| When applying for a new landfill or an extension of | | | | passing the buck to a higher level of government (in |
| an existing landfill in most nations there will be a | | | | the UK it is to the Secretary of State at Appeal). |
| planning permission to obtain before the project can | | | | Many say that landfills are not neded any more as |
| go ahead. This involves submitting a planning | | | | they know that recycling rates etc are being |
| application. | | | | increased, but even if you recycle 30 or 40 percent |
| Planning applications are handled within the local | | | | of your waste that still leaves 60 percent to dispose |
| authorities by officers with no particular reason to | | | | of in the traditional way. The public need reminding |
| specialise in waste disposal. They make | | | | that the new era of resource management will not |
| recommendations to extremely busy committees of | | | | be an overnight change. |
| elected members who are required to considering the | | | | Market manipulation through fiscal measures like landfill |
| whole range of planning issues in their locality, from | | | | tax are achieving results and making recycling more |
| multiplex cinemas to garage extensions and even TV | | | | attractive in the long-term. But this can be taken to |
| aerials and dormer windows. | | | | extremes, as has happened in Germany, and great |
| There are government provides them with guidelines | | | | care needs to be exercised in supporting markets |
| but planning law often favours the developer in that | | | | through fiscal instruments. |
| his application is to be granted unless there is a | | | | Of major concern is the danger in that the |
| reason shown why it should not be so. The | | | | government while making waste a special case to |
| Councillors will often wish to show at the very least | | | | improve the process which ultimately must provide |
| to their local constituents that they have sought to | | | | enough void capacity in landfills to avoid massive |
| avoid the siting of a landfill near them, and to show | | | | pollution from emergency tipping, they do not by so |
| the permission as part of a predetermined process. | | | | doing cause great public hostility. |
| For this reason local policies come much more to the | | | | The UK government is also introducing all sorts of |
| fore in weeding out undesirable, or probably more | | | | restrictions on the movement of waste, which make |
| correctly in most cases just simply undesired landfill | | | | markets almost exclusively national. |
| developments. | | | | To charge for removing domestic waste from |
| A planning approval system like this is self-evidently | | | | householders by weight of rubbish would possibly be |
| democratic, in that elected members are making the | | | | very sensible. But, the very high sensitivity of |
| decisions, but there are disadvantages. | | | | politicians in the UK to the concept of direct and |
| Firstly, applications for waste management facilities | | | | variable charging for domestic waste makes this |
| are rarely popular and the NIMBY (Not In My Back | | | | revenue collection and recycling incentive unlikely. |
| Yard) syndrome means that there are often electoral | | | | That is a shame because it is the simplest and |
| advantages to elected members in opposing them. | | | | easiest driver available and one that will have |
| This naturally places members in an invidious position. | | | | enormous benefit. Every other utility service is |
| In some counties a history of opposition to waste | | | | charged directly to the ratepayer and at variable |
| management facilities has resulted in the bypass of | | | | rates from electricity, water and gas. Why not |
| the planning system, with any application | | | | waste? |
| automatically being refused or not determined, thus | | | | |