Decision details

To agree the Council’s response to a consultation currently being carried out by the Cambridgeshire County Council and Peterborough City Council.

Cabinet AGREED to respond to the Minerals and Waste Issues and Options consultation 2 as follows:

(a)               To object in principle to the consultation being conducted without a Core Strategy and policy framework against which to assess the sites specified;

(b)               To express concerns about the apparent lack of consultation with local residents and Parish Councils;

(c)               To comment that it is unsuitable to locate Mechanical Biological Treatment (MBT) facilities in residential areas; and

(d)               To comment that:

“There is no clear strategy included in the Waste Local Plan or proposed in the issues and options report for provision of major waste management facilities.  A strategy is essential to provide a clear framework for site specific allocations for all scales of waste management facilities, from major waste management facilities to household waste recycling centres, and also any supporting uses such as waste transfer stations.  This should made clear the number, nature and scale of uses proposed and their intended catchment.  It should also identify the broad locations for such facilities to meet the objectives of the strategy.  This will enable a more detailed site selection process to be undertaken within the context of clear strategy.

“It is understood that the County Council intends that the next stage in the Waste Local Development Framework process will include preferred options for specific sites.  The District Council is concerned that this is a big step from the general approach being explored here without an intermediate consultation stage on both the overall strategy and site options.  The District Council would hope to be consulted on both the strategy and options for site specific allocations before preferred sites are identified that affect South Cambridgeshire, including the major developments.

“Whilst fully endorsing the proposal to carry out a full sustainability appraisal of this plan in the future, all environmental impacts should be considered and any potential health impacts identified so that mitigation measures can be implemented where appropriate.

“As a waste collection authority the District Council would wish to ensure that the sites are suitably located in order that South Cambs can deliver its waste collection responsibilities with minimal additional cost to the authority.

“The Plan should include a sufficient number of sites as is appropriate and those sites are located to enable effective delivery of the PFI contract.

“Combined Heat and Power plant using waste derived fuel from a local source, in line with government policy, has not been identified as a possible additional option. We would welcome the addition of this option in the growth areas within the policy.

“There is concern that this consultation on specific sites is taking place in the absence of a clear strategy for minerals and waste, making comments on the suitability of some sites difficult.  Also, these sites are put forward by the industry and there is no commentary from the minerals and waste authority to help provide a context for consultees to provide their comments.”

Cabinet thanked Members for the time and effort they had put into researching the issue and preparing reports.