Six London Boroughs and the Old Oak Common, Park Royal Development Corporation in West London have formally adopted the West London Waste Plan, a plan that sets out how and where waste will be managed right up to 2031.
Some official sources showed that West London currently produces just over 5 million tonnes of waste each year, coming from homes, businesses, building sites, hospitals and other facilities. This can increase to a couple more tonnes of waste by 2031.
This waste is made up of:
- Municipal waste collected from homes, streets, parks and gardens
- Commercial and industrial waste collection
- Construction and demolition from construction sites
- Hazardous waste
- Waste water waste from sewages
- Radioactive waste from hospitals
Reports by inspectors said that the local planning authorities have fulfilled the Localism Act’s Duty by cooperating with the West London Waste Plan. The report said “I conclude that the boroughs have collaborated with other authorities and bodies and have cooperated effectively through a continuous period of engagement”
The London Borough of Richmond upon Thames said the plan:
- Shows how the councils will meet the mayor of London’s targets for recycling and composting waste
- Identifies and safeguards sufficient sites for waste management facilities in west London
- Contains policies to guide the determination of planning applications for waste facilities.
The Richmond Council’s cabinet member Pamela Fleming said that “West London currently produces just over five million tonnes of waste each year. This waste comes from homes, businesses, building sites, hospitals and other facilities. This amount could increase to as much as nine million tonnes by 2031.
“We know that landfill space is running out and the cost of rubbish going to landfill increasing. If we don’t do something about it now, we will continue to poison our environment in the future.”