Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent Joint Waste Core Strategy 2010 - 2026 Consultation Statement September 2011 Planning Committee Site Visit Protocol www.staffordshire.gov.uk Contents 1 Introduction 1 The Regulations 1 Stages of plan preparation 1 Background to joint working 1 2 Who was invited to make representations 4 Consultation in accordance with Statement of Community Involvement 4 3 How representations were invited 6 How individuals were invited to be involved in the plan preparation 6 a) Issues and Options, March 2007 7 Consultation Statement (Regulation 30 document) b) Issues and Options Part 2, September 2008 7 c) Emerging Joint Waste Core Strategy, August 2010 9 d) Revised Draft Policies, April 2011 14 4 How representations have been taken into account 21 A summary of the main issues raised and how they informed the next stage 21 a) Issues and Options, March 2007 21 b) Issues and Options Part 2, September 2008 22 c) Emerging Joint Waste Core Strategy, August 2010 32 d) Revised Draft Policies, April 2011 37 5 Next Steps 40 Timetable for preparation of Joint Waste Core Strategy 40 6 Appendices 41 Appendix 1: Poster, Issues and Options March 2007 consultation 41 Contents Appendix 2: Flyer, Issues and Options Part 2 September 2008 consultation 42 Appendix 3: Consultees List, Emerging Joint Waste Core Consultation Statement (Regulation 30 document) Strategy August 2010 consultation 43 Appendix 4: Media Campaigns 69 Support our Standards, 2010 69 Beyond the Bin, 2009 71 Appendix 5: Representations, Emerging Joint Waste Core Strategy August 2010 consultation 74 Appendix 6: Representations, Revised Draft Policies April 2011 consultation 178 Appendix 7: Press Releases 214 Issues and Options, March 2007 214 Issues and Options Part 2, September 2008 217 Appendix 8: Consultation Letters 219 Issues and Options, March 2007 219 Issues and Options Part 2, September 2008 220 Emerging Joint Waste Core Strategy, August 2010 221 Revised Draft Policies, April 2011 223 Introduction 1 1 Introduction The Regulations 1 1.1 This document comprises the ‘Consultation Statement’ for the Joint Waste Core Strategy for Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent. It has been prepared by Staffordshire County Council and Stoke-on-Trent City Council in accordance with Regulation 30 of the Town and Country Planning (Local Development) (England) Regulations 2004, as amended in 2008 and 2009, ‘the Regulations’. It sets out how the Councils complied with Regulation 25 of the Regulations on public participation in production of the Joint Waste Core Strategy Development Plan Document. 1.2 Regulation 25 prescribe the need for early involvement of certain bodies as well as the local community and businesses in the preparation of Development Plan Documents (DPDs). Regulation 30 (1) (d) requires a statement setting out: Who was invited to be involved in the plan preparation; How they were invited to be involved in the plan preparation; and, Consultation Statement (Regulation 30 document) A summary of the main issues raised as a result of the consultation and how those main issues were taken into account. Stages of plan preparation 1.3 There have been four stages of the preparation of the Joint Waste Core Strategy leading up to the submission draft of the Joint Waste Core Strategy (Regulation 27 Publication Document): Issues and Options, March 2007; Issues and Options Part 2, September 2008; Emerging Joint Waste Core Strategy, August 2010; and, Revised Draft Policies for Joint Waste Core Strategy, April 2011. 1.4 This Consultation Statement details who was invited to be involved in each stage of the plan preparation and how their consultation responses were taken into account at the next stage. Background to joint working 1.5 Staffordshire County Council had originally proposed to produce a Staffordshire Waste Core Strategy Development Plan Document (DPD) and a joint Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent Waste Site Allocation Development Plan Document. Following on from Issues and Options in March 2007 for the Staffordshire Waste Core Strategy the next stage was originally intended to be to develop Preferred Options. It was also the intention for Staffordshire County Council and Stoke-on-Trent City Council to commence work on a Joint Waste Site Allocations Document that same year and produce an issues and 2 Introduction options consultation document. Following advice from Government Office for the West Midlands (GOWM) and the Planning Inspectorate (PINS), and given 1 the risk in proceeding to the next stages in the absence of greater clarity and certainty about the process and the prospect of this leading to a ‘sound’ DPD, Consultation Statement (Regulation 30 document) particularly for the Core Strategy, it was proposed to delay commencement of work on both the Preferred Options for the Waste Core Strategy and the Waste Site Allocations Document whilst further work was undertaken to develop options for the Waste Core Strategy that were locally distinctive, focused on place and linked to wider planning strategies. The further work proposed was to gather evidence and engage on spatial options. 