Written question WQ100670

The latest unpublished North Wales Planning Monitoring Report produced by North Wales Minerals and Waste Planning Service concludes that there is currently sufficient inert waste disposal capacity available to serve North Wales. The report highlights that a range of schemes across the region utilise inert materials for land restoration, flood mitigation, engineering works and agricultural improvement, helping to manage waste higher up the waste hierarchy and reducing reliance on disposal.

The Welsh Government's policy is to minimise waste sent to landfill and promote the reuse and recycling of materials wherever possible. Planning Policy Wales supports the sustainable management of soils and excavated materials by encouraging developers to reuse materials where possible, reducing waste, transport movements and reliance on landfill. It also encourages the better use of excavated materials, helping to reduce waste and minimise the need for disposal. Taken together, these measures support the higher-value management of soil and inert materials in line with the statutory waste hierarchy and our wider commitment to the circular economy.