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Document contents Section 1 – Sites Assessment and Methodology Report Section 2 – Rationale for Preferred Allocations and Associated Consultation Question Section 3 – Site Proformas Section 1 Sites Assessment and Methodology Report Essex and Southend-on-Sea Replacement Waste Local Plan Sites Assessment and Methodology Report LUC Methodology, Findings and Recommendations April 2015 ECC and SBC Rationale for Preferred Allocations and Associated Consultation Question May 2015 1 Version Date Version Details Prepared by Checked by Approved by 1 18/12/14 Working Draft Report for Josh Allen Taran Livingston Taran Livingston client comment Chris Green Taran Livingston 2 31/1/15 Final Draft Report Josh Allen Taran Livingston Taran Livingston incorporating client Chris Green comments Jonathan Hill Shontelle Williams Taran Livingston 3 10/03/2015 Final Report incorporating Josh Allen Taran Livingston Taran Livingston further client comments Taran Livingston 4 19/05/2015 Final Report incorporating Josh Allen Taran Livingston Taran Livingston further client comments Taran Livingston 2 LUC Methodology, Findings and Recommendations April 2015 1. Introduction 1.1. Essex County Council (ECC) and Southend-on-Sea Borough Council (SBC) are Waste Planning Authorities (WPAs) and as such, are required to prepare a Waste Local Plan (WLP). ECC and SBC are working jointly to produce a Replacement Waste Local Plan as required under the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act (2004). Once adopted the Waste Local Plan will provide the framework for where new waste development should go and determining planning applications for new waste facilities, and changes to existing waste facilities. The Replacement WLP was formerly called the Waste Development Document or WDD. 1.2. The last key stage in the preparation of the Replacement WLP was the “WDD: Preferred Approach”. This was published in November 2011 for consultation under Regulation 18 of the Town and Country Planning Regulations1 and work was subsequently put “on hold” in spring 2012. 1.3. The purpose of the WDD: Preferred Approach was to outline the WPAs’ preferred policy approach for managing waste within the Plan area. It included the preferred approaches for the spatial vision, strategic objectives, spatial strategy, site allocations, core policies, development management policies and a proposed monitoring framework. 1.4. The WDD: Preferred Approach identified site specific proposals for strategic waste management facilities, drawing on potential sites that were proposed through a Call for Sites exercise in 2011. These sites had been selected through a site selection process that was undertaken internally by the WPAs. 1.5. As a result of significant changes to the policy context for the Waste Local Plan since the Preferred Approach was published, the WPAs decided that a further round of Regulation 18 consultation was required before moving to Regulation 19 (Publication of the Plan). As part of this new consultation stage, it has been necessary to re-evaluate the existing sites that have been considered for inclusion within the Plan, and to consider a number of new sites that were proposed during the Preferred Approach consultation at the end of 2011/early 2012 and during a recent Call for Sites exercise carried out by the WPAs in June 2014. 1.6. LUC was commissioned in 2014 to undertake the assessment of waste proposals on potential sites to identify sites for inclusion in the Essex and Southend-on-Sea Revised Preferred Approach consultation. Structure of this Report 1.7. This Report describes the approach taken to the site assessment process and the findings and recommendations for which sites should be included in the WLP. It is structured as follows: 1 Town and Country Planning (Local Planning) (England) Regulations (2012). 3 Section 2: Methodology – describes the method used to identify and assess potential sites for waste management uses, and to select the most suitable sites for allocation in the WLP. Section 3: Findings – summarises the findings of the site assessment for all the sites considered. Section 4: Conclusions and Recommendations – sets out the conclusions and recommendations of the site assessment process in terms of which sites are considered most suitable for allocation in the WLP. Addendum by ECC / SBC: Setting out the rationale for taking the recommendations forward into the Waste Local Plan: Revised Preferred Approach. The addendum also includes a question for the Revised Preferred Approach consultation around the Site Selection Criteria. 4 2. Methodology 2.1. This section explains the method used for identifying and assessing the suitability of sites that could be allocated for waste uses in the WLP. The identification of potential sites for consideration was undertaken by the WPAs through consultation with the waste industry and landowners . 