New Regulations to manage site waste for the construction industry
March 28th 2008
New regulations coming into force in April this year will require any construction project in England costing over £300k to have a Site Waste Management Plan (SWMP).
The purpose of a SWMP is to set out how building materials, and resulting waste, is to be managed during the project.
This is to ensure that:
- building materials are managed efficiently;
- waste is disposed of legally; and
- that material recycling, reuse and recovery is maximised.
The duty falls upon the client to ensure a SWMP is written, followed, and updated during the project. Although the plan needs to be written at the construction design stage, it is a requirement of the SWMP regulations to maintain it during the whole project. Therefore, the client (or principal contractor) is also responsible for updating the plan with the site day to day activity.
There will be two types of SWMP depending on the cost of the project.
1. A project costing between £300 - £500k will follow a basic template
2. Anything over £500k will require a much greater level of detail
The SWMP regulations are intended to be self regulating. The onus is on the client (or principal contractor) to ensure the SWMP meets its regulatory requirements. The client must also ensure all those involved in the project acts in accordance with the plan and current waste legislation.
Both local authorities and the Environment Agency have power to enforce these regulations via fixed penalty notices or prosecution.
No regulations are proposed in Wales at this time although some may be introduced at a later date.
Further details can be found on the Environment Agency website.