Q&As

Strategy Q&As

• What is the North London Joint Waste Strategy?

  The North London Joint Waste Strategy is the joint waste strategy for the London boroughs of Barnet, Camden, Enfield, Hackney, Haringey, Islington and Waltham Forest and the North London Waste Authority (which arranges the disposal of waste collected by these seven London Boroughs). It sets out how the partners will manage the waste that they collect from households and businesses in the area until 2020.
  
  The Strategy also sets out the roles of the London Boroughs (as 'waste collection authorities') and the North London Waste Authority (as the 'waste disposal authority'), and how collectively the partners will seek to reduce the amount of waste being generated, and recycle, compost, recover energy and dispose of the waste that is produced in North London over the forthcoming years to 2020.

• Why did you alter the Strategy in 2008 if it runs from 2004 - 2020?

  New legislation came into force in 2006 which requires certain strategies to be subjected to a 'Strategic Environmental Assessment' or SEA before they can be adopted. A SEA has therefore been undertaken of the 2004 draft North London Joint Waste Strategy and changes were proposed to the strategy as a result. The SEA legislation requires public consultation to be undertaken as part of the process.
  
  The North London Joint Waste Strategy also makes a commitment to regular reviews and updates.

• Can I see a copy of the 2004 draft of the Strategy?

  We can send you either an electronic or printed copy of the September 2004, 'Mayor's Draft' of the North London Joint Waste Strategy. Please contact our partnerships and planning manager if you would like either:

  Barbara Herridge
  Partnerships and planning manager

  Tel: 020 8489 5654
  Fax: 020 8365 0254

  North London Waste Authority
  LeeValley Technopark
  Unit 169, Ashley Road
  Tottenham
  N17 9LN

• What is a Strategic Environmental Assessment or SEA?

  A SEA is essentially an environmental review of a draft strategy. It identifies and assesses the likely environmental impacts of the draft strategy and makes recommendations for changes to reduce environmental impact. The findings of the SEA process should be incorporated into the final strategy that is produced. Public consultation forms part of the SEA process.

  SEA has a number of stages:

  • the first stage is to prepare a scoping report setting out what the process will cover. The scoping report must be sent to a number of statutory consultees for comment before it is finalised;
  • once the scope of the SEA has been finalised a SEA environmental report must be produced and issued for public consultation, along with the strategy on which the SEA is being undertaken;
  • following consideration of the comments received via the public consultation process, the draft strategy must be revised;
  • then, both the strategy and accompanying environmental report must be adopted; and
  • ongoing environmental monitoring of the strategy must be undertaken as it is implemented to ensure that environmental impacts are minimised.

  Section 2 of the SEA scoping report, outlines the stages involved in SEA and may provide a useful guide regarding the different aspects of the process.

• Is the North London Joint Waste Strategy the same as the North London Waste Plan?

  No, these are two separate documents.

  The North London Waste Plan is about the use of land and it will identify suitable sites for new waste facilities. The North London Waste Plan is being prepared by the same London Boroughs as those involved with preparing the North London Joint Waste Strategy, but in their separate capacity as planning authorities. The North London Waste Plan will set the land use planning framework for siting waste facilities in north London up until 2020, i.e. it will identify 'where' facilities will be located. Moreover, it will do this for all waste arising in north London, whether household, commercial, industrial, construction, demolition, clinical etc.

  The website for North London Waste Plan is www.nlwp.net.

  The North London Joint Waste Strategy sets out 'how' waste will be managed in the same period and it relates only to the waste collected by the seven London Borough Councils, which will be about a quarter of the total amount of waste considered within the North London Waste Plan.
  
  Whilst the North London Joint Waste Strategy provides a key input into the North London Waste Plan, the two documents and processes are separate. Sustainability appraisal, which is being undertaken on the North London Waste Plan is also a slightly different process to SEA.

• Is the North London Joint Waste Strategy proposing more incinerators in North London?

  Chapter 6 of the Strategy sets out five different potential combinations of new facilities that may be required for managing waste until 2020. These are not firm proposals for new facilities, but are included in the Strategy to show combinations of facilities for North London that would be able to provide the necessary services in an acceptable way from various perspectives.
  
  All five options include a mix of new facilities including recycling and composting plants. Different types of thermal treatment facilities, including incineration and gasification are also included as alternatives to landfill.
  
  The estimated costs and environmental impacts of each combination of facilities are included, however the Strategy does not conclude that any of the options should be favoured over the others and instead it says in Chapter 6 that:

  "The modelling includes mechanical and biological treatment, anaerobic digestion and gasification facilities across the scenarios, demonstrating their potential contribution. It is the Authority's preferred strategy to proceed with a technology neutral procurement process, and as new and emerging technologies develop in terms of deliverability and affordability the Partner Authorities will be pleased if the contribution of these technologies in delivering the Strategy can commence."

• What is the Authority's policy on incineration?

  Implementation Action 6B of the Strategy sets out the partners' proposed approach:

  6.B - The best option for North London will involve achievement of 50% recycling and composting rates by 2020, with treatment of the residual waste not being landfilled provided initially through the existing Energy from Waste incineration facility, and later through processing capacity, giving preference to advanced conversion technologies, especially where the products of waste treatment could be used as fuels, that are the best overall option taking account of net environmental impact, deliverability, reliability and affordability, looking at implied collection services too.

• How is my borough/local area affected?

  The North London Joint Waste Strategy sets out how all the seven North London boroughs and the North London Waste Authority will be changing the way in which waste is managed over the forthcoming years. For local areas this means more efforts to recycle and compost more waste, potentially additional local facilities and more investment in waste management across the area. Consultation will be undertaken when changes are proposed which might affect local residents.

• Where do I get further information?

  For information on the North London Joint Waste Strategy please contact our partnerships and planning manager Barbara Herridge.