Residents living in Nottingham and Nottinghamshire are being encouraged to have their say on a new plan which will encourage waste to be treated as sustainably as possible.
Nottingham City Council and Nottinghamshire County Council are working together to formally publish the Nottinghamshire and Nottingham Waste Local Plan.
This will look ahead to 2038 and will replace the current core strategy which was adopted in 2013.
A six-week public consultation launched on Wednesday 30 August and invites individuals and other interested parties to comment. This will close on Wednesday 11 October.
An informal consultation has already been carried out with more than 280 comments received – including from statutory bodies, district and parish councils, neighbouring county councils, the waste industry, interest groups and members of the public.
The new plan aims to ensure that a sufficient range of sites are provided to meet expected future demand for recycling and waste management in the most sustainable way.
It is designed to meet national recycling targets for household waste of 65 per cent and reduce the volume being sent to landfill sites.
The plan will also set out policies that waste development proposals will be determined against in the future – such as proposals for new household recycling centres.
These include strategic and development management, covering a range of topics such as ensuring the protection and enhancement of biodiversity and that any facility does not have a significant adverse impact on the area’s road network.
The plan does not allocate any sites to accommodate new facilities, but instead contains policies to make sure the city and county’s waste is managed in a sustainable way.
Councillor Angela Kandola, Portfolio Holder for Highways, Transport and Planning at Nottingham City Council, said: “The proposals in this new draft local waste plan demonstrate the continued commitment of Nottingham and Nottinghamshire towards building a sustainable future for our region.
“Looking ahead to 2038, this plan will guide our waste policy through a crucial period in time in which we will see a huge shift towards more sustainable practices across our whole society and forms an essential part in helping Nottingham achieve its target to be carbon-neutral by 2028.
“The strategy sets out how we plan to sustainably meet the expected future demands for recycling and waste management and hit the ambitious targets which have been set.
“How we manage our waste is an issue that affects everyone from residents to businesses and developers, so having taken on feedback from previous consultations we look forward to hearing all views on this new plan.”
Councillor Neil Clarke MBE, Nottinghamshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Transport and Environment, said: “The policies we have set out in the draft plan ensure that we have the right facilities in the right places to handle waste generated in Nottinghamshire and Nottingham to help ensure it is managed in the most sustainable way.
“The strategy will look at the future demand for recycling. The last one was adopted a decade ago and needs updating as we continue with our work to achieve household recycling targets.
“We have taken into account views from previous consultations and would now like members of the public to have their say on the latest version of the plan, which we intend to submit to the Secretary of State for independent examination.
“We look forward to receiving your comments and, if you have any questions about how to make representations and the plan, please visit our website and do not hesitate to get in touch.”
Members of the public can find out more about the Waste Local Plan via the county council’s website, with hard copies of the document available at select libraries across the county and city as well as at County Hall and Loxley House and district and borough council offices.
In the city, these will include Aspley, Basford, Bilborough, Bulwell Riverside, Clifton, Dales Centre, Hyson Green, Radford-Lenton, Southglade Park, St Ann’s Valley, Strelley Road and The Meadows.
Residents will also be able to put forward their views via an online consultation system, which is the preferred method, or they can download and complete the representation form and send it electronically via planning.policy@nottscc.gov.uk or by post to the Planning Policy Team at County Hall, West Bridgford, Nottingham, NG2 7QP.
Once the latest consultation has been carried out, the revised Waste Local Plan will go back before both city and county councils ahead of it being submitted to the Government for examination by the Secretary of State.
It is currently anticipated that the plan will be adopted in autumn 2024.