$Unique_ID{bob00537} $Pretitle{} $Title{United Kingdom Nature Conservation} $Subtitle{} $Author{Embassy of the United Kingdom, Washington DC} $Affiliation{Embassy of the United Kingdom, Washington DC} $Subject{pollution control waste authorities environment land noise act britain disposal} $Date{1990} $Log{} Title: United Kingdom Book: Planning and the Environment in Britain Author: Embassy of the United Kingdom, Washington DC Affiliation: Embassy of the United Kingdom, Washington DC Date: 1990 Nature Conservation The official body responsible for nature conservation in Great Britain is the Nature Conservancy Council, which has the functions of establishing, maintaining and managing nature reserves, advising the Government, providing general information and advice, and commissioning or supporting research. There are 234 national nature reserves covering some 161,000 hectares (398,000 acres). Some 5,000 sites of special scientific interest have been listed for their flora, fauna or geological or physiographical features. The Forestry Commission has 344 `sites of special scientific interest' on its land-covering 70,000 hectares (173,000 acres)-on which nature conservation is a primary objective. Local authorities have declared about 150 local nature reserves. Voluntary nature conservation trusts and the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds play an important part in protecting wildlife, having established between them some 1,800 reserves. The trusts are affiliated to a parent organisation, the Royal Society for Nature Conservation. The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, with over 440,000 members and 90,000 young ornithologists, is the largest voluntary wildlife conservation body in Europe. In Northern Ireland the Committee for Nature Conservation advises the Department of the Environment for Northern Ireland on nature conservation matters including the establishment and management of terrestrial and marine nature reserves and the declaration of areas of special scientific interest; 46 national nature reserves have been established and 18 areas of special scientific interest declared. The Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 extended the list of protected species (further extended by Order in 1988), restricted the introduction into the countryside of animals or plants not normally found in the wild, and afforded greater protection for areas of special scientific interest and other important habitats. In Northern Ireland two Orders, which became operative in 1985, have brought legislation into line with the rest of Britain on species and habitat protection. Other conservation measures promoted by the Government have included a ban (in conjunction with other European Community countries) on the import of whale products and certain seal pup products, a system of licensing zoos to ensure that captive animals are kept in suitable conditions, and stricter controls for the protection of wild birds. Certain areas, of importance for their landscape, historic and habitat value, are being designated `environmentally sensitive areas' as a result of a change in European Community regulations allowing governments to make special payments to farmers to continue their traditional farming methods for the sake of preserving the countryside and its wildlife. By mid-1988, 19 areas had been designated. Britain participated fully in the European Year of the Environment (from March 1987 to March 1988), which aimed to raise public awareness of environmental issues and of the individual's responsibility for the present and future quality of the environment. Over 3,000 events held in Britain highlighted nature conservation, the control of pollution and wastes, and the improvement of the urban environment. Land Reclamation and Use Derelict land is often concentrated in places associated with nineteenth-century industrial development, but the restructuring of particular industries over the past decade or so is continuing to add significantly to this problem in certain areas. Dereliction can take various forms and includes mineral waste tips, old mineral workings, and former industrial sites (such as steelworks, disused railways and docks), many of which are contaminated sites. In England government grants are available under the Derelict Land Act 1982 to local authorities and to other public bodies, to the private sector and to nationalised industries for the reclamation of such land in order to bring it into beneficial use or to improve its appearance. The expenditure provision for the derelict land reclamation programme in 1988-89 is 76 million Pounds. The main priority is given to reclamation schemes in urban, particularly inner city, areas that lead to development by the private sector for industry, commerce and especially housing. Between 1 April 1979 and 31 March 1988 some 11,500 hectares (over 28,000 acres) of derelict land were reclaimed in England with the aid of some 460 million Pounds of grant. In Scotland and Wales responsibility for derelict land reclamation rests with the respective development agencies, which may acquire and reclaim land, employ local authorities as their agents (in Scotland) or make grants to local authorities for the purpose (in Wales). In Northern Ireland grants may be paid to landowners who restore or improve derelict sites. To prevent new dereliction, planning controls require that when permission is given for mineral working, various measures must be taken to minimise the disturbance caused by the work and, where practicable, to secure effective restoration to the former land use or to a new use. In Wales land use is additionally encouraged by the Land Authority for Wales, a statutory body with powers to make land available for development in circumstances where the private sector would find this difficult or impossible. Registers of Unused and Under-used Land In England the Government has instituted, and made available for inspection, registers of unused and under-used land held by local authorities, nationalised industries and other public bodies; some 64,000 hectares (159,000 acres) have been registered. Of this, some 28,000 hectares (70,000 acres) have been deregistered mainly because the land has been sold to the private sector or brought into use. There is power to direct a public body to dispose of registered land; directions in respect of 73 sites had been issued by the end of March 1988. Registers are also published for certain areas of Wales. Environmental Improvement Scheme In 1986 the Government launched a new initiative to encourage a wide range of local environmental improvement work. The initiative, called UK 2000, brings together representatives of voluntary organisations and independent members from business. It aims to improve the natural and built environment and people's enjoyment of it, create jobs, and provide work and training for the participants. Voluntary organisations promote programmes of work and assist in the setting up of local projects such as creating parks, footpaths and other areas of greenery in cities, conserving the industrial heritage and the natural environment, recycling waste, and providing tourist information and facilities. Control of Pollution The Control of Pollution Act 1974, which applies to England, Scotland and Wales, sets out a wide range of powers and duties for local and water