The world of waste is changing. With mandatory food waste collection, businesses separating waste, media focusing on waste treatment and recycling, and government policies that promote new housing and potential reviews of local plans, there may be a need to consider if your Waste Needs Assessment (WNA) is still fit for purpose. This blog provides an overview of the development of WNAs, their importance to local policy and the steps required for achieving and successfully implementing a plan within your local authority area.

The National Planning Policy for Waste (NPPW) requires Waste Planning Authorities (WPAs) to ensure that the planned provision of new capacity for waste management and its spatial distribution is based on a robust analysis of the best available data and information. It must also include an appraisal of options ¹. The NPPW outlines that Local Plans must ensure that a proportionate evidence base is used for the provision of new waste capacity; they must identify a need for waste management facilities and identify suitable sites and areas for those waste management facilities.

A WNA forms part of the evidence base for the waste management component of Local Plans and is an important part of the planning process. Local Plans should identify sufficient opportunities to meet the associated needs of their area for the management of waste streams ². They should aim to drive waste up the waste hierarchy; recognise the need for different types and scales of facilities, they must also ensure that adequate provision would be made for waste disposal (including for residues from treated wastes); identify tonnages and percentages of waste requiring different types of management over the plan period; consider the extent to which existing operational facilities would satisfy any identified need; consider wider waste management needs; and work collaboratively with other WPAs (through the Duty to Cooperate) to provide a suitable network of facilities and deliver sustainable waste management³.

The WNA document will outline present and planned waste management capacity to meet likely future needs and quantify any assumed shortfall in capacity that exists in the Plan area’s waste management sector. This provides an indication as to how much additional waste management capacity will be required over the Plan period.

The key steps in developing a WNA include:

1. Generation of a robust baseline of waste arisings values and scoping out of target waste streams. In this stage, a baseline assessment of the current arisings of waste within the relevant geographical boundary is carried out. This facilitates an understanding of the key target waste streams which must be assessed regarding waste needs within the area.

2. Generation of realistic and meaningful forecasts of future waste arisings. Future levels of waste arisings are uncertain, therefore forecasts are used to produce projections of potential outputs. Forecasting future requirements involves using a number of scenarios based on different levels of arisings growth, and different levels of recycling, recovery and landfill performance⁴.

3. Identification of appropriate relevant targets for the management of waste, e.g. to ensure that waste is managed in accordance with the waste hierarchy. All targets for waste management should be aligned to the waste hierarchy, prioritising waste avoidance, reuse and recycling⁵.

4. Assessment of current capacity. After an assessment of the current waste arisings has been carried out, an assessment of the capacity for waste management, based on current waste arisings should also be assessed. This may include outlining the capacity of recycling facilities, biological treatment plant, energy from waste plants, or landfill.

5. Quantification of future capacity needs accounting for cross boundary movements of waste. After current capacity has been calculated, future capacity needs should be examined based on projected waste arisings⁶. In addition, often when new waste management facilities are implemented, locations outside of a Local Plan area may use the facility, therefore this should also be taken into consideration.

6. Establishment of associated future gaps in waste management capacity and identification of facility and site requirements to fill any identified projected gap. Assessing future waste projections against current capacity will facilitate an understanding of where capacity gaps might occur. Understanding this can provide the evidence required for increased capacity.

In summary, a WNA is an important part of a Local Plan and the planning process. It is essential that waste management capacity not only meets current waste needs, but could also meet future requirements should waste increases occur in a specific geographical area for reasons such as population or economic growth. A WNA provides the core evidence base required for the effective and continued implementation of waste management processes that will continue to meet demands.

Frith Resource Management provides technical support to local authorities and the private sector on collection, treatment and disposal issues, for details see www.frithrm.com, call 01746 552423 or email emily@frithrm.com.

¹ https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-planning-policy-for-waste

²https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/11443/1876202.pdf

³ https://www.gov.uk/guidance/waste

⁴ https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/forecasting-2020-waste-arisings-and-treatment-capacity

⁵ https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/waste-prevention-programme-for-england-maximising-resources-minimising-waste/the-waste-prevention-programme-for-england-maximising-resources-minimising-waste

⁶https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/955897/waste-management-plan-for-england-2021.pdf