Archived decisions

HAMPSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL

BUILDINGS, LAND AND PROCUREMENT PANEL

ITEM 7

PROJECT APPRAISAL

PROJECT:

HOUSEHOLD WASTE RECYCLING CENTRE, WADE ROAD, BASINGSTOKE - EXPANSION OF OPERATIONAL AREA

COMMENCEMENT DATE:

SEPTEMBER 2005

COMPLETION DATE:

FEBRUARY 2006

PLANNED YEAR OF START IN ACCORDANCE WITH CAPITAL PROGRAMME: 2005/06

1.

FINANCE (Client Department, Director of Property, Business and Regulatory Services [Estates Practice] and County Treasurer)

Current

Capital

Estimate

Programme

(at 2004

(at 2004

prices)

prices)

Capital Expenditure

£'000

£'000

Land to be purchased }

}

Construction }

650

n/a

Fees }

Less developers/

-

-

other contributions

650

n/a

Financial provision for total scheme

Total Cost

1.

From Committees own resources

(a) Capital programme (as above)

(b)

2.

From other resources

(a) DEFRA grant

650

(b)

(c)

TOTAL

650

Value of land for this project in HCC ownership £

Variations from capital programme

Revenue implications

£'000

% variation

to

Committee's

budget

Net current expenditure

nil

nil

Capital charges

35

0.03

TOTAL net expenditure

35

0.03

2.

STATEMENT OF NEED/JUSTIFICATION FOR PROJECT

(Client Department)

The existing household waste recycling centre (HWRC) in Wade Road, Basingstoke has permanent planning consent.

In 2004 the County Council became the freehold owner of the site, having acquired it from Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council.

In 2003/04 the site received 13,320 tonnes of household waste of which 52% was recycled. It was the fifth busiest out of the 26 HWRCs in Hampshire and achieved eleventh position for its recycling performance out of the 26 sites. The site is particularly busy at weekends during the summer months.

During very busy periods cars waiting to gain access to the site can queue back onto the main highway, Wade Road. At exceptionally busy times the queue of cars can stretch back as far as the Daneshill roundabout.

The proposed improvement scheme aims to expand the operational area of the site and provide additional car parking spaces as well as increased on-site car stacking capacity. These measures will reduce customer visiting times and thus help to alleviate the problem of cars queuing back onto the highway at busy periods.

3.

IMPROVEMENT PROPOSAL (Client Department)

National/County Network and Policies

The County Council, as a Waste Disposal Authority, has a legal obligation to make arrangements for "places to be provided at which persons in its areas may deposit their household waste and for the disposal of waste so deposited" (Environmental Protection Act 1990 Section 51(1)(b)).

In Hampshire this responsibility is delivered through the provision of 26 HWRCs. Of these, 24 sites are provided by the County Council, and the two unitary authorities of Southampton City Council and Portsmouth City Council provide one each.

The HWRC service does not have a formal County Council approved strategy. It is, however, now being incorporated into the County Council's Material Resources Strategy. This will reflect its role within the Hampshire Natural Resources Initiative which includes proposals for the future management of household, commercial and industrial waste in the county.

Details of Scheme and Design Standards

The site was constructed in the mid 1980s and presently comprises seven `split-level' waste container bays for customers to use. The improvement scheme will provide an additional seven `split-level' waste container bays constructed as a `mirror image' of the existing bays. These additional bays are shown in red on the plans which will be displayed at the meeting. A location plan is attached. The estimated cost of expanding the operational area at the existing site is £600,000.

A total of 12 customer parking bays will be provided in front of the additional seven `split-level' waste container bays.

Customers will continue to enter the site from the existing access road and drive up the elevated roadway to the upper parking area.

The site management contractor will control traffic and decide when the existing and additional operation area will be brought into use. These two areas will be linked by a level, but elevated, roadway.

At busy times the redeveloped site will have the capacity to allow up to 25 cars to be queued on site with capacity for up to a further 10 cars to queue between the site entrance and the junction with Wade Road. The combined effect of increased car parking spaces and increased car stacking capacity within the site will address the current problems of cars queuing back onto Wade Road when the site is busy.

At the same time as the operational area expansion works are being carried out, the opportunity will be taken to improve and upgrade parts of the existing site. The proposed works consist of providing new perimeter fencing as a security measure, and providing new railings around the walkways in front of the waste container bays as a safety measure. The estimated cost of these works is £50,000.

All specifications within the design will be in accordance with Hampshire County Council standards and policy documents as well as being in accordance with British Standards.

Project Timetable

It is proposed that the engineering works start in early September 2005. The works are estimated to take up to 24 weeks and therefore should be completed by no later than the end of February 2006. The start date has been selected to avoid the very busy period at the site which occurs between April and August and therefore minimise disruption caused to customers visiting the site.

It is proposed that the existing site will continue to provide a service whilst the extension works are being carried out. This proposal will be subject to an appropriate risk assessment being carried out.

