3.11 Future Developments and Proposals

The BPEO for MSW in the North East has been chosen with regard to a given set of assumptions and the methods and technologies currently available. It is accepted that changes in legislation, technology or knowledge may mean the chosen BPEO could be superseded. To allow for future developments or proposals not included in the plan, the BPEO will be kept under review and may be amended by valid proposals that can be shown to provide a better BPEO. The Waste Strategy Area Group will consider evaluating relevant waste-management proposals for an improved BPEO as they arise.

The options included in the BPEO evaluation are generic and for the most part, not site-specific. Hence site-specific development proposals that arise both inside and outside the borders of the Waste Strategy Area are valid and may satisfy or improve the agreed BPEO.

Regional or national-scale waste facilities may be proposed by developers at a scale designed to attract waste from outside the Waste Strategy Area in which they are located. As part of the planning application process, the developer may be required to demonstrate that the proposals satisfy or exceed the BPEO of the Waste Strategy Areas from which the waste will be obtained. The results of this BPEO evaluation will be a material consideration in the planning process for such developments.

Where existing or proposed regional or national–scale facilities will result in waste movement between Waste Strategy Areas, then consideration of the proposed waste exports and imports must be included in the BPEO process, as described in the following paragraphs.

Waste Export and import
The ‘Export or Import’ of waste should be considered as part of the BPEO process, for both the importing and exporting areas, where it is proposed as an original or developing option. Any subsequent review of the BPEOs should also take this into consideration. Approval of the proposed waste-management facilities in the importing area is a matter for consideration by the planning and licensing authorities.