§ Norman BakerTo ask the Deputy Prime Minister what guidance he issues to local authorities on the siting of landfill sites in the green belt. [139205]
§ Keith HillNational planning policy on waste management is set out in Planning Policy Guidance Note 10 "Planning and Waste Management". This states that
sites which are protected by national and regional policies on the restraint of development will not generally prove acceptable for waste management facilities".Local planning authorities should also have regard to Planning Policy Guidance Note 2 "Green Belts" (PPG2). This advises that the carrying out of operations and the making of material changes of use which do not maintain the openness of the Green Belt and conflict with the purposes of including land in the Green Belt would not be appropriate development. In such cases applicants would have to demonstrate that there were 806W very special circumstances that clearly outweighed the harm that the development would cause to the Green Belt. PPG2 also states that when large-scale development or redevelopment of land occurs in the Green Belt (which may include the tipping of waste) it should, so far as possible, contribute to the achievement of the objectives for the use of land in Green Belts.