The North London Waste Plan have declared their consultation period with residents to be over.

The results are summarised in a whopper of a PDF file on their site; you can look at it here.

There are several references to the Blackhorse area including this about residents opinion:

A significant number of respondents expressed specific opposition to the use of the Blackhorse Lane area for new waste facilities because of potential negative impacts on residential amenity, health and the local transport network. In addition, the development of waste facilities in this area is seen by some to be incompatible with the current and proposed future regeneration of the area.

On 15 April 2008 a group of BAG members and local residents met at Blackhorse Lane Baptist Church to discuss issues arising from the North London Waste Plan (NLWP) Issues and Options report with two representatives from NLWP (Archie Onslow, Project Manager and Neil from CAG Consultants) and Judith Carlsson (Regeneration Manager, Borough of Waltham Forest. This meeting was part of the first consultation stage for the NLWP.

The meeting started with a short presentation by Archie Onslow, explaining the issues involved. The NLWP will provide a planning framework to identify sites suitable for waste processing facilities (of industrial as well as household waste). North London, will, in future, have to make provision for processing a higher percentage than previously of the waste produced in the seven boroughs that now constitute the North London Waste Authority.

The tonnage of waste each borough has been allocated by the Mayor is called “apportionment”. This is the minimum quantity of waste each waste authority has to process within its own boundaries. To process the waste tonnage set by the apportionment for north London will require around an extra 9 hectares of land for the accommodation of new waste processing facilities. Beyond that, it is deemed desirable that London boroughs work towards increasing self-sufficiency in waste processing. To achieve self sufficiency for the six north London boroughs of the NLWP would require an extra 24 hectares of land (1 hectare = the size of one football pitch).

The report outlines the issues and options involved in dealing with the challenges presented by the need for increased waste processing facilities in north London. In this context, the report lists six locations that have been identified as suitable for the siting of new waste processing facilities in north London. Three of these sites are in Waltham Forest (one at Blackhorse Road), two in Enfield, and one in Barnet.

Local residents expressed their extreme concern over the suitability of the locations listed in the report and the effect pollution from waste processing facilities will have on residents’ health and quality of life in the adjacent residential areas. It appeared to us that research data relating to these issues are rather scant. Furthermore, is there any legal provision defining the minimum distance waste processing facilities have to be sited from residential properties?

Some of the other issues raised concerned:

The fact that the boroughs Waltham Forest and Enfield are already accommodating most of north London’s waste processing facilities, allowing boroughs such as Barnet to offload the problem almost entirely outside of their own area.

The effect increased traffic caused by trucks transporting waste to and from these plants will have on the local environment.

The lack of cohesion in the Council’s planning policy as far as the future of the Blackhorse Lane area is concerned: intending to place quality housing, shops and cafés in close proximity to a waste processing plant.

In summary, local residents expressed severe discontent over the fact that north London’s waste processing problem will be solved largely at the expense of poorer boroughs such as Walthamstow, which are already “hosts” to most of this area’s waste processing facilities.

Links:
North London Waste Plan website

Greenpeace Incinerator buster kit for residents opposed to plans for incinerators in their area. This relates to a year 2000 court case over plans to site Europes largest incinerator in Edmonton as well as GP activists taken to court for protesting at the site.

There are plans to locate three of six new waste processing plants required for north London in Waltham Forest (with one planned for Blackhorse Road).

The framework document for these plans is the North London Waste Plan. This document will be finalized following a number of public consultation meetings held at various locations in the borough earlier this year.

As far as BAG is concerned, the opportunities for public consultation were not widely advertised and therefore, quite possibly, missed by many people who are concerned about this issue.

We have therefore asked NLWP to hold one more public meeting at which local residents can get information about these plans and express their opinions.

Anyone concerned with plans to site Incinerators and waste facilities in the Blackhorse Road area and other places in the borough should come along to find out more and get their views across to the NLWP.

