Archived decisions

Decision Maker:

Buildings, Land and Procurement Panel

Date of Decision:

12 January 2010

Decision Title:

Project Appraisal: Redevelopment of Existing Havant Incinerator Land

Decision Reference:

221

Report From:

Director of Environment

Contact name:

Sam Horne

Tel:

01962 832268

Email:

[email protected]

HAMPSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL

BUILDINGS, LAND AND PROCUREMENT PANEL

PROJECT APPRAISAL

PROJECT:

REDEVELOPMENT OF EXISTING HAVANT INCINERATOR LAND

COMMENCEMENT DATE:

2010/11 est

COMPLETION DATE:

2011/12 est

PLANNED YEAR OF START IN ACCORDANCE WITH CAPITAL PROGRAMME: 2010/11

1.

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

Current

Capital

Estimate

Programme

(at 2009

(at 2009

prices)

prices)

Capital Expenditure

£'000

£'000

Land to be purchased

0

0

Construction Costs:

HWRC

805,000

805,000

Access Road (including 3^rd lane)

249,000

249,000

Fees

120,000

120,000

Site Furniture

50,000

50,000

1,224,000

1,224,000

Less developers/

other contributions

127,000

127,000

1,097,000

1,097,000

Financial provision for total scheme

Total Cost

1.

From Capital Programme

(a) Capital programme (as above)

1,097,000

(b) Other

0

2.

From other resources

(a) SEEDA - Externally Funded

127,000

TOTAL

1,224,000

Value of land for this project in HCC ownership £

1,200,000

Variations from capital programme

Revenue implications

0

% variation

to Committee's

budget

Net current expenditure

nil

nil

Capital charges

20,400

0.016

TOTAL net expenditure

20,400

0.016

1.1

1.2

1.3

1.4

The cost of this project will be met from the HWRC capital fund which has a current balance of £3.2 million. This capital programme provides funds for the redevelopment and relocation of the 26 HWRCs located in Hampshire. At present there are a number of other improvement schemes being assessed. In the absence of further funding, it will be necessary to prioritise future investment to those projects likely to bring about the biggest service improvement, as the cost of the schemes being assessed far outweighs the available funding.

The current cost estimate for the project is shown in the table below. The projected costs are based on estimates provided by the Engineering Consultancy.

HAVANT HWRC

Land Acquisition (excl. fees) 0

HWRC Construction Works Cost 805,000

Development Road 229,000

Costs for third lane 20,000

Feasibility Design Fees* 20,000

Detailed Design Fees* 30,000

Land survey and geotechnical fees 10,000

Site supervision 30,000

Statutory Undertakers' Diversions/Supplies/Fees 10,000

Landscaping Fees 5,000

New Site Furniture 50,000

Miscellaneous Items** 15,000

Total Estimated Cost £1,224,000

* Estimated fees from 1 November 2009

** Includes Other County Council Fees, External Consultants Fees and Supplementary Work Orders (eg Site testing/Services Trial Holes/Safety Audit/EA Fees/Transport Assessment)

Based on the experience of the delivery of a new HWRC for Andover, there will be no increase in the management fees for the new Havant site. As with the Andover site, it is anticipated that an increase in material will be delivered to the site as a result of the improvements. However, the new design and layout of the site should result in the recycling rate increasing dramatically, resulting in greater landfill diversion and consequential disposal cost savings.

A separate report outlining the proposals for an access arrangement with SEEDA, which owns the land to the rear of the County Council site, is being presented elsewhere on the agenda, and to the Executive Member for Policy and Resources.. This report outlines the financial contribution from SEEDA to gain access to its site. The cost of the road will include all design work and fees as well as the actual construction costs. The total cost of the road is estimated at £254,000.

2.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

2.1

2.2

2.3

The purpose of this paper is to gain approval from the Executive Member for Policy and Resources to proceed with the redevelopment of the former Havant Incinerator Site on Harts Farm Way, Havant.

The proposal is to develop a new split level HWRC on the Hampshire County Council owned land and construct a new road to provide access to the County Council's site as well as the SEEDA owned site to the rear of Council land.

This paper seeks to:

· Provide a background to the existing Havant HWRC highlighting some of the significant problems associated with it.

