March 26, 2004—Britain must end its over reliance on landfill and streamline its complicated planning processes if EU regulations on waste are to be met, according to the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS).
RICS’ research shows that a minimum of 170 significant new waste sites are needed in the South East alone by 2015, if the region is to deliver the facilities required to meet the shift away from landfill—a situation mirrored across the country.
Major waste management facilities attract significant public opposition and are extremely politically sensitive. The report says that as proposals come forward, the current planning system, “fraught with confusion and uncertainty,” may fail to deliver.
The situation demands a move away from the traditional landfill solution used across the UK to processing waste in other ways such as recycling, biological and thermal treatment facilities, says the RICS.
RICS outlines a series of recommendations that the government must consider in order for the UK to deliver on its waste management targets:
- Making brownfield sites more readily available for waste management purposes.
- Clarifying the role of ‘best practicable environmental option’ concept, and the circumstances in which it should be applied, who should take the lead in making the assessment, and how the public should be actively engaged in the process.
- Adopting a coordinated approach to waste management rather than the existing division of responsibilities within central government (DEFRA, DTI and ODPM).
- A clear statement from central government on the pressing need for a larger number of new waste facilities including energy from waste plants.
Reprinted with permission; copyright 2004 i-FM
