Part One: Spatial Strategy and Policies (Regulation 19)

17.29. The identification and delivery of new waste management facilities will contribute towards meeting new capacity requirements set out under Policy DLP75 (see Justification) and will help meet the strategic objectives of the Plan.

17.30. The NPPW requires Waste Management Authorities to identify suitable sites or areas for waste management in Local Plans. Several specific locations have been identified in the Black Country Waste Study (2020) where new waste management facilities could be located.              

17.31. In accordance with the NPPW when deciding which areas should be allocated waste planning authorities should assess their suitability against a range of criteria;

17.32. The NPPW advises that when identifying suitable sites and areas for waste, waste planning authorities should consider opportunities for on-site management of waste where it arises. This has been addressed in Policy DLP75 part 2b.

17.33. The NPPW also recommends looking at a broad range of locations for the development of new waste infrastructure, including industrial sites (particularly where there are opportunities to co-locate waste management facilities together). Priority should be given to the re-use of previously developed land, sites allocated for employment use and redundant agricultural buildings).

17.34. To have sufficient confidence to allocate a site for a specific waste use, it would need to be actively promoted for waste management use by a waste planning authority, a landowner, or a commercial waste operator. To date, the Council has received one representation from an existing commercial waste operator seeking permanent planning permission for a site that currently benefits from temporary planning permission. This is reflected under Policy DLP76.

17.35. A number of employment areas have been identified in the Black Country Waste Study (2020) as being most suited to the development of new waste recovery, treatment, and transfer infrastructure. These sites were identified through a five-stage screening process followed by an assessment of employment locations and selected sites promoted through the 'call for sites' which fell outside of the excluded areas (Black Country Waste Study, Chapter 5).

17.36. The results of the assessments are presented in Appendix M of the Black Country Waste Study and are summarised in Table 5.10 of the main report. These areas are considered least likely to give rise to land use conflicts, and in several cases, there is already co-location of existing waste facilities to which new sites would contribute. There is only one such area in Dudley Borough, and this is identified on the Waste Key Diagram and Policies Map and in Policy DLP77 (Bloomfield Road/Budden Road, Coseley).

17.37. The policy allows for the provision of new waste facilities at other appropriate locations other than the Preferred Area at Bloomfield Road/Budden Road, with reference to Policy DLP78.