Barnsley, Doncaster and Rotherham residents, businesses and industry currently produce approximately 1.3 million tonnes of waste per year, and this amount is forecast to increase in the future. A large proportion of waste produced in these areas is currently disposed in landfill sites, despite increased household recycling rates. National policies seek to manage waste higher up the ‘waste hierarchy’, i.e. reduce, reuse, recycle and recover value from waste before disposal to landfill. Barnsley, Doncaster and Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Councils are therefore working together with the community to prepare a planning framework to identify suitable locations for new waste management facilities.
LUC was commissioned by Barnsley, Doncaster and Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Councils in 2007 to help them prepare the Joint Strategic Waste Development Plan Document. The work is ongoing and has involved:
1. Preparing the evidence base
Establishing existing and future waste arisings and capacity, and the future capacity requirements to meet the shortfall, as well as how much land may be required to accommodate the new facilities
2. Site assessment
Identifying potentially suitable sites to accommodate waste facilities and assessing their suitability (incorporating Sustainability Appraisal) and availability for allocation in the DPD.
3. Consultation
Preparing the “Issues and Options” report and subsequent “Towards the Publication DPD” report for statutory consultation with public and stakeholders. In addition, we prepared and facilitated technical workshops with the waste management industry and other relevant stakeholders (e.g. adjacent authorities, statutory environmental bodies). We also collated and analysed the written responses during both consultation periods and prepared Consultation Reports.
4. Sustainability Appraisal and Habitats Regulations Assessment
Carrying out the Sustainability Appraisal for each stage of the Joint Strategic Waste DPD to 1) identify the key sustainability issues facing the three boroughs, 2) predict what would be the likely effects of the Joint Strategic Waste DPD on these sustainability issues, and 3) put forward recommendations to improve its content and mitigate any negative effects. We have also carried out Habitats Regulations Assessment work in relation to the potential waste sites being considered for the DPD.
This plan is important, not least because it is among the few waste DPDs being jointly prepared by metropolitan authorities and has contributed to better understanding of the challenges and opportunities of joint planning work. In addition, we helped to integrate the Sustainability Appraisal requirements into the site selection / assessment process, streamlining this area of work for the three boroughs.
For more information go to: www.doncaster.gov.uk/wastedpd/
