Landfill sites used to be well known for fire problems but it is our experience in Northamptonshire that the various other types or waste management facilities that have come forward since the move away from landfill have equally caused fires. It is perhaps not surprising that there is fire risk from the various wastes which previously would have gone to landfill, especially as some waste are being made into Refuse Derived Fuels. We have had fires in the last few years at facilities recycling: tyres; waste electrical equipment (WEEE); and wood waste and at a site producing bio-dried waste ( involving industrial and commercial blag bag waste) as well as at green waste composting sites. Some of these fires have been major incidents and once they start the fire service tends to let them burn in a controlled manner if there is no danger to life or of if any buildings involved can’t be saved. The smoke and potential health risks from particulates is a potential problem and putting lots of water on can also cause water pollution risks. The Fire Service has a duty to put out fires and therefore can’t charge for their time dealing with such incidents. Those which go on for days and weeks are very costly for the fire service to deal with and this at a time when local fire authorities budgets are under significant pressure. The Environment Agency often alert the Fire Service to sites which they consider could pose a fire risk, but it isn’t generally a material planning consideration at the application stage (except I assume for major hazardous installations). It would be helpful to receive any comments and ideas from other Forum members as to whether they are experiencing similar problems of fires at waste management facilities and whether anyone has set established any ways of dealing with the potential fire risks proactively. Has anyone identified a need for a fire risk minimisation strategy as part of their local validation list? Has anyone arranged a workshop with representatives from the local waste industry, the Fire Service and the Environment Agency to raise awareness and establish some sort of Protocol which waste operators and regulators would follow? This may go beyond our statutory land use planning responsibilities, but the public living near to sites which have fires are very concerned when they are breathing in smoke for days/weeks and the cost to the Fire Service is serious for local authority budgets and also to the Environment Agency. Finally problems such as this at waste management facilities also do not help the smooth passage of similar applications that then come forward for determination.
