Today, 11 July 2013, the proposed East Northamptonshire Resource Management Facility has been given development consent by the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government.

The development consent is for the alteration of existing and the construction of new facilities for the recovery and disposal of hazardous waste and the disposal of low level radioactive waste at the East Northants Resource Management Facility, Stamford Road, Kings Cliffe, Northamptonshire.

The decision announced today, follows an examination process by the Planning Inspectorate which met or exceeded all the statutory timescales laid down in the Planning Act 2008.

The application was submitted for consideration on 14 March 2012 and accepted for examination on 11 April 2012.

Following a six month examination during which the public, statutory consultees and interested parties were given the opportunity to give evidence to the Examining Authority, a recommendation was made to the Communities Secretary on 22 April 2013.

Planning Inspectorate’s Chief Executive, Sir Michael Pitt, said:
“A major priority for us over the course of the examination was to ensure that communities who might be affected by this proposal had the opportunity to put forward their views.”

“The examination of the application was completed within the timescales prescribed in the Planning Act and a recommendation made to the Communities Secretary. Today’s decision supports that recommendation.”

The decision, the recommendation made by the Examining Authority to the Secretary of State and the evidence considered by the Examining Authority in reaching its recommendation, is publicly available on the National Infrastructure website.

Ends

Journalists wanting further information should contact the Planning Inspectorate Press Office, on: 0303 444 5004 or 0303 444 5005 or email: pressoffice@pins.gsi.gov.uk

Follow this application on twitter: @ENorthantsRMF

Notes to editors:

• From April 2012, the relevant Secretary of State became the decision maker on all national infrastructure applications for development consent. At the end of the examination of an application, which will still be completed within a maximum of six months, the Planning Inspectorate will have 3 months to make a recommendation to the relevant Secretary of State who will then have a further 3 months to reach their decision.
• The Planning Inspectorate, National Infrastructure Programme of Projects details the proposals which are anticipated to be submitted to the Planning Inspectorate as applications in the coming months.

Copies of the application documents can also be viewed online on the project page of the Planning Inspectorate website.

The process in a snapshot

There are six key stages within the process. The summary below provides examples of when and how people have an opportunity to provide evidence to the Planning Inspectorate.

Pre-application

Key activities:

• project development / developer’s pre-application consultation and publicity
• environmental impact assessment preparation and scoping, where required

Public involvement:

• have their say on the proposal to the developer through their pre application consultation

Acceptance by the Planning Inspectorate on behalf of the Secretary of State

Key activities:

• the Secretary of State has 28 days from the day after receipt to decide whether or not an application should be accepted for examination

Public involvement:

• details will be posted at the Planning Inspectorate’s website on how to register as an interested party – once an application has been accepted for examination and publicised by the developer
• opportunity to legally challenge a decision not to accept an application

Pre-examination

Key activities:

• single Inspector or a Panel of three or more Inspectors appointed
• Preliminary Meeting called and held
• procedure and timetable set for examination

Public involvement:

• register to say what you agree or disagree with in the application
• submit your representation
• view application documents submitted by the developer on the Planning Inspectorate website
• attend the Preliminary Meeting
• say how the examination should be conducted

Examination

Key activities:

• a maximum of six months to carry out the examination

Public involvement:

• submit more detailed comments in writing
• comment on what other people have said
• request and attend an open-floor hearing
• If being held, request to speak at open-floor and / or issue specific hearing(s)
• comment on the local authority’s Local Impact Report – detailing the impact of the scheme on the local area

Decision

Key activities:

• a maximum of three months for Planning Inspectorate to issue a recommendation to the relevant Secretary of State, with a statement of reasons
• the relevant Secretary of State then has a further three months from receiving the recommendation in which to issue the decision

Post decision

Key activities:

• six weeks for any legal challenge

Public involvement:

• opportunity to challenge