Andy D'Agorne

It seems that N Yorkshire County Council have decided to 'withdraw' the minerals and waste section of their Local Development Framework after the inspector indicated that its lack of 'sound' supporting evidence could result in the whole framework being thrown out. The council, in partnership with City of York, is heading for a financial and policy crisis as a result, since they have already committed to a tendering process inviting companies to bid to provide a 'waste treatment plant' (incinerator) but dont have planning permission for any sites nor a policy approval for potential sites on which it might be located. The delay means that the councils will have to pay LATS penalties for waste sent to landfill for a longer period of time or pay other councils with spare capacity to take the non recycled waste. It could also potentially put in jeopardy the PFI funding from the government which has been pledged towards the total cost of the project.

Here's what the NYCC website says about it:

IMPORTANT UPDATE - North Yorkshire County Council is asking its Executive
members to endorse the seeking of a direction from the Secretary of State to
withdraw its Waste and Minerals Core Strategies from Public Examination. A
report is to be taken to a meeting of the Council's Executive on 4th
November 2008. As a consequence the Exploratory Meeting scheduled for 11
November 2008 has been cancelled with the agreement of the Inspector.
Subject to the Secretary of State issuing the direction, the Council would
agree a new timetable with Government Office for the production of a revised
Core Strategy for both Waste and Minerals.
IMPORTANT UPDATE - North Yorkshire County Council has requested the
immediate adjournment of the hearings part of the Examination into the Waste
Core Strategy, therefore the hearing sessions scheduled for week commencing
22nd September have been cancelled. An Exploratory Meeting is to be held
between the Council, Government Office for Yorkshire and The Humber and the
Inspector on Tuesday 11th November 2008 at 10am. This meeting is open to the
public to attend and observe. If you have any queries about this, please
contact Jayne Wall, Programme Officer - email jayne.wall@northyorks.gov.uk,
tel 01609 533243.
IMPORTANT UPDATE - The Minerals Core Strategy pre-examination meeting
currently arranged for 17 July 2008 is being postponed until January 2009.
The hearings for the Minerals Core Strategy are expected to take place in
late March and early April 2009. Further details will be provided shortly.
North Yorkshire County Council, as the Minerals and Waste planning authority
for the parts of the County outside the Yorkshire Dales and North Yorks
Moors National Parks, has a statutory duty to prepare a Minerals and Waste
Development Framework (MWDF) In due course, the policies and
proposals will replace the County Council's current Minerals and Waste Local
Plans.

Greens argued all along that targetting a higher rate of recycling and more re-use and waste minimisation programmes would be more cost effective and better for the environment that saddling taxpayers with a 25 year contract to supply combustible rubbish to burn.