Issue - meetings

            The Executive Board had considered a report of the Strategic Director, Environment and Economy on the Merseyside and Halton Joint Waste Development Plan Document - Preferred Options 2 - New Sites Consultation.

            RESOLVED: That Council

(1)    note the results of consultation on the Waste Development Plan Document Preferred Options Report; and

(2)   approve the Preferred Options 2: New Sites Consultation Report and a six-week public consultation commencing in early 2011.

The Board received a report of the Strategic Director, Environment and Economy  on the Merseyside and Halton Joint Waste Development Plan Document - Preferred Options 2 - New Sites Consultation.

            The Board were reminded that the Borough Council was involved in producing a Merseyside Joint Waste Development Plan Document (Waste DPD) for the Merseyside sub-region. The plan focused on providing new capacity and new sites for waste management uses and delivered a robust policy framework to control waste development whilst meeting the identified waste management needs in Merseyside and Halton. The Waste DPD dealt with all waste including commercial and industrial, hazardous, construction, demolition, excavation and municipal waste.

            The Board had previously considered reports on the Preferred Options stage of producing the Waste DPD and the results of public consultation undertaken between May and July 2010 were attached at Appendix 1.

            On 22 October 2010, the City Region Cabinet considered a recommendation to endorse a public consultation, Preferred Options 2, on new sites for proposed allocation within the Plan and approval to be sought from each district. A number of meetings had been completed with consultees (notably adjacent planning authorities), and the waste industry to clarify and resolve issues raised during the Preferred Options consultation earlier in the year. Appendix 2 contained a report on the proposed replacement sites for allocation within the Waste DPD following the withdrawal of some sites after the July 2010 consultation.

Reason(s) for decision

Government policy (PPS10) requires that waste must be dealt with in a sustainable way. The Council is involved in producing a Joint Waste Development Plan Document (DPD) for the Merseyside sub-region. Drafting of the Plan has reached the stage where the policy framework contained in the Waste DPD needs to be subject to public scrutiny.

Alternative Options Considered and Rejected

The Waste DPD has been prepared through a multi-stage process.  Three public consultation stages have been completed:

·               Issues and Options took place in March and April 2007. 

·               Spatial Strategy and Sites stage took place between December 2008 and January 2009.

·               Preferred Options Report – 24^th May – 4^th July 2010

These reports document the evolution of the Plan and the options for policies and sites that have been considered and rejected. The results of the public consultation, engagement with stakeholders, industry and the Local Authorities and, detailed technical assessments have all been used to inform the preparation of this Report, forming a fourth public consultation stage. The Preferred Options 2 Report sets out the alternative options considered.

Implementation Date

The Joint Merseyside Waste DPD was scheduled to be adopted by all six partner Districts in October 2012.

            RESOLVED: That Council be recommended to

1)     note the results of the consultation on the Waste Development Plan Document Preferred Options Report; and

2)     approve the Preferred Options 2: New Sites Consultation Report and approve a six-week public consultation commencing in early 2011.