1.6 In November 2007, a resolution was sought from and approved by Members of the County and City Councils to enter into a joint working arrangement on the Waste Core Strategy Development Plan Document in accordance with Part 2 “Local Development”, Section 28 “Joint local development documents” of the “Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004”. 1.7 For a number of planning and financial reasons described below it made sense for Staffordshire County Council and Stoke-on-Trent City Council to work together on preparing a Joint Waste Core Strategy: Advice from GOWM and the publication of “Lessons Learnt” by the Planning Inspectorate suggested that the Waste Core Strategy should identify “broad locations” and/or “strategic sites” for future waste development. Staffordshire County Council Planning Committee in July 2007 received a report (Agenda item 8) which included a section entitled “re-think in response to latest advice” which explained that: “Core strategies are where tough decisions need to be made: strategic decisions cannot be left to subsequent DPDs” (Development Plan Documents)”). The Planning White Paper (2007) suggested that Site Allocations DPD’s may not be needed; Stoke-on-Trent City Council and Newcastle under Lyme Borough Council were already working jointly on a Core Spatial Strategy for their combined authorities. They had been advised by the Government Office for the West Midlands to strengthen the waste policy content of their core strategy, or to consider joint working with Staffordshire County Council as a more pragmatic solution which would avoid undue delays to the preparation of their core spatial strategy. The adopted Regional Spatial Strategy and the emerging Regional Spatial Strategy draft waste policies identified the tonnages of waste requiring management to the sub-region of Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent; A draft Municipal Waste Management Strategy has been produced jointly for Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent; The waste to energy plant at Hanford, Stoke-on-Trent is a shared, strategic facility; Prior to the new plan-making regime introduced by the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004, the County and City Council’s have Introduction 3 previously worked together to prepare the Structure Plan, Minerals Local Plan and of particular relevance, the Waste Local Plan; The cost of preparing the Waste Core Strategy would be shared. 1 1.8 To view the report to Staffordshire County Council Planning Committee on 8 November 2007 in relation to the resolution sought for joint working please use the following link: http://www.staffordshire.gov.uk/Resources/Documents/123/6WasteCoreStrategyDPD81107.Doc Consultation Statement (Regulation 30 document) 4 Who was invited to make representations 2 Who was invited to make representations 2 Consultation in accordance with Statement of Community Involvement Consultation Statement (Regulation 30 document) 2.1 The Regulations require local authorities to consult widely when preparing development plan documents. In addition to ‘specific’ bodies who must be consulted, ‘general’ and other bodies relevant to the purpose of the document should be consulted. 2.2 Consultation on the various preparatory stages of the Joint Waste Core Strategy has been undertaken in accordance with both Councils Statements of Community involvement (SCI). The Staffordshire County Council SCI was adopted in June 2006. The Stoke-on-Trent City Council SCI was adopted in 2007. 2.3 Table 1 of the Staffordshire County Council SCI is replicated below and lists the specific and general types of consultation bodies/groups that we have consulted and involved in the preparation of the Joint Waste Core Strategy. Specific consultation bodies Government Office for the West Midlands (abolished 31 Mar 2011) Local District and Borough Councils Parish / Town Councils Adjoining Local and Parish Councils The Environment Agency The Coal Authority English Heritage Natural England The Highways Authority The Secretary of State for Transport Primary Care Trust Statutory Undertakers Regional Development Agency Who was invited to make representations 5 General consultation bodies 2 Mineral and Waste site operators Planning consultants and agents Voluntary groups including: Environmental Heritage Social and health Sports Residents’ associations and other local community groups Religious and equal access groups Business associations ‘Hard to Reach’ groups 2.4 Individuals and organisations