1 | Policy | Key issues | Implementation and Outcomes |
| Waste Framework Directive - implemented by the Waste Management Licensing Regulations 1994, the Environmental Protection Act 1990 and the Pollution Prevention and Control (Scotland) Regulations 2000 | A. Requires the planning system to provide policies and sites for waste disposal. In general terms the Scottish Ministers consider that a number of planning authorities have failed to take account of the need for waste management infrastructure in their local plans.
B. Recovery or disposal of waste without endangering human health and without processes or methods which could harm the environment (1994 Regs.: Schedule 4, 4(1)(a).
C. Liaison within local authorities and between planning authorities and SEPA.
D. In December 2005, the European Commission proposed a new thematic strategy on the prevention and recycling of waste 24. Those proposals are likely to give further emphasis to the need to provide the right infrastructure. | A. From July 2006 to July 2011 the Executive, working with the United Kingdom Government, is required to compile returns to the European Commission demonstrating the extent to which development plan policy on waste management is being updated.
The Scottish Ministers will continue to work with planning authorities to tackle areas where particular pressures may lie and will only be prepared to approve structure plans which take adequate account of the need for waste management infrastructure. The Scottish Ministers will also require authorities to update local plans to take full account of the need for infrastructure which supports sustainable waste management. A benchmark report is the publication Local Plans: Meeting Area Waste Plan Objectives (2005)25.
B. In practice, SEPA's pollution control powers and its licensing and permitting regimes ensure that this Regulation is implemented to control emissions from facilities. Permitting applications are passed to health boards or the Food Standards Agency for comment as part of SEPA's statutory consultation process. In most cases that will free planning authorities from consideration of health impacts when determining planning applications.
C. More effective contact between local authorities and SEPA can be driven by better communication between planning officials and their waste managers.
D. Outcomes yet to be implemented. |
2 | Landfill Directive
| By 2010, 2013 and 2020 biodegradable municipal waste disposed of to landfill will be reduced progressively to 75%, 50% and 35% of the total produced in 1995 26.
SEPA and the Scottish Executive looking into landfill capacity/needs. | As well as the reduction of waste and increased recycling and composting, targets will also lead to increased requirements for infrastructure to treat municipal waste. For non-municipal waste, the closure of many smaller landfills that no longer meet Pollution Prevention and Control ( PPC) Regulations, higher environmental standards at landfill sites generally and the UK Government's Landfill Tax will all lead to increased demand to reduce waste or to find alternative ways of dealing with waste in new installations. |
3 | Landfill (Scotland) Regulations 2003 | New landfills must comply with the Regulations. | See paragraph 40 for specific planning requirements. |
4 | Pollution Prevention and Control (Scotland) Regulations 2000 | The Regulations implement the requirements relating to landfill and incineration, as well as to other forms of waste management. | A practical guide to the Regulations can be found at:
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Resource/Doc/158532/0042982.pdf |
5 | National Waste Strategy | Provides the context for the National Waste Plan. | Implementation driven by NWP and AWP requirements. |
6 | National Waste Plan | Aims to stop growth in municipal waste by 2010. Indicates that if growth should slow to 1.5% from 2010 to 2020, arisings of municipal solid waste could increase to 4.38 mt. by 2020.
Brings together eleven Area Waste Plans and forms the key to the implementation of the National Waste Strategy. | The National Waste Plan's targets and Area Waste Plan infrastructure requirements are not site specific and should be addressed by planning authorities in development plans. |
| The National Waste Management Plan for Scotland Regulations 200727. | The Regulations make it the duty of Scottish Ministers to prepare the successor to the National Waste Plan 2003. | Scottish Ministers will have regard to SPP 10 as successor to NPPG 10 until Scottish Ministers have prepared a plan which is to constitute the national waste management plan, in accordance with the Regulations. |
7 | The eleven Area Waste Plans ( AWPs) | Area Waste Plans articulate the National Waste Plan at area level.
Updated Area Waste Plan requirements will undergo SEA/ BPEO establishing need that can be accommodated by development plans. | Number and range of installations established in each AWP was subject to rigorous best practicable environmental option ( BPEO) assessment 28. Principle of those options is therefore established so for Strategic Environmental Assessment of development plans, it will be necessary for planning authorities to assess only locational impacts.
