The drive to recycle more rubbish in East Sussex, Brighton & Hove and part of the South Downs National Park has led to a call for waste sites which could be used for recycling and recovery facilities.

Residents, landowners, public bodies and those representing the waste industry are being asked to suggest additional sites in East Sussex and Brighton & Hove that could be used to sort, recycle and recover waste produced in the area.

A ‘green’ plan for dealing with all waste was adopted by East Sussex County Council, Brighton & Hove City Council and South Downs National Park Authority in February.

The ultimate aim is to divert nearly all of the area’s waste from landfill by 2015/16 by reusing and recycling waste material into new products and recovering energy from materials that cannot be recycled.

“While residents have achieved high levels of recycling, some of the waste produced by businesses in the plan area still ends up in landfill,” said Cllr Carl Maynard, Lead Member for the Environment at East Sussex County Council.

“With the Pebsham landfill site, the only operating site in East Sussex, closing this summer and no plans for others to be opened, it is more important than ever to ensure we have enough facilities to enable as much waste to be recycled or recovered as possible.”

Sites that will be considered include general industrial land, land used for employment, previously developed land and land already used for waste management. A shortlist of suitable sites will go out for public consultation next spring (2014)

The types of activities that will take place on selected sites include management of waste as well as the storage of waste, shredding, sorting and composting.

Cllr Maynard added: “We need more recycling and recovery facilities to ensure East Sussex is dealing effectively and sustainably with waste produced in the county.

“Any new planning application for waste management will take into account the concerns and interest of the local community and take advantage of any benefits for those communities.”

Cllr Pete West, chair of Brighton & Hove City Council’s environment committee said: “In Brighton & Hove we are focused on providing as much support as we can to encourage everyone to minimise the waste they produce and save resources. We urge residents to ask themselves whether items could be repaired or re-used before throwing them away, and to compost and recycle as much waste as possible.

“While we are pleased that no new landfill sites are being proposed as a way of disposing of waste in East Sussex and Brighton, we still need to take responsibility for the waste we produce and identify potential sites for further recycling and recovery facilities.”

Andrew Shaxson, chairman of the South Downs National Park Authority’s Planning Committee, added: “We’ve worked closely with East Sussex County Council and Brighton & Hove City Council to get the right tools in place to protect the landscape, environment and communities of the National Park. This plan will help to guide major waste and mineral developments away from protected landscapes.”

Further information

Notes for editors:

Anyone can propose a site for waste management by contacting the authorities using the details below:
Email: wasteandmineralsdf@eastsussex.gov.uk

By post:
Economy, Transport & Environment,
East Sussex County Council,
C4 Waste and Minerals Policy (AP),
Freepost (LW43),
Lewes,
BN7 1BR

Or by entering relevant information online