North London Waste Plan meeting details:

Tuesday, 15 April 2008, at 7.15pm

The church hall of Blackhorse Road Baptist Church
Blackhorse Road
Walthamstow
London
E17 7AS.

(Google Maps)

The Walthamstow Independent (14/03/08) featured the continuing row over plans for new waste facilities in the area.

For some reason Walthamstow is to be saddled with half the facilities needed to serve all of North London, with Blackhorse Lane as one site. Plans include a hazardous waste-processing facility, an incinerator, and recycling centres. The locations of each type have not yet been decided.

The article (here) highlights residents concerns that they have not been made aware enough or properly consulted on the plans.

If you have objections or opinions, visit the North London Waste Plan site or email feedback@nlwp.net

On a side note, due to slightly unclear wording the article gave some people the impression that the Blackhorse Action Group is somehow associated with the Socialist party.
The “Resident” that posted a comment about the “socialist cell organising and campaigning behind the cover of the Blackhorse Action Group” can rest easy. We are a residents group with a fully open AGM and are not affiliated with the Socialist (or any other) Party.

Any residents who wish to join visit here, or come along to our social on the 17th May at The Douglas Eyre Pavilion.

A member points out that the Community Council meeting on the 28 Jan coincides (coincidence?) with a NLWP consultation.

Dear all

In case you haven’t seen the latest copy of WFM, there will be a public workshop at EduAction Conference Centre, Queens Road, E17 between 6.30pm and 8.30pm on Monday 28th January about the North London Waste Plan. The purpose of the workshop is to “have your say and find out more” about the North London Waste Plan. Some of you may have seen that Waltham Forest is earmarked for 3 out of 6 waste disposal sites so it should be interesting to go along and find out more about what’s happening with that.

For more info go to www.nlwp.net or to register for a workshop email events@nlwp.net

I’m sure it is no coincidence (!), but the Walthamstow West Community Council meeting is also being held on the same evening - Monday 28th January at 7.15pm at the Chapel End Junior School, Roberts Road, E17 4LS.

thanks,
Cath

We should probably split up and attend both. Email to say which of the two meetings, the Community Council or the NLWP consultation, you’d be able to attend.

Ken Livingston wrote a sharp little letter in response to the Walthamstow Guardian’s suggestion that it was Ken who had decided to ram incinerators down our throats. (See original post about it here.)

We’ve made a .pdf file of the page with the letter, which you can read here.

Local residents are on high alert after the announcement that Waltham Forest will become home to three of six new waste processing plants planned for North London. The Walthamstow Guardian confirms that “the types of plants needed include a hazardous waste processing facility and an incinerator, as well as recycling centres.” [see article here]

This is naturally worrying: nobody wants an incinerator in the area. Also, the council has presented the development as a ‘Gateway’ opportunity filled with local amenities, businesses, public spaces, housing and leisure parks - just where (and next to what) would any processing plant go?

Before rushing to the barricades to fight incinerator plans, however, we should remember that it has not been decided what’s going to be put where. According to a comment posted on the Guardian’s article, Archie Onslow of The North London Waste Plan has said that they’re looking into sites for processing/recycling green waste and stuff from the black boxes ie composting / sorting facilities.

The council rushed to assure residents that there will be consultation on the subject. It will start on January 23 and, the council says, “residents will be able to request a copy” (of what, exactly?) by visiting www.nlwp.net or ringing the North London Waste Plan on 020 7974 5916.

The NLWP website has a sort of consultation portal called “Have Your Say” and there is a consultation timetable that promises “formal consultation on issues and options, via [the NLWP] website and public events across the 7 boroughs“. It looks worryingly stage-managed, and it would be nice to know what part our own council will play in all this… As ever, we have to work to make sure that the consultation is genuine and meaningful. Take a look at theNLWP’s consultation guidelines and tell us what you think.

A meeting to discuss policy will be held at the Education Centre on 28th Jan at 6.30pm.

The time scale on this seems long, but you know how time flies: here is the North London Waste Plan’s timetable.

Watch this space!