For non-municipal waste, the locational dimension of additional infrastructure will require a wider picture to be recognised in policy development. Planning authorities to continue to provide an input to AWP implementation through Waste Strategy Area Groups.
Progress on implementation is recorded in Area Waste Plan annual reports 29, providing a record for planning authorities when preparing development plans. Annual reports record actions achieved deleted or restructured and may contain assessments of progress made in neighbouring structure or local plan areas. Against that background, the Scottish Ministers will, when considering development plans, development proposals notified to them, or appeals, support efforts to focus strongly on delivering AWP requirements consistent with the strategic waste fund.
The need to secure a better fit between development plans and Area Waste Plans is driven by the Waste Framework Directive obligations set out above. |
8 | Business Waste Framework | Improved data for business waste;
Minimising business waste;
Improving recycling collections for small to medium enterprises;
Ensuring that waste management legislation takes full account of the need for sustainable waste management;
Considering the scope for further landfill bans;
Ensuring that the land-use planning system responds efficiently to the need for infrastructure for business waste and continuing to develop markets for recyclate collected from business. | SEPA waste data strategy.
Action by business and others to minimise waste and to improve recycling facilities;
Effective waste regulation and land-use planning;
Clear and transparent way forward on landfill bans. |
9 | Scottish Planning Policies ( SPPs) | The Scottish Planning Policy on waste management engages in particular with:
SPP 1 - The Planning System
SPP 2 - Economic Development
SPP 6 - Renewable Energy
SPP 17 - Planning for Transport | Refer to specific sections of this SPP.
SPP 1: Area Waste Plans: example of a material planning consideration.
SPP 2: The planning system should provide strong support for economic development.
SPP 6: Recognition of contribution from energy from waste and landfill gas, including decentralised renewable energy systems.
SPP 17: Transport Assessment and Implementation: A Guide is published alongside SPP 17. |
10 | National Planning Framework ( NPF) | Maps additional capacity requirements expected by 2013 for municipal waste; new materials reclamation facilities, energy from waste plants, composting plants and landfills.
The second National Planning Framework ( NPF2) will provide a statutory basis for national development priorities, which may include certain waste management priorities. | For detailed information in drawing up development plans, planning authorities should refer to the NPF, this SPP and Area Waste Plans. The conclusion to consideration of outline cases for strategic waste fund bids 30 will roll forward to 2020 the spatial distribution of installations shown in the NPF. NPF map 20 shows only a partial picture, as landfill capacity remaining at 2013 will still be required, together with any thermal treatment or new landfill capacity.
Public consultation and Parliamentary scrutiny will take place on NPF 2 before its confirmation as the spatial plan for Scotland. |
11 | Policy for the Long Term Management of Solid Low Level Radioactive Waste in the United Kingdom, PB12522 March 2007 31 | Provision of appropriate disposal routes for low level waste ( LLW) arisings from the nuclear and non-nuclear industries. Low level waste and high volumes of very low level waste can be disposed of to specified landfills. Low volumes of very low level waste may be disposed of to unspecified destinations together with municipal, commercial or industrial wastes | Nuclear Decommissioning Authority will formulate and publish its plans for LLW management and disposal in its Strategy and Annual Plans and wherever appropriate and practicable will make such facilities available to others on the basis of suitable commercial terms. The strategy and annual plans will provide guidance to planning authorities.
Non-nuclear sector dependence on landfill and incineration. Maintenance of required disposal routes to minimise effect on environment including need for long distance transport.
Government and Nuclear Decommissioning Authority to estimate the extent and geographical distribution of LLW arisings from the nuclear and non-nuclear sectors; develop a UK-wide strategy, and; ensure sufficient provision in planning strategies. |
12 | Scottish Sustainable Development Strategy ( SSDS) 32 | The SSDS was published in December 2005. The Executive recognises that economic growth should be delivered without or with fewer adverse environmental consequences such as waste.
Provides strategic framework for a number of the Executive's new and emerging strategies on climate change, transport, renewable energy, energy efficiency, green jobs and biodiversity. | The strategy includes actions to support environmental justice, moving away from over-dependence on landfill. |
13 | Green Jobs Strategy 33 | Highlights potential new business opportunities - including waste and recycling. Updated quarterly. | The green jobs strategy highlights the wealth of business and employment opportunities arising from the shift towards a sustainable future. Sustainable locations for waste management infrastructure will rely in part on accessibility to the labour force. |