Essex County Council’s Cabinet today approved plans to launch the consultation into the Essex and Southend Waste Development Document: Preferred Approach on Thursday 24 November, running for eight weeks.

The Preferred Approach sets out, for the first time, what the proposals are for meeting future waste requirements across Essex and Southend-on-Sea until 2031.

This follows the previous Issues and Options consultation, which sought views on a range of issues, and contained a call for sites to ensure sufficient capacity of waste management facilities in Essex and Southend-on-Sea.

Evidence gained during the planning process signalled a substantial shift away from the need for additional landfill capacity, with waste being diverted away from landfill to the network of existing and permitted waste management facilities.

On this basis, it is not intended to take any site allocations for landfill forward within the Waste Development Document at this stage. Existing waste management facilities deemed to be strategic have been safeguarded, and a small number of additional facilities have been allocated to meet identified capacity needs.

The document also sets out the waste planning policy framework to determine applications covering a range of waste types mainly including commercial and industrial waste, municipal solid waste, construction and demolition waste, hazardous and low level radioactive waste.

During the eight-week consultation period the summary document, main Preferred Approach document and accompanying papers will be available to view online, or in hard copy at County Hall, Chelmsford; Civic Centre, Southend on Sea Borough Council; Essex district and borough council offices; and at main Essex public libraries. 

Those living near a suggested site will also be invited to attend a local drop-in session to discuss the proposals for their area with planning officers. Further details on these sessions will be made available in November.

County Councillor John Jowers, Cabinet Member for Communities and Planning said: “I encourage residents to take part in this consultation as it provides the main opportunity to influence the future direction of waste policy and the selection of future sites.

"It is a legal requirement that the Waste Development Document is put in place to ensure that future waste provision for Essex and Southend-on-Sea is appropriately met, situated in the right locations, and has a minimal impact on the environment. We are continuing to ensure that all those likely to be affected by the plan have the chance to be involved in the consultation process, and I would like to thank everyone who has contributed so far.”