NEWS

ESA SUPPORTS HAZARDOUS WASTE NPS BUT WARNS OF ‘EXORBITANT’ IPC FEES

The Environmental Services Association (ESA), has submitted its response to the consultation on the National Policy Statement for hazardous waste infrastructure.

ESA's director of policy, Matthew Farrow said: 'The hazardous waste market is highly specialised differing markedly from the markets for the general commercial, industrial and domestic waste streams. Specific guidance on planning for hazardous waste management infrastructure is badly needed. ESA therefore welcomes the proposed Hazardous Waste National Policy Statement and we see it as a sound framework for the Infrastructure Planning Commission's (IPC) decision making process.'

He continued: 'Whilst the ESA is broadly supportive of the NPS, we are concerned that some hazardous waste developments, that have until now been determined by a local planning authority, will in future be subjected to exorbitant IPC fees as the developments may well exceed the Planning Act thresholds. For example, a 30,000 tonne contaminated soil washing plant, which can hardly be considered nationally significant infrastructure, will fall within the scope of the Planning Act and be subject to the much higher IPC fee structure for limited benefit. As a further example, a development proposal for 100kt/annum contaminated soil treatment plant would typically incur an application fee of £7,000 under the existing regime, and would be determined by a local planning authority. However, such a development would in future fall within the thresholds of national development and this would mean a 12 to 33 fold increase in fees.'

ESA also criticised Defra for the late publication of the guidance on the application of the waste hierarchy to hazardous waste. Under the EU Waste Framework Directive the waste hierarchy has to be given legal effect, and in England & Wales this provision came into force on 28 September. However, (at the time of writing) Defra had so far only published guidance on how the hierarchy should be applied to non-hazardous waste.