Waste: A Game of Snakes and Ladders? : Public Services and Utilities - Case Study
A New Approach to Public Consultation
With Hampshire County Council's limited capacity landfill sites, the county currently relies heavily on waste incineration: incinerators handle approximately 30 per cent of municipal waste.
However, the present incinerators will not meet EC emission standards and are set to close in 1996. so it was not surprising that the use of new generation incinerators was a major element of the County's 1998 integrated waste management strategy. However, this aspect of the proposal met with such vociferous, co-ordinated and informed public opposition that the proposed major plant was withdrawn. in view of the clear public distrust of incineration the county Council, assisted by PDA International, embarked on a novel approach to public consultation.
A Waste Management Advisory Forum was established to enable members of the public to undertake a detailed review of waste management options for the county.
In fact, three separate committees were formed, chaired by local people. Each set its own agenda, requesting specific briefing papers, holding meetings, visiting disposal sites and questioning county councillors, county officers and independent experts including several from Europe. Issues of concern included public health protection, environmental impact, cost, sustainability and public acceptability of waste disposal strategies.
Various approaches were considered and the Forum concluded that waste to energy incineration should only occur after other waste disposal schemes have been fully exploited. The Forum recommended that incineration, and indeed landfill techniques, has to be better explained in order to allay public fears and provision must be made for the independent monitoring of emissions.
Above all it became clear that waste is seen as a local issue. Communities that are directly affected by waste handling facilities need to be involved in the decision making process and, where practicable, should see direct benefit from the operation such as reduced community charges. The Forum did not believe that waste should be transported out of the County simply on the basis of lower cost: it felt the County has a moral responsibility to deal with the waste it produces.
Decisions regarding Hampshire's waste management strategy will quite rightly be taken by the elected members of the County Council. However, the councillors have a report from the Waste Advisory Forum that underlines the extent of public concern.
By this open approach to public consultation, Hampshire county council displayed an understanding of the emotive nature of waste management and may well mark a new beginning for democratic decision-making on sensitive environmental issues.