2.2. In accordance with the National Planning Policy for Waste (NPPW)2, the methodology for selecting preferred sites for allocation in the WLP has been designed to deliver waste capacity requirements likely to arise in the plan area in accordance with the ‘Waste Hierarchy’. The methodology also needs to meet the emerging spatial strategy for the WLP, i.e. to provide a network of waste management facilities across the Plan area proximate to those key settlements generating the most waste and most likely to experience the most growth and change in the future (e.g. Chelmsford, Colchester, Basildon, Harlow and Southend) as well as other smaller centres also identified as growth areas. Opportunities for the co-location of waste facilities and using waste as a resource, including opportunities for the use of waste to create energy, such as heat and/or power, will be supported where appropriate, although the potential for cumulative impacts of waste facilities on nearby communities has been taken into account. In line with the NPPW, allocated sites are also to be located, designed and operated to minimise potential adverse impacts on the general amenity of local communities, the natural and historic environment and the landscape and townscape of Essex and Southend. 2.3. The assessment method was carried out in the following stages: Identification of potential waste sites. Update of Preferred Approach site assessment criteria. Stage 1 – Assessment of all the potential sites against five ‘Exclusionary’ criteria. Stage 2 – Initial assessment of sites which successfully passed Stage 1 to determine whether in the green belt or not, or if suitable in highway terms and/or complies with transport policy. Stage 3 – Detailed assessment of the sites successfully passed Stages 1 and 2 against 12 site selection criteria. Stage 4 – Cross-checking and moderation of all site assessments/scores by ECC to ensure consistency between assessors. Stage 5 – Identification of the most suitable sites which could meet the over-arching spatial strategy for the WLP. 2 National Planning Policy for Waste. DCLG, October 2014: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-planning-policy-for-waste 5 Identification of potential waste sites 2.4. The first task involved identifying the potential waste sites for assessment. Site proposals from three different sources were collated and mapped: Sites previously obtained by the WPA from a Call for Sites exercise in 2011 and published for consultation in the WDD: Preferred Approach in November 2011. Additional Sites proposed during the WDD: Preferred Approach consultation in at the end of 2011. New sites proposed during a recent Call for Sites exercise in May/June 2014. 2.5. Table 1 lists the sites identified for assessment alongside their source, reference code and the City, District or Borough Local Authority in which they are located. Table 1: List of potential sites included in site assessment process Site Site Name City/District/Borough Reference Authority WDD: Preferred Approach Published in November 2011 IWMF1 Stanway Site Colchester IWMF2 Rivenhall Site Braintree IWMF3 Tovi EcoPark (Courtauld Road) Basildon W1 Green Acres, Old Packards Lane, Colchester Wormingford W2 Units 5-7 Hallsford Bridge Ind Est, Brentwood Ongar W3 Basildon WWTW 1, Courtauld Rd Basildon W7 Sandon East Chelmsford W8 Elsenham Uttlesford W9 Great Dunmow Uttlesford W10 Harlow Harlow W12 Ballast Quay, Fingringhoe Colchester W13 Wivenhoe Quarry Plant Area Colchester W14 Alresford Tendring W15 Wellwick, Martins Fm, St Osyth Tendring W16 Eastern Avenue Southend L(i)3R Tile Kiln, Valley Fm, Sible Braintree Hedingham L(i)4R Shellow Cross Fm, Willingale Chelmsford, Epping L(i)5 Sunnymead, Elmstead & Heath Tendring Fms, Alresford L(i)6 Sandon Chelmsford L(i)7 Stanway (Fiveways Fruit Farm) Colchester L(i)8R Armigers Farm Uttlesford L(i)10R Blackley Quarry, Gate Farm Site 1 Chelmsford L(i)13R Wellwick, Martins Fm, St Osyth Tendring L(n)1R Slough Fm, Ardleigh - Area 1 Tendring L(n)2R Martell's Tendring 6 L(n)33 Crumps Fm, Lt Canfield Uttlesford Additional Sites Proposed During WDD: Preferred Approach Consultation in Late 2011 W24 Widdington - Hollow Road Uttlesford W25 Fairfield Farm - Fordham Road Colchester W27 Friern Manor - Land South of A127 Basildon, Brentwood L(n)7R Little Bullocks Farm Site A22 Uttlesford L(n)8R Little Bullocks Farm Site A23 Uttlesford New Sites Proposed During June 2014 Call for Sites Exercise W17 Allens Farm - Wivenhoe Road, Tendring Colchester, CO7 7BN W18 Batemans Farm - Lynderswood Braintree, Chelmsford Lane W19 Hastingwood - London Road Harlow W20 Courtauld Road, Burnt Mills Basildon L(i)16 Dollymans Farm - Doublegate