All construction projects in England costing more than £300,000 will soon need plans setting out how building materials and other waste products will be removed from the site. Under the Site Waste Management Plans (SWMPs) Regulations SI 2008/314, which come into force on 6 April 2008, builders and developers will have to produce a plan to ensure waste is disposed of legally, and that recycling, reuse and recovery are maximised.
These plans have to be written during the design stage of the project and followed and updated throughout construction. There will be two types of SWMP - a simpler one for projects costing between £300,000 and £500,000 and a more detailed plan for those costing more than £500,000.
There is a degree of uncertainty, however, over how the Regulations will be enforced. The provisions give equal responsibility to both the Environment Agency and local councils, with the latter expressing concerns over their exact role. The Agency has indicated that they expect councils to take the majority of the burden, but with no firm guidance issued as yet the possible effects this may have on the legislation's effectiveness are unclear.
The Waste and Resources Action Plan (WRAP) is offering companies help to meet their obligations and has produced a template for drawing up SWMPs. This template comprises a series of 14 steps, which follow the construction lifecycle from pre-design to project completion and review. It can be found, along with further information, at www.wrap.org.uk/construction.