authorities, including control over wastes, air and water pollution and noise, and contains important provisions on the release of information to the public on environmental conditions. In particular, it introduced a new system for the comprehensive planning of waste disposal operations so as to ensure that disposal is carried out to satisfactory standards and that, where practicable, waste materials are recovered and recycled. The Act also increased the penalties for a large number of pollution offences. Similar legislation applies in Northern Ireland. Administration Executive responsibility for pollution control rests in general with local and water authorities, although certain industrial processes are controlled by central government agencies. Local authorities are responsible for matters such as collection and disposal of domestic wastes; control of air pollution from domestic and many industrial premises; and noise abatement measures. The regional water authorities in England, the Welsh Water Authority, the river purification boards and island councils in Scotland and the Department of the Environment for Northern Ireland are responsible for control of water pollution. Sewerage and sewage treatment and disposal are the responsibilities of regional water authorities in England and Wales, of local authorities in Scotland and of the Department of the Environment in Northern Ireland. An independent standing Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution advises the Government on national and international matters concerning the pollution of the environment, on the adequacy of research and on the future possibilities of danger to the environment. It has so far produced 12 reports covering a wide range of topics. Central government is principally concerned with formulating policy, exercising general budgetary control, promoting legislation, and advising pollution control authorities on its implementation. The Secretary of State for the Environment has general responsibility for co-ordinating the work of the Government on environmental protection and in this is assisted by a Central Directorate of Environmental Protection with in the Department. In Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland the respective Secretaries of State are responsible for pollution control co-ordination in their countries. They are assisted by the Scottish Development Department, the Water and Environmental Protection Division of the Welsh Office, and the Department of the Environment for Northern Ireland respectively. In 1987 the former Industrial Air Pollution Inspectorate (of the Health and Safety Executive), the Radiochemical Inspectorate and the Hazardous Waste Inspectorate were amalgamated in a single unified inspectorate for England and Wales known as the Inspectorate of Pollution. The Environmental Protection Technology Scheme, launched by the Department of the Environment in 1988, aims to encourage the development of cleaner industrial technologies. The Land The main risks of land pollution lie in the indiscriminate dumping of waste materials on land, careless disposal of pesticides and chemicals, and the deposition of materials from the atmosphere and from flood-water. The Control of Pollution Act places a duty on waste disposal authorities to arrange for the disposal of controlled wastes. It requires them to draw up and revise periodically a waste disposal plan and establishes a licensing system for waste disposal sites, treatment plants and storage facilities receiving controlled wastes. In addition, it provides for a more intensive control system for certain especially hazardous or difficult wastes. The Inspectorate of Pollution and the Hazardous Waste Inspectorate for Scotland advise local authorities on how to improve their control of waste management and to work towards environmentally acceptable standards for dealing with hazardous wastes. In June 1988 the Government announced plans to strengthen legal controls on waste management; proposed amendments to the Control of Pollution Act will include provision for a statutory duty of care, to be imposed on both producers and holders of waste. It is a criminal offence to leave litter in any public place in the open air or to dump rubbish except in designated places. To help counteract the problem of litter, financial support is given to the Tidy Britain Group, which provides a comprehensive litter abatement programme in collaboration with local authorities and secures sponsorship from industry to undertake litter abatement promotions. In March 1988 the Government increased its annual grant to the Tidy Britain Group from 0.6 million Pounds to 1.25 million Pounds; the Group is to lead a new anti-litter initiative, involving a number of pilot projects. The Group is also included in UK 2000 (see p 208). Recycling and Materials Reclamation The Government encourages the reclamation and recycling of waste materials wherever this is practicable and economic in order to reduce waste disposal costs and to help to conserve natural resources. Industry already makes considerable use of reclaimed waste material such as metals, paper and textiles. Local authorities reclaim about 20,000 tonnes of waste paper and about 30,000 tonnes of metals annually. In an increasing number of areas there are `bottle banks' and `can banks' where the public can deposit used glass and metal containers respectively. Voluntary organisations also arrange collections of waste material. Waste disposal authorities have powers under the Control of Pollution Act to take full account of opportunities for waste reclamation and have a duty when drawing up their waste disposal plans to include information on disposal methods which should be used, including reclamation. Water Pollution There has been a significant improvement in water quality since the 1950s: the level of pollution in the tidal Thames, for example, has been reduced to a quarter of the 1950s' level and over 100 different kinds of fish have been identified there since 1964. A major scheme has been launched to clean up the Mersey, the largest British estuary still suffering from pollution, and other major schemes are in progress, including programmes aimed at improving water quality in the Tyne and Tees. There are comprehensive controls over discharges to rivers, estuaries, coastal waters and underground waters. Information about consented discharges and about water quality is publicly available on registers maintained by the individual water authorities and by the river purification authorities in Scotland. More than 95 per cent of the population is provided with main drainage, and public authority sewage treatment works serve over four-fifths of the population-a very high proportion by international standards. Marine Pollution Control of marine pollution from ships is based largely on international conventions drawn up under the auspices of the International Maritime Organisation, a United Nations agency with headquarters in London, and implemented for British ships by domestic legislation. The Merchant Shipping (Prevention of Oil Pollution) Regulations 1983 and the Prevention of Oil Pollution Act 1986 make it an offence for ships of any nationality to discharge oil or oily mixtures into British territorial waters and for British registered ships to make similar discharges anywhere into the sea, except in accordance