New guidance intended to help provide the waste infrastructure required in England to meet obligations under the Landfill Directive, has been published by Defra.
The intention of the guidance, “Waste Infrastructure Delivery Programme - Planning Systems Guidance”, is to encourage a constructive approach to waste planning and help to speed the delivery of waste infrastructure.
In particular the document aims to help ensure that regional spatial strategies (RSS) and local development plans conform to national planning guidance on waste. This in turn should help waste infrastructure proposals needed to deliver Defra’s Waste Strategy for England 2007 to obtain planning approval more expeditiously, where appropriate.
This should also lead to best practice in the way that local authorities consult stakeholders on their waste strategies.
Efw - the Belvedere plant (Impression: Cory)
Defra considers that the guidance should lead to a better understanding amongst infrastructure promoters, of the planning system and should deliver significant benefits. This might be through an understanding of "appropriate development"; a positive ‘strategy’ for contributing through engagement, to the development plan; or ensuring the planning system’s needs receive a comprehensive treatment in relation to planning applications.
If the guidance is followed, planning applications are expected more likely to be consistent with the appropriate development plan. The resultant ‘planning-positive’ application should improve the chances of a favourable outcome at the first attempt and reduce the risk of delays, according to the guidance.
The document has a tripartite structure providing:
- A Planning Process Guide;
- Case Studies; and
- An Infrastructure Planning Roadmap.
Community involvement
The guidance deals with community involvement which is a vital process in the planning sphere.
It indicates that the approach to community engagement when making planning applications or when producing municipal waste management strategies is critical throughout the processes involved.
The aim of community engagement in planning is to seek the views of local people. It provides opportunities to explain the planning process and how local government works, in addition to explaining the community’s needs and those of the business sector.
Every planning authority is required to prepare a Statement of Community Involvement (SCI) which sets out its main principles for community involvement. Guidance considers that the Statement will actively encourage applicants to undertake early community involvement to explain their proposals to the local community.
Further information
A copy of the guidance document, “Waste Infrastructure Delivery Programme Planning Systems Guidance” can be downloaded from the Defra website.