Part One: Spatial Strategy and Policies (Regulation 19)

17.38. Steering waste management facilities towards the most suitable locations where they are likely to generate maximum benefits in terms of co-location, provide supporting infrastructure for other uses and minimise potential harmful effects on the environment and local communities will support the strategic objectives of the Plan.

17.39. National policy requires the Council to identify suitable sites and areas for waste management in the Plan. A 'Preferred Area' for new waste facilities is set out in Policy DLP77. This Policy DLP78 identifies that in principle other employment areas may be appropriate locations for new waste facilities.

17.40. Many of the waste management facilities have operations that are similar to industrial processes and therefore may also be located in other retained employment areas. Operators seeking a location for new waste management facilities should be focusing their search on areas to be retained as employment land and should avoid those areas proposed to change to housing.              

17.41. While most types of waste facilities are likely to be acceptable in all Local Employment Areas (Policy DLP20), the list of facilities acceptable on Strategic Employment Areas (Policy DLP19) is much shorter. They will normally be restricted to fully enclosed operations that fall within Use Classes E(g)(iii) or B2 and are already classified as employment uses, or sui generis operations that would be compatible with a Strategic Employment Area location and would not compromise existing or potential future employment uses falling within Use Classes E(g)(ii), E(g)(iii), B2 or B8 (Policies DLP19 and DLP20). Policy DLP78 reflects this approach.

17.42. Certain waste operations may be acceptable on 'Other Employment' land (Policy DLP21) not identified as Strategic or Local Employment Areas for long-term retention in employment land use. However, given the status of these sites and the potential that they could be developed for a non-employment use in the future, the Council may consider granting a temporary permission for waste development in these types of location. This will depend on the site-specific circumstances.             

17.43. There are certain types of waste management facilities that require an open site and will therefore be difficult to accommodate within the urban areas of the borough due to the lack of suitable sites (e.g., open window composting facilities). These types of facility are subject to strict regulation by the Environment Agency and must be located at least 250m away from sensitive receptors.

17.44. The last part of the policy sets out the criteria against which new waste management proposals will be assessed. There are a number of other issues common to all waste developments that should be addressed in all cases. For example, the relationship of the proposal to the strategy for waste and resources as set out in Policy DLP75 is of paramount importance, and all applications should explain how the proposed development is aligned with these principles. They should also address other locational issues such a proximity to the source of waste, relationships to adjoining / neighbouring uses, visual impacts and other potential effects on the surrounding area. Potentially harmful environmental / amenity impacts will be minimised where operations are contained within a building or enclosure, so facilities should always be enclosed where feasible.             

17.45. All waste applications should be accompanied by a supporting statement which provides a general description of the development.

17.46. Applicants will be required to provide a certain amount of information about their proposed development on the planning application form, including information about the waste streams to be managed and the maximum annual throughput in tonnes and/ or void space in cubic metres. However, as the space available on the form is limited, a more comprehensive description of the proposed waste operations should be provided in the supporting statement.

17.47. To assist applicants, the policy sets out the key pieces of information they should provide to enable the Council to understand the types of operation proposed and the potential effects of the development. The most appropriate place to set out, describe in detail and assess such a proposal against relevant planning policies is within a Planning Statement. In addition, if the development is 'EIA development' (meaning it requires an Environmental Impact Assessment), as Schedule 1 or 2 development, details should be included in an Environmental Statement (ES)^[72].

^[72] Or any equivalent following the Government's review of the Environmental Impact Assessment regulations.