02/10: ‘Give householders annual energy discounts to help overcome concerns over hundreds of planned recycling plants’

24/02/2010 / press release

 

Residents should be offered annual discounts on their energy and utility bills in return for accepting new local waste and recycling facilities, according to a radical new cross-party report from MPs and Peers released today.

 

The call is part of a package of measures proposed by the all-party Associate Parliamentary Sustainable Resource Group report to overcome NIMBYISM and help tackle the backlog of planning approvals across the country, which has slowed down the opening of new, much needed waste processing facilities. 

 

Because the Government has pledged to meet EU targets to reduce the amount of waste sent to landfill by 2020 to just 35% of 1995 levels, according to the Government’s own estimates that means that we will need to build up to 500 new waste management plants across the country. The estimated cost over the next decade will be between £9 and £11 billion. 

 

The report identifies a widespread ‘lack of innovation’ around previous attempts to engage communities over the issue, in contrast to much of Europe where residents are used to receiving cheaper energy as a result of the construction of new waste facilities. 

 

The proposal for energy discounts could mean a welcome annual discount for many householders on their utility bills and the possibility that, for the first time, local authorities could be allowed to run sizeable Energy Service Companies to distribute locally produced energy at a reduced cost to residents. 

 

Other proposals in the report, endorsed by members from all three main political parties, include:-

 

- Local shareholding schemes – residents to be offered shares and receive dividends in waste plants. Local authorities should be encouraged to assist in the development of community investment groups.

- Community funds to be created that invest some of the profits from local plants to pay for community improvement projects and local public services such as improved transport for the elderly. 

- Plans for district heating networks to use heat generated from energy from waste plants and supply low-cost heating to local communities

- Better design and look of new facilities to make them more appealing additions to local communities and built environment. The report looked at one innovative new facility near the heart of Paris that could provide a model for new projects here. 

 

Ends

 

Notes for editors

About the Associate Parliamentary Sustainable Resource Group (APSRG)

The Associate Parliamentary Resource Group is the leading cross-party forum informing the debate between parliamentarians, business leaders and the sustainable resource community. Policy Connect provides the groups secretariat. 

 

Policy Connect is an entirely non-profit organisation dedicated to building bridges between Parliament, industry and the public sector to benefit better, more informed and smarter policy. 

 

About SITA UK

SITA UK is a recycling and resource management company.