Archived decisions

HAMPSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL

EXECUTIVE MEMBER FOR ENVIRONMENT: SOUTH HAMPSHIRE AND RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

ITEM 4

PROJECT APPRAISAL

(Externally Funded)

PROJECT:

SEGENSWORTH HOUSEHOLD WASTE RECYCLING CENTRE - IMPROVEMENT SCHEME

COMMENCEMENT DATE:

JANUARY 2006

COMPLETION DATE:

MARCH 2006

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

7.

Scheme

7.1

Introduction

The existing household waste recycling centre (HWRC) in Barnes Wallis Road, Segensworth has permanent planning consent. The County Council is the freehold owner of the entire Segensworth HWRC site.

In 2004/05 the site received 15,228 tonnes of household waste of which 51% was recycled. It was the third busiest out of 26 HWRCs in Hampshire and achieved sixteenth 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, Barnes Wallis Road. At exceptionally busy times the queue of cars can stretch back as far as the nearby roundabout causing considerable disruption to other traffic using the road and roundabout.

The proposed improvement scheme will 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 waiting times and thus help to alleviate the problem of cars queueing back onto the highway at busy periods.

In January 2005 a bid was submitted for external funding from the Waste Resources and Action Programme (WRAP) to increase the amount of biodegradable waste collected at HWRCs. The bid was successful and the project was awarded £184,000 to undertake improvements at Segensworth HWRC. This funding is time limited and the project must be completed by 31 March 2006 in order to qualify.

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. It is however time limited and can only be used for financing projects completed by 31 March 2006. £85,000 of the DEFRA award will be used for this improvement scheme.

7.2

Details

The area of land to be developed is within the existing boundary of the site at the northern end. The area of land was originally set aside for development at a later date, potentially as a trade waste recycling area, however the planned development is purely for household waste.

The redevelopment will involve the extension of the site across into this area of spare land. The further development will mirror the existing site layout and will provide the site with a further three `split-level' bin bays for maximising the recycling of waste. The additional containers will be used for the storage of green waste and cardboard.

The current entrance will remain the same but the on-site stacking road will be moved across to the northern boundary to increase its size and therefore capacity. This lane will be split into two to allow one dedicated lane for the servicing vehicles to gain access to the bins on the lower level of the site. The other lane will be for use by the public only to provide on-site queueing rather than on the highway.

There will also be the provision of an area on the lower level for the storage of up to three spare bins. This will ensure that the site remains open at particularly busy times.

A location plan is attached and a detailed plan (No. 17/A188/GA1) will be displayed at the meeting.

7.3

Targets and Outcomes

To increase the number of publicly accessible bin bays from 13 to 16 and provide four additional parking bays, thereby speeding up the throughput time per customer.

To minimise the bin servicing times.

To reduce the traffic queues on the highway by providing additional on- site queueing for up to 25 cars, which is the maximum number that can be accommodated. There is no data available on the number of cars queueing, and it varies greatly between peak/non peak usage times, at weekends and seasonally.

To help increase the recycling rate at the site from 51% to 65%.

To provide space for three spare bins to be stored on-site to provide additional waste storage capacity at peak periods of use. The extra bins are not for direct public access. They are being provided principally to aid continuous servicing. They will help to significantly minimise the risk of the site having to close through reaching bin storage capacity.

7.4

Standards

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

7.5

Statutory Procedures and Consultation

Planning consent will be required from the County Council for the additional land to be developed as an extension to the existing HWRC.

A change to the Working Plan for the site will need to be agreed with the Environment Agency for the additional operational area.

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 were identified:

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

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

It is evident from these research results that the HWRC network in Hampshire is highly regarded by local residents. However a number of key issues were also identified, for example:

(i) 51% wanted steps taken to reduce the traffic congestion and queueing at the sites.

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

7.6

Policy Considerations

The County Council as Waste Disposal Authority has a legal obligation to arrange `for places to be provided at which persons in its area may deposit their household waste and for the disposal of waste so deposited' (Environmental Protection Act 1990 Section 51 (i)(b)).

In Hampshire that responsibility is delivered through a network of 26 HWRCs. Twenty-four of these facilities are provided by the County Council and one each by the two unitary authorities of Portsmouth and Southampton City Councils.

7.7

Environmental Impacts

The 26 HWRCs in Hampshire provide the County Council's front line waste management service to the residents of Hampshire. In 2004/05 a total of 251,111 tonnes of waste was delivered to these sites of which 48% was recycled. They provide an invaluable public service in accepting bulky household waste and garden waste free of charge, for either recycling or disposal. In 2004/05 there were over 4 million customer visits to these sites.

The HWRCs contribute just under half of Project Integra's current household waste recycling rate of 27%. They will play a crucial role in helping to achieve Project Integra's recycling target of 40%. The planned improvements at the Segensworth HWRC are predicted to result in increasing the recycling rate at the site from the current rate of 51% towards 65%.

7.8

Land Requirement

No land acquisition required. All works to be confined within existing County Council land.

7.9

Alternative Arrangements

The option not to undertake this project and expand the service has been considered and rejected.

There is no other land adjacent to the recycling centre that may be available for development. The bid for funding from WRAP that has been submitted and successfully approved is to develop the area of land within the existing site.

The relocation of the HWRC to a larger site in the Segensworth area has been considered and rejected. The funding available is sufficient to undertake development within the existing site boundary to improve the HWRC and not for the development of an entirely new site

7.10

Local Members' View

The local Members, Councillors Allgood and Hockley, support the scheme.

7.11

Impact Assessments

There are currently 22 car parking spaces and one of these is designated for disabled users. This space is located within sight of the site hut to ensure that help can be provided easily if requested. A further four parking spaces will be added; the one disabled bay will be retained.

An `Accessibility Audit' was undertaken on the HWRC network in 2004 and a number of issues were raised to improve the access to sites for all customers. The recommendations from the audit are currently being put into operation.

The private contractor, who manages the Segensworth 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.

7.12

Crime and Disorder Act 1998

The HWRC has a combination of steel palisade fencing and a high brick boundary wall, including steel palisade entrance and exit gates which are locked when the site is closed.

The information sign at the site entrance gives details of an emergency contact telephone number in the event of vandalism being reported.

7.13

Sustainability

The construction of the additional site area will, wherever applicable, be undertaken using recycled and secondary aggregates and the general principles of sustainable construction will be followed throughout.

The proposed improvement works will enable additional recycling facilities to be provided, most notably for green waste.

8.

Financial Arrangements

8.1

Expenditure

£'000

Funds Available

£'000

Design Fee

30

WRAP Funding

184

Supervision

20

DEFRA Funding

85

Project Works

219

Land

0

____

____

Total

269

Total

269

____

____

8.2

Revenue Implications

£'000

% Variation to Committee's budget

Net increase in

current expenditure

20

nil

Capital Charge

0

nil

____

____

Total Expenditure

20

nil

____

____

8.3

Maintenance Implications

The site management contractor has a contractual duty to keep the whole site clean and tidy including regular sweeping of the compound area and collection of any wind-blown material in or around the site.

There is also a duty to regularly check the site furniture (bins/steps/ signs/fencing/gates) and report any damage to the County Council.

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

Correspondence File - 20/15/50a

Environment Department

Room 216