Finance

In December 2003 the County Council received an award of £1.25 million from the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) under the National Waste Management and Recycling Fund specifically for funding major redevelopment projects in relation to HWRCs. The award has subsequently been increased to £1.74 million.

The DEFRA award is, however, time limited and can only be used for financing projects completed by 31 March 2006.

Other schemes to be funded from the DEFRA award are:

(i) new Winchester HWRC (completed December 2004);

(ii) Hartley Wintney HWRC (due to be completed by December 2005); and

(iii) Alton HWRC (completed December 2004).

Successful completion of the improvement scheme for the Basingstoke HWRC will ensure that the DEFRA funding award has been fully utilised.

The 26 HWRCs in Hampshire provide the County Council's front line waste management service to the residents of Hampshire. In 2003/04 a total of some 233,000 tonnes of household waste was delivered to these sites, of which an average of 45% was recycled. These sites provide an essential public service in accepting bulky household and garden waste delivered by householders, free of charge, for either recycling or disposal. In 2003/04 there were over four million customer visits to these sites.

The HWRCs contribute just half of all household waste recycled in Hampshire. The current Project Integra recycling performance rate is 25%. The recycling centres will play a crucial role in helping to achieve Project Integra's Central Government recycling performance target of 40% by March 2006.

The proposed improvement works at the Basingstoke HWRC are predicted to result in increasing the current recycling rate from 52% up to 60%.

Land Requirements

The land which forms the existing Basingstoke HWRC has very recently (in 2004) come into the freehold ownership of the County Council. Subject to the necessary consents being obtained the scheme can proceed by virtue of the County Council being the landowner.

Statutory Procedures

Planning permission will be required from the County Council, in its capacity as Waste Planning Authority, to develop part of the existing site area as an extension to the current operational area.

A new waste management licence will be required from the Environment Agency for the enlarged Basingstoke HWRC operational area.

Public Consultation

No specific public consultation has been carried out for this proposal. However, in April 2003 a full market research exercise was carried out across the whole HWRC network in Hampshire by the consultants, Miller Associates. Amongst the data collected the following trends emerged:

(i) 92% are satisfied with the service provided;

(ii) 58% use the sites for unwanted/bulky household items; and

(iii) 51% use the sites to dispose of their garden waste.

In terms of improvements to the service, the most significant market research finding was that 51% wanted measures to be taken to reduce traffic congestion on sites.

It is evident from these research results that the HWRC network in Hampshire is highly regarded by local residents.

The proposed expansion scheme for the Basingstoke HWRC will lead to an improved service for local residents by addressing some of the key issues identified in the market research work.

Local Member's View

The local Member, Councillor Mrs Frankum, supports the scheme.

Equalities

There is the provision of a parking bay for disabled drivers at the existing site. The proposed expansion scheme includes the provision of a further 12 parking bays, one of which will be allocated for disabled drivers.

The private contractor, who manages the Basingstoke HWRC on behalf of the County Council, has a contractual duty to offer assistance to customers (on request) in off-loading waste items from their vehicles.

Maintenance Implications

The site management contractor has a contractual duty to:

(i) keep the whole HWRC area clean and tidy; this includes regular sweeping of the compound area and the collection of any wind blown litter in or around the site; and

(ii) check regularly all the site furniture, including waste containers, fencing and entrance gates, and to report any vandalism or damage to the County Council.

Crime and Disorder Act 1998

The existing Basingstoke HWRC has a steel palisade boundary fence, including steel palisade entrance gates which are locked when the site is closed.

There is an information sign at the site entrance which gives details of an emergency contact telephone number in the event of vandalism or an emergency needing to be reported.

Sustainability

The design of the site improvement works will include the use of recycled materials where these are available and where they meet the specification standards.

The proposed improvement works will enable additional recycling facilities to be provided. It is anticipated that the recycling performance at the site will increase from the current rate of 52% up to 60%.

4.

IMPROVEMENT - ALTERNATIVES CONSIDERED

(Client Department)

The option not to redevelop the existing Basingstoke HWRC has been considered and rejected. Developing land available within the boundary of the existing site will enable the key objectives of expanding the operational area and increasing the recycling performance of the site to be achieved.

The option to acquire additional land adjacent to the existing Basingstoke HWRC has been considered and rejected. There is no land available for acquisition adjacent to the recycling centre. Purchase of additional land is therefore not an option.

The option to relocate the Basingstoke HWRC to provide a new purpose built `split-level' facility has been considered and rejected. There are other sites within the County Council's recycling centre network which have a higher priority for relocation by virtue of being small and only having the benefit of temporary planning consents.

Section 100 D - Local Government Act 1972 - background papers

The following documents disclose facts or matters on which this report, or an important part of it, is based and has been relied upon to a material extent in the preparation of this report.

NB the list excludes:

1.

Published works.

2.

Documents which disclose exempt or confidential information as defined in the Act.

TITLE

LOCATION

Project File - file 20/15/30

Environment Department

Room 216