· Consider the benefits a modern `split-level' HWRC will have when compared to the existing Havant HWRC.

· Present the finances for the project, including negotiated contributions from SEEDA, and the impact on the HWRC capital budget.

· Highlight the potential benefits the development of a new HWRC will have on the performance of both the site and the HWRC service overall.

3.

3.1

3.2

3.3

3.4

3.5

3.6

Contextual Information

Hampshire County Council is the freehold land owner of the site of the former Havant incinerator which was decommissioned in 1996.

Recently, the northern portion of the site was leased to Veolia Environmental Services (VES) and used as a fridge storage and transport depot. VES has informed Hampshire County Council that it wishes to terminate this arrangement in April 2010 and hand the site back to the County Council.

An HWRC has been located on the southern portion of this site since the late 1970s. The existing single-level Havant HWRC was developed in the mid-1980s occupying 0.24 hectares.

Havant HWRC is currently the busiest site in Hampshire, with 185,592 customers visiting the site annually. It also has the lowest recycling rate. As a very busy `single-level' site, the HWRC has to be temporarily closed (for 20-30 minutes) to the public, on health and safety grounds, each time a waste container is serviced. This temporary closure means the public has to wait in a queue which very quickly backs up onto Harts Farm Way, posing a significant risk to other drivers on the road and considerable inconvenience to adjacent businesses.

This paper proposes replacing the existing Havant HWRC with a modern facility located in the northern portion of the site to provide a safer, more efficient and customer-focused site.

A separate paper will be also presented to this Panel and the Executive Member for Policy and Resources from Property, Business and Regulatory Services (Land at Harts Farm Way, Havant - Confidential Report) detailing the proposals for a grant of access rights to SEEDA across the site to its land to the north of the County Council land.

4.

STATEMENT OF NEED/JUSTIFICATION FOR PROJECT

(Client Department)

4.1

4.2

4.3

4.4

4.5

4.6

4.7

4.8

4.9

4.10

The County Council, as Waste Disposal Authority, has a legal obligation to make arrangements 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 (1) (b)).

In Hampshire this responsibility is delivered through the provision of 26 Household Waste Recycling Centres (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 existing HWRC which serves the Havant area is situated on land owned by the County Council. Havant HWRC is situated on Harts Farm Way, one and a half miles south of Havant town centre. It is a medium-sized `single-level' site that was constructed in the mid-1980s occupying an area of some 0.24 hectares.

In 2008/09 Havant HWRC received a total of 17,643 tonnes of waste, the most of any site in the county. As a very busy site which is often congested, customers typically only use the mixed waste bin rather than properly segregating materials for recycling. This has resulted in the site achieving a recycling rate of 46%, making it the lowest performing HWRC in Hampshire.

As a `single-level' site the compound area has to be temporarily closed (for 20-30 minutes) to the public on health and safety grounds each time a waste container is serviced. This temporary closure means cars have to wait in a queue which soon backs up onto the public highway, causing congestion on Harts Farm Way.

When the site is closed for servicing, or queues have formed during busy times, some customers have taken to parking illegally on Harts Farm Way opposite the site and then walking their waste across the road into the site. Not only is it dangerous for people to be crossing Harts Farm Way whilst carrying their waste but it also creates an opportunity for traders to illegally use the site to dispose of their waste. Historically, the Havant HWRC was the worst affected by suspected trade abuse and, whilst the new van permit system and Automatic Number Plate Recognition has been introduced, trade abuse still remains a concern. Once the walking of waste into the site is stopped the trade waste that is still entering the site will be further reduced. However, as part of the continuing monitoring of trade waste abuse, the potential for further controls, including a height barrier, will be considered as part of this scheme.

There has been liaison with the local Police at peak times to address this issue of congestion, as there have been a number of near misses involving vehicles and pedestrians crossing Harts Farm Way. These operations utilise a large amount of resources, both from Hampshire County Council and the Police, and have been successful. However, as they are not continuous the issue remains.

The only viable long term solution to the significant problems of traffic congestion, queuing, and the resulting danger and inconvenience caused to both customers and site neighbours, is the provision of a modern, purpose-built, `split-level' site with on-site stacking capacity and a dedicated access road.

