Cross-party suppport for APSRG report

Minister and shadows praise report calling for community incentives to aid new waste infrastructure development

24 February 2010

Speaking at the launch of the new APSRG report, a Minister and Shadow Ministers from all three main parties praised the work of the Group and stated their committment to take on board the recommendations made. The report;  Waste Management Infrastructure: Incentivising Community Buy-In, calls for community incentives to be developed to encourage local communities to buy-in to new waste infrastructure developments in their local areas.

Speaking at the launch, Environment Minister Dan Norris MP said:

"I support the policies and suggestions that your report puts forward. We are obviously going to look very closely at the recommendations that the report makes."

Community objections are a persistent barrier to the development of new strategic infrastructure, especially for the waste management sector.  The report highlights distinct and innovative incentive structures that could be utilised at the strategic planning level to give local communities a genuine stake in the development of infrastructure and realise tangible benefits as a product of this process, turning planning into a ‘win-win proposition’. The structures proposed fall in to five key categories, including community ownership, utility discounts, community funds, district heating and design and recommendations are made to government as to how they could be developed.

Nick Herbert MP, Shadow Secretary of State for Environment, has also commented, stating:

"We should be offering people and communities incentives to go green, and allow them to benefit from unlocking the value in waste."