Agenda item
Brent LDF - Draft Joint West London Waste Plan
This report asks Planning Committee to consider the draft West London Waste Plan which is proposed for public consultation and, in particular, to note the sites proposed for allocation for waste management use within Brent. Members are asked to recommend that the Executive agree the draft plan for public consultation.
An appendix to this report is attached.
Decision:
(i) that the draft joint West London Waste Plan be not recommended to Executive for formal public consultation until issues regarding congestion, compensation, regeneration, hazard to public safety, fairness and acceptability had been addressed and a joint site visit had taken place;
(ii) noted that approval was also being sought to undertake consultation on the draft West London Waste Plan by five other west London councils, namely Hillingdon, Ealing, Harrow, Hounslow and Richmond upon Thames, as members of the West London Waste Authority partnership
Minutes:
This report asked Planning Committee to consider the draft West London Waste Plan proposed for public consultation and, in particular, to note the sites proposed for allocation for waste management use within Brent. Members are asked to recommend that the Executive agree the draft plan for public consultation.
The Policy and Projects Team Manager Ken Hullock informed the Committee that the Waste Development Plan Document (DPD) was being prepared jointly by the six West London Waste Authority (WLWA) boroughs of Brent, Ealing, Harrow, Hillingdon, Hounslow, and Richmond upon Thames. When completed the DPD would form part of the Local Development Framework for each borough. The Proposed Sites and Policies Consultation Document was the latest stage in the preparation of a joint Waste Development Plan Document (DPD), known as the West London Waste Plan, for the six west London boroughs.
He continued that the purpose of the WLWP was to set out a planning strategy to 2026 for sustainable waste management, deliver national and regional targets for waste recycling, composting and recovery so as to provide sufficient waste management capacity to manage waste arisings. Planning applications for any new waste management facilities would be considered in the light of the WLWP policies, and would also be assessed by the relevant council against the individual borough’s Local Development Framework, including its local development management policies and any other material considerations.
Members heard that in Brent, two existing waste sites were considered suitable for intensification or re-orientation, i.e. to make a potentially bigger contribution to the management of waste locally. These were Veolia Depot at Marsh Road, Alperton (1261) and the Twyford waste transfer station (352). In addition there were also four other sites identified as potential locations suitable for new waste treatment facilities within Brent. These were the Hannah Close site in Wembley (144), which was recently granted planning consent for waste management use, part of Twyford Tip also known as Asian Sky site (386), the rail sidings at Premier Park Road, Park Royal and formerly known as Heinz sidings (129) and land at Marsh Road, Alperton adjacent to the Veolia Depot (1262). These sites were appended to the report with the site numbers corresponding to those in the schedule of sites and the maps in the draft Waste Plan.)
The Committee were informed that the sites in Brent were chosen following initial consultations on a West London Waste Plan Issues and Options report between January and February 2009. Comments received since had helped to shape the Draft WLWP Proposed Sites and Policies document. The suitability of all these sites was tested by consultants Mouchel in light of the ‘Sustainability Appraisal’ and against a list of environmental site selection criteria. Members were requested to note that the sites chosen for consultation were either adjacent to, or were, within existing industrial areas, given that industrial areas must be considered for possible use for waste treatment, as a requirement of the London Plan.
Consultations on the Draft West London Waste Plan were planned for a six-week period commencing in mid-January and would comply with the Council’s Statement of Community Involvement, 2006. The six boroughs had agreed that consultation would be undertaken by members of the WLWP Steering Group Committee together with a firm of consultants, CAG, with a programme drawn up and agreed with their respective corporate communication officers. The Manager informed Members that delays in adopting the Plan might lead to the Council (and its West London Waste Authority partners) being subject to a number of additional expenses in dealing with its waste in future. For example, by continuing to send waste to landfill, the Council would be liable to pay landfill taxes (stemming from an EU Directive) as well as costs associated with transporting waste out of the area, in the absence of adequate local facilities to treat / recycle waste.
In the discussion that ensued, members noted that some Boroughs within the scheme such as Richmond upon Thames were being considered for much fewer sites compared to Brent. This situation was not only unfair but could also result in significant and disproportionate detrimental impact on public health of Brent residents without any compensatory and regenerative benefits. Members were therefore not minded to recommend the adoption of the WLWP until a joint site visit had been undertaken and issues regarding public safety, welfare, fairness and acceptability had been addressed.
RESOLVED:-
i) that the draft joint West London Waste Plan be not recommended to Executive for formal public consultation until issues regarding congestion, compensation, regeneration, hazard to public safety, fairness and acceptability had been addressed and a joint site visit had taken place;
(ii) noted that approval was also being sought to undertake consultation on the draft West London Waste Plan by five other west London councils, namely Hillingdon, Ealing, Harrow, Hounslow and Richmond upon Thames, as members of the West London Waste Authority partnership.
Supporting documents:
- 4- WL Waste DPD, item 4. PDF 94 KB
- 4a- Copy (2) of WLWP draft report (final 011010 - with maps), item 4. PDF 5 MB