Storage and Collection of Recyclable Waste

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This page has been prepared to assist developers and applicants by highlighting  Wiltshire Council’s current management of refuse and recycling collections and what provisions will be expected when proposals for new dwellings come forward in the future.

• Introduction
• Planning Applications
• Waste, Recycling and Composting
• Road layout
• Storage
• Collection points waste and storage
• Retail, Commercial and Large Leisure Development
• Hazardous Substances

Introduction

There are a number of issues associated with waste storage and collection in new development:

• Access - convenience of access for both users of the waste storage facility and those who collect waste assists in promoting recycling and the economic provision of waste collection services.
• Visual impact – the location of wheelie bins, communal waste bins and refuse sacks can have a considerable impact on the street scene and local landscape quality, and can obstruct access and detract from residential amenities.
• Pollution - waste materials can create odours and attract vermin. Some facilities, such as glass storage and collection points can also involve noise.
• Separation of waste and recycling - there is a need to reduce the volumes of waste going to landfill, and in this connection there are Government, regional and local targets to reduce and recycle waste. Separation of waste at source assists in achieving these targets.

Many of the potential problems associated with the above issues can be mitigated by appropriate design and location of waste storage and collection facilities. This document gives guidance and advice on best practice.

Policies with the Districts Local Plans require that development schemes incorporate recycling measures and ‘proposals for the storage, collection and recycling of refuse’. Policy 14 of the Wiltshire and Swindon Waste Local Plan 2011 sets out requirements for the provision of recycling facilities in new development. This advice note should be read in conjunction with ‘Manual for Streets’ (particularly paragraphs 6.8.4 to 6.8.18), Part H of the Building Regulations 2002, BS 5906: 2005 (Waste Management in Buildings) and ‘Code for Sustainable Homes’. Further references are given at the end of this note.

Planning Applications

Applications for planning permission should include appropriate provision for the storage and collection of household waste on the application site. Details of the siting, size and design of the refuse and recycling bin storage areas for each property will be required with planning applications. These details, particularly the siting and size of the storage areas, should be included on the site layout plan. If these details are not included the application maybe made invalid and cause a delay to the determination of your application.

New refuse and recycling facilities should be designed to mitigate the visual impact they may have on the public realm; the storage and collection of refuse and recycling materials must be considered as part of the initial design process for all new developments. In all situations refuse and recycling materials collection facilities shall be protected from the weather and be designed as an integral part of the built form of development proposals.

Waste, Recycling and Composting

Compliance with the Code for Sustainable Homes is mandatory for publicly funded homes in England from April 2007, but is voluntary in the short term within the private sector. Whilst it remains voluntary to design and build a home to meet the standards set out in the Code, regulations mean that as from May 2008 those selling new homes will be required to provide information to any prospective purchaser on the sustainability of the home. Where a home is designed and built to the Code and assessed against it, a Code certificate will be provided. Otherwise, a statement of non assessment (a nil-rated certificate) will be provided.

The Code for Sustainable Homes (and the associated Technical Guide) sets a fixed minimum standard in relation to household recycling facilities and waste storage. This equates to the covered external provision (within the development plot) of the greater of; either enough space for all Local Authority recycling bins (not stacked and accessible), or 100 litres of storage bin per one-bedroomed unit plus 70 litres for every additional bedroom (also defined as 0.8m2 in BS5906).

The collection of waste and recyclable materials is an evolving service and developers should contact the Councils Waste Collection service for specific advice on current collection arrangements. Consideration should be given to composting facilities within new developments (including the communal gardens space in multi-occupation premises) as treatment of waste at source is recognised as the most sustainable method of treatment. Gardens should, where possible, be laid out so that sufficient space is allowed for home composting.

Road layout

The proposed layouts of larger scale developments should include a vehicle tracking plan indicating satisfactory vehicle manoeuvrability within the site to be developed, and demonstrate that it has been designed to include an efficient refuse/recycling collection ‘round’, based upon the operating standards and vehicle dimensions. For example tracking purposes, the dimensions of the vehicles currently used in Wiltshire Council are 10.8m long and 2.6m wide. The minimum turning circles are 18.5m (kerb to kerb) and 20.3m (between walls). The tracking plan will need to be agreed with the Wiltshire Council as highway authority.

The ‘round’ should be designed to allow the refuse collection vehicle (RCV) to operate in a forward gear only wherever possible (BS 5906:2005 recommends a maximum reversing distance of 12 metres, longer distances can be considered but any reversing routes should be straight and free from obstructions.). Adequate turning facilities, large enough to accommodate the refuse collection vehicle, will be required where the RCV is unable to drive a circuitous route. Where the RCV will not be expected to have direct access, provision of collection points must be shown.

To allow safe access, all roads, and other areas, that are to be used by the RCV must be designed to withstand the full weight of the vehicle, which is 26 tonnes maximum. Should there be a need to access courtyard areas via an archway then a vertical clearance of 4.00 metres will be required. Consideration must be made with regard to tree overhang, cables, balconies, barriers, and archways etc. The width of any road where the RCV is expected to access will need to be a minimum of five metres, to allow for the parking of cars to one side and the RCV to pass without hindrance. Consideration must be given at the initial design stage for the provision of adequate parking in safe and convenient locations for residents. The Council’s RCV will only travel along roads that have been constructed to Wiltshire Council adoptable standards.

Storage

In the following paragraphs storage areas refers to the place where a waste bin is normally kept by a householder on a day to day basis. Collection areas or points refer to the place where a bin is placed ready for collection by the waste authority. Storage and collection points can of course be the same place.

As a general rule within new residential developments provision should be made for every household to store 2 x 180 litre and 1 x 240 wheeled bins and two recycling boxes. If flats are proposed then please contact the Councils Waste Collection Service for further guidance.

	55 litre (black box for recyclable waste)	180 litre (green bin for non-recyclable waste )	240 litres (brown bin for garden waste)
Height (mm)	350	1070	1100
Width (mm)	560	580	570
Depth (mm)	440	740	730

In general wheeled bins should be stored on a hard, impervious, free-draining surface, in a position with convenient access to the kitchen door, but also where they can be easily moved by the residents to the kerbside at the front of the property for collection.

In flats or communal properties internal storage areas should be designed into each unit to encourage occupants to recycle waste. This will enable occupants to segregate their waste into refuse and recyclables, and store it temporarily, until it can be transferred to external bins.

Where it is intended for the wheeled bins to be permanently stored at the front of the property, a suitable enclosure (with the facility to completely lift the bin lid in-situ and permitting the separate collection of recyclable materials) should be constructed in an accessible, but inconspicuous position. Bin stores which are located in a prominent position are likely to be refused permission.

Within storage facilities, a minimum clearance of 150mm is required around all sides of the bins, and these should be placed side by side so residents are not inconvenienced accessing other bins. The entrance doors should have a minimum height of 1.8m to allow ease of access for both residents and operatives. Any enclosure should be of adequate height to permit the bin lids to be fully opened without having to move the bins. Guidance to Part H6 of the Building Regulations gives further advice on design of storage areas and collection points (see Guidance relating to Part H6 in particular paragraphs 1.8 to 1.18)

The location of bin storage should take account of risk from fire and the impact of smells in relation to adjoining residential properties.

Where extensions to dwellings are proposed consideration should be given to a storage area for bins and recycling baskets particularly if an extension is built to the line of the property boundary restricting access to the rear.

Related links

• Planning Portal "Buy a Plan"

Last updated: 16 February 2012