Targets and Outcomes

Targets are to:

(i) increase the number of waste container bays from 6 at the existing site to 14 at the new site;

(ii) increase the number of parking bays from 15 at the existing HWRC to 19 at the new site;

(iii) increase the `on-site' car stacking capacity from nil at the existing site to 46 vehicles at the new site;

(iv) remove the need to temporarily close the site during the container servicing operation by designing the new HWRC as a `split-level' site whereby customers and container servicing vehicles will be kept fully separated;

(v) reduce the risk of health and safety incidents compared to the old site by locating bins next to parking bays rather than across the storage area;

(vi) significantly speed up the customer experience at the new HWRC, making material segregation much simpler and quicker to undertake; and

(vii) help increase the annual recycling rate at the site from the current 46% to 60% in line with other modern split level sites.

The overall benefits of the new HWRC will result in a much improved public service for local residents.

5.

IMPROVEMENT PROPOSAL (Client Department)

National/County Network and Policies

5.1

The redevelopment of the Havant HWRC supports Aim 3 of the Local Transport Plan, to: `reduce the impact and effect of congestion' by resolving the long term issues of traffic from the site queuing onto Harts Farm Way.

Details of Scheme and Design Standards

5.2

5.3

5.4

5.5

5.6

5.7

5.8

5.9

5.10

The proposed new Havant HWRC, see attached detailed drawing, will be a `split-level' site based on the successful design of the new Andover HWRC. The design of the Havant site has taken into account the lessons learnt from the Andover development which were highlighted in the Andover Redevelopment Review.

The key feature of the design is to achieve the objective of all container servicing being carried out from the lower area. This will leave the upper area dedicated to customers allowing them to use the facility without disruption as the bins can then be serviced whilst the site remains fully operational. The additional benefit of this arrangement will be a significant improvement to the health and safety of customers whilst they are visiting the site, as public and servicing vehicles are kept separate on the site.

The site design with provision of 19 parking bays, plus space for a further 46 cars on the stacking lane within the HWRC compound area, will prevent traffic congestion on Harts Farm Way.

Customer access to the new HWRC will be via a purpose-built access road. The access road will include a dedicated lane for queuing to ensure container servicing vehicles will be able to enter and exit the site without disruption to customers, and other road users will not be inconvenienced during peak times at the site.

During construction of the new site, the existing Havant HWRC will continue to provide a normal service, as construction of the new site and access road will be completed without disruption to the current service.

Once the new site becomes operational, it is proposed that the existing Havant HWRC will be permanently closed. The site furniture will be removed and the land made available for future development. This is detailed further in the PBRS report on the Havant redevelopment. This area of land is about 6,000 square metres and could either be used for further operational benefit to the County Council or marketed to generate a capital receipt.

The scheme will be funded from the capital programme allocation of £3.2 million for major HWRC redevelopment and relocation schemes. Subject to approval of the Property, Business and Regulatory Service report, the County Council will receive a 50% contribution to the total costs for developing the access road from SEEDA, as the road will be used for access to land it is developing to the north of the site.

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

A location plan showing the position of the former Havant Incinerator land is attached. A drawing showing the proposed layout of the new Havant HWRC and area remaining for development or sale is also attached.

Environmental Impact

5.11

5.12

The material collected at the HWRCs in Hampshire represents 25% of the total household waste collected across the county but contributes over 40% of all the recycling in Hampshire. The sites play a vital role in helping the County Council to minimise landfill disposal.

The proposed site is considered to meet planning policies in terms of its environmental impact. The proposed design will include a landscape plan to ensure the site is suitably screened in addition to ensuring that no habitats are damaged or disturbed by the development.

Land Requirements

5.13

5.14

5.15

Hampshire County Council is the freehold owner of the former Havant incinerator land, shown on the first attached location plan, which includes the site of the existing HWRC. The area to the north of the existing HWRC is currently leased to VES. However, the company has given notice and the lease will end in April 2010.

In accordance with its contractual obligations, VES has agreed to carry out a schedule of works to maintain site security prior to leaving this site. These works will be suitable to secure the site until construction begins.

By moving the HWRC to the north of the site, approximately 0.6 hectares of land is made available, see second attached location plan, for additional development or for future sale to achieve a capital receipt (see Land at Harts Farm Way, Havant - Confidential Report).

