Wharfside Regeneration Development limited (WRDL) with our consultants RPS, has been carefully investigating the potential in landfill sites linked with the opportunity of bringing sites to be mined forward for residential or mixed-use purposes. The aim and business plan enables us to work with land owners to identify suitable sites to mine/extract waste, separate out renewables and refill with inert material and consolidate the sites to enable development.
We are currently in negotiation with a number of County Councils, Unitary Authorities and private companies in England, for us to acquire former landfill sites. The land owners see the benefits of cost savings and capping future liabilities and responsibilities for these sites, whilst being in receipt of benefits in the form of new housing, capital receipts and environmental improvement. It allows also the residential use of a reclaimed site instead of green field land for housing development.
Until recently it was felt that landfill mining was not viable, however our exhaustive investigations and research show that the exercise can be viable. There is general acceptance of our methodology by local Authorities and, in particular, the Environment Agency. All parties will benefit and the risk removed from the land owners. The government supports business objectives to improve the environment and to move away from landfill to recycling. The time is right.
The methodology includes a full site investigation by our specialist consultants, RPS, once we have agreed a proposal with the land owner. The process when started will be fully insured covering protection for gradual, as well as sudden and accidental environmental liability.
Completion of the operation will provide a clean site comparable with other traditional remediated brownfield sites. It is important that all suitable sites will be able to achieve outline planning permission for a residential, retail, or mixed-use development, prior to commencement of operations.
There are many waste sites not suitable for development but are suitable for solar parks and we are seeking to bring these forward again for the benefit of the community in partnership with a JV partner, Earth Health Partnership (EHP)
Our lawyers, Norton Rose Fulbright, have a long history in environmental and planning practice both in the public and private sectors. Transactional elements will include environmental implications of alternative deal
structures.
