffic generated will not have an unacceptable effect on properties adjoining routes used by site traffic or on road safety anywhere between the site and the Strategic Highway Network;
h.Retains and protects existing and proposed routes, footpaths and other rights of way or secures appropriate diversions; and
i.There is a satisfactory scheme of screening, landscaping and restoration.
17.8This policy should be understood to include sorting, processing and/or recycling facilities as well as treatment facilities and landfill operations. In view of the potential for pollution and effect on general amenity, all waste facilities must be carefully located in relation to both environmental resources and residential communities. This policy sets out the environmental constraints on location and the requirement to protect both our natural resources and the quality of life enjoyed by people living close to the site or on access routes.
17.9Need for a facility will be assessed in relation to the type of facility concerned. “Need” is defined as a requirement for additional capacity and facilities to deal with waste produced in the Rochdale area which outweighs any material interest affected by the proposal. A small landfill site would be primarily assessed in relation to local need whereas a specialized incinerator taking hazardous waste would be looked at in relation to regional or even national need. In assessing development proposals against criteria b) and e) the Council will apply the relevant weight required by international, national, local (including regional) designations. Areas of value for recreation, transport corridors, and residential amenity will also need to be assessed. In the case of agricultural land which is classified as best and most versatile proposals will, primarily, be assessed against Policy RE/3 Development Involving Agricultural Land, and protection of soil resources, good restoration techniques and a programme of aftercare and maintenance to restore soil fertility will be required if a satisfactory standard of restoration is to be achieved.
17.10Waste disposal can affect the stability of underlying ground and the Council will consult on this aspect of proposals with the Greater Manchester Geological Unit. Similarly, land drainage and groundwater implications will be assessed on the advice of the Environment Agency. The term “environmentally sensitive properties” can include factories carrying out certain industrial processes that may be adversely affected by dust or fumes. Examples could include food processing, computer manufacturing and paint spraying as well as schools, hospitals, nursing homes, etc.
17.11Proposals which are acceptable in principle under Policy W/3 will need to demonstrate, through the submission of working and landscaping plans, methods of working and screening operations whilst work is in progress, together with restoration and aftercare schemes, that their environmental impact has been carefully taken into account and that after-uses of sites has been considered. In the case of waste transfer and treatment proposals only working and landscaping plans will be required, but for landfill sites working, landscaping, restoration and aftercare schemes will be required.
Where proposals are acceptable under Policy W/3, the Council will, as appropriate:
a.Limit the duration of operations;
b.Control the level of noise and vibration;
c.Control hours of working, vehicle movement and maintenance of plant and equipment;
d.Ensure satisfactory access to the site;
e.Limit the visual impact of the development;
f.Safeguard conservation, ecological and archaeological interests within the site;
g.Ensure the site is satisfactorily restored, preferably with a scheme of phased working and restoration;
h.Ensure that suitable provisions for aftercare are made in the case of restoration to agriculture, forestry or amenity use;
i.Limit the area of operations;
j.Ensure the protection of soil resources and their replacement at restoration stage;
k.Ensure final levels are not exceeded, making appropriate allowance for settlement; and
l.Establish the general nature of the wastes acceptable on, or to be excluded from, the site where there are valid planning reasons for such restrictions.
17.12There is some overlap between control exercised by planning and licensing regimes but, in general, the above matters will be covered by planning conditions or agreements under Section 106 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990. Detailed aspects of site preparation, operation, the precise nature of wastes permitted, pollution prevention, and control of gas and leachate emissions during operation and post closure are the subject of waste management licenses issued by the Environment Agency. However, the range of permitted wastes is relevant to:
a.Final levels of the site and allowance for settlement;
b.The requirement for conditions relating to dust, litter and odour suppression;
c.Surface treatment of sites, e.g. the provision of deep soil layers over clay caps and appropriate forms of tree planting.
17.13Restoration and aftercare schemes will be expected to reflect the Plans key objectives of nature conservation and habitat creation as set out in Chapter 21.
Proposals to recover energy from waste will be permitted provided that they demonstrate BPEO, are consistent with the principles of the waste hierarchy, the proximity principle, the need for regional self-sufficiency, and meet the provisions of Policies W/3 and W/4 above.
17.14Organic matter which breaks down in an oxygen deficient environment creates and releases potentially harmful gases such as methane. However, these gases may be harnessed to provide a valuable energy source to generate heat or electricity. Digesting waste prior to final disposal to landfill enables energy to be recovered in a controlled manner and significantly reduces the quantity of organic matter to be disposed of. Where landfill is identified as the BPEO for waste disposal the potential for gas utilisation will always need to be addressed. Proposals to obtain energy by incineration, (the least preferred option), will need to demonstrate their suitability in relation to the policy’s terms of reference.
The Council will permit civic amenity sites that are suitably located for use by the public for the disposal of household and related wastes and are provided with storage facilities for recyclable materials. Sites must be sited, designed and landscaped so that there are no adverse effects on the amenity of residential areas by way of pollution, visual intrusion or traffic generation.
17.15 Civic amenity sites provide an opportunity for residents to dispose of bulky waste, garden waste and recyclable materials. They can make a valuable contribution to the reuse and recovery of waste by providing the opportunity for segregation of hazardous wastes. Such sites need to be close to centres of population and the Greater Manchester Waste Disposal Authority established a general objective of providing facilities at a two mile radius. Within the Borough the Wardle/Littleborough area is beyond the two mile radius from the Waithlands Civic Amenity site and consideration should be given to provision of a further site to serve the area.
Where major development proposals, including new highways and road improvements, involve the generation of spoil which cannot be disposed of within the boundaries of a site, the Council will require details of the volume and type of excess waste material to be disposed of and the methods by which it is proposed to dispose of the material. Encouragement will be given to schemes for waste disposal which bring significant community benefits e.g. reclamation of derelict land, subject to compliance with other policies within the Plan.
17.16Major construction projects often generate substantial and unexpected volumes of excavated material. Unless advance provision has been made for the disposal of such material or recycling of the material produced, the outcome may be the use of unauthorized sites, fly tipping on a substantial scale or disposal which conflicts with BPEO. This policy will enable the Council to gauge the likely spoil disposal problems resulting from development proposals and require the developer to make adequate provision for disposal in advance.
The development of rail or water linked waste management facilities will be permitted where these have good access to the Strategic Highway Network. Where planning permission is granted, planning agreements to secure highway improvements required as a result of such developments will be sought.
17.17Careful location of waste disposal facilities in relation to the source of waste can reduce the overall distance that waste needs to be transported. Similarly, by bulking up waste into fewer, larger loads at waste treatment facilities the number of lorry movements required to move a given volume of waste can be substantially reduced. However, where possible provision of rail or water linked facilities will help to reduce the quantities of waste transported by road and the associated environmental impacts.