Public hearing on Hertfordshire's waste policy
A public hearing into Hertfordshire County Councilâs Waste Core Strategy and Development Management policies begins at County Hall in Hertford today, as the final stage of development before the plans can be adopted.
Planning inspector Susan Holland is leading the examination, which is expected to last two to three weeks. The public are welcome to attend the hearings.
The examination will consider the county councilâs overall land-use planning policies regarding waste, and establish whether the county councilâs plans are legally compliant, justified, effective and consistent with national policy.
A subsequent report on her conclusions and recommendations for changes will be legally binding on the council.
But campaigners against the county councilâs plans to build an incinerator at New Barnfield have been warned the hearing will not be dealing with individual cases.
Cllr Richard Thake, executive member for environment, said the hearing was âabsolutely not site specificâ.
Where Should Hertfordshire's Waste Go?
Derrick Ashley, Executive Member for Waste, explained: "We already have a Waste Plan for the county, but this is now out of date and needs to be reviewed. The new plan, which will cover the period 2011-2026, will set out the county council’s policies and proposals for the future annual treatment of three million tonnes of waste. This includes identifying areas that may have the potential to accommodate waste facilities as well as safeguarding existing facilities." The county council is consulting on the Core Strategy and Development Management Policies Document which sets out the overall vision and objectives for waste planning in the county. It also identifies broad locations where strategic waste facilities will be needed. Following this consultation, the document will be submitted to the Secretary of State for examination. The county council is also taking this opportunity to seek views on the Waste Site Omissions Document. This document shows areas of land which may be...