Statutory Procedures

5.16

5.17

The proposed new Havant HWRC will require planning consent. The planning application will be submitted to Hampshire County Council, as the Waste Planning Authority, and considered by the Regulatory Committee. The site is already designated as a preferred site for waste and recycling purposes in the Minerals and Waste Development strategy.

Before a new HWRC can become operational it needs to be granted an Environmental Permit by the Environment Agency. However, as the proposed site has an existing permit for another type of waste operation, it will only require a modification.

Public Consultation

5.18

5.19

5.20

In 2008 Havant HWRC was the subject of a market research exercise carried out at various sites across the HWRC network. Amongst the information collected from customers using the sites the following findings emerged:

(i) 55% identified queuing and traffic congestion as a major problem;

(ii) 98% were satisfied with the location of the site; and

(iii) 67% use the site to deliver their garden waste.

It is evident from these research results that the HWRC network in Hampshire is providing an essential public service which is highly regarded by local residents. The location of the existing HWRC was well regarded by residents, however over half the site users were concerned about the queuing and traffic congestion on-site.

Taking into account the above findings, the proposed new Havant HWRC will lead to an improved service through the site design process. As was experienced at the new Andover HWRC, it is expected that a significant improvement in customer satisfaction will be achieved through this development.

Local Member's View

5.21

The local Members, Councillor Anne Buckley and Councillor Liz Fairhurst, strongly support the scheme. The Councillors highlight that congestion and queuing at the existing site are a significant problem for residents and that a new site that addresses these issues would be welcomed locally.

Maintenance Implications

5.22

5.23

The management contractor Hopkins Recycling has been appointed to operate all 26 HWRCs in Hampshire on behalf of the County Council and has a contractual duty to:

(i) keep the whole HWRC area clean and tidy, including regular sweeping of the compound area and the collection of any wind-blown material either in or around the site; and check regularly all the site furniture, including waste containers, fencing and entrance gates, and report any damage or vandalism to the County Council.

Hopkins Recycling is continuously monitored under various mechanisms through the HWRC management contract, with site audits and inspections on a regular basis to ensure compliance with the contract terms.

Sustainability

5.24

5.25

5.26

The design and construction of the new Havant HWRC will aim to maximise the opportunity to incorporate the principles of sustainable development.

The tenderers for the construction contract will be asked to submit prices for using recycled materials where these are available, and where they meet the British Standards specification.

The new HWRC will be specifically designed to enable additional recycling facilities to be provided.

6.

IMPROVEMENT - ALTERNATIVES CONSIDERED

6.1

The alternative options that were considered and discounted on the grounds of being unable to meet the requirements for improving the HWRC service for the Havant area were:

(i) Retaining the existing Havant HWRC exactly as it is, without carrying out any improvements.

(a) Due to the severity of the traffic issues associated with the current site and the increased levels of both internal and external resources required to manage them this option is not viable.

(ii) Retaining the existing Havant HWRC and making improvements to try to alleviate the vehicle queuing problems.

(a) The location at the front of the County Council-owned land makes it unfeasible to create the necessary on-site stacking capacity to resolve the traffic issues.

(b) The current site is too small and the improvements that could be made would be constrained by the proximity of the current servicing access. This would restrict further development and therefore improvements that could be made.

(c) Overall redevelopment of the existing site was considered but rejected as it would not meet the essential requirement of dealing with the traffic issues on site.

This proposal does not link to the Corporate Strategy but, nevertheless, requires a decision because it improves an important service to residents and will lead to higher recycling levels in accordance with the Waste and Resource Forward Strategy and the Minerals and Waste Development Framework Strategy.

Links to previous Member decisions:

Title

Reference

Date

Executive Member Policy and Resources

Former Incinerator Site, Harts Farm Way, Broadmarsh, Havant

Item 10

4 November, 2005

Section 100 D - Local Government Act 1972 - background documents

The following documents discuss facts or matters on which this report, or an important part of it, is based and have been relied upon to a material extent in the preparation of this report. (NB: the list excludes published works and any documents which disclose exempt or confidential information as defined in the Act.)

Document

Location

None