Concerns have been raised about the potential for a single waste site failure in Harrow, as highlighted in discussions by the Harrow Planning Policy Advisory Panel. The panel reviewed the proposed submission version of the West London Waste Plan (WLWP), which aims to manage waste-related development across seven west London authorities and align with national and regional planning policies, including the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) and the National Planning Policy for Waste 2014.
The current WLWP, adopted in 2015, is considered outdated. The updated plan, in its Regulation 19 version, aims to align with national and regional planning policies. During the consultation process for the Regulation 18 version, concerns were voiced about the Forward Drive Council depot site being Harrow's sole waste facility, presenting a single point of failure
should it become inoperable.
In response, it was noted that the plan's approach is to safeguard existing sites rather than allocate new ones, as no new sites are deemed necessary to meet London Plan waste targets. The plan assumes sites will be safeguarded for its duration, and the resilience of the Forward Drive site is considered an operational matter outside the plan's scope.
Discussions also touched upon the Mayor of London's concerns regarding the plan's general conformity with the London Plan, particularly concerning waste capacity calculations and the release of safeguarded sites without compensatory provision. The Mayor has raised concerns that the capacity of some sites is based on the maximum throughput of waste in the last five years, while others use capacity values from the adopted waste plan, planning permission, or Environment Agency permit limits. This approach is contrary to London Plan policy SI9, which favours maximum throughput values for the last five years for all waste sites. This discrepancy leads to concerns that the WLWP may not have the capacity to meet the apportionment set out in the London Plan, potentially constituting a general conformity issue.
A safeguarded waste site can be released without compensatory provision if it can be demonstrated that there is already sufficient capacity elsewhere in London to meet the London Plan apportionments and that achieving net self-sufficiency (where it applies) is not compromised. This is based on the assumption that capacity increases at waste sites will be implemented over the Plan period.
The Regulation 19 version will be published for an eight-week public comment period from August to September 2026. During this period, consultation materials will be available in libraries and online. A notice will be placed in the press, and those on the council's consultation database will be notified. Electronic copies of the Regulation 19 version of the WLWP, supporting documents, and evidence base will be made available on the London Borough of Ealing website, along with response forms and information on the publication arrangements. An overview of the publication process and links to key documents will also be available on the planning policy webpages of the participating authorities. Consideration will be given to holding a further joint online drop-in information session. In-person drop-in events will not be held due to limited attendance at previous stages.
The participating authorities aim to submit the plan to the government for examination by the end of December 2026. Following examination, the plan will return to the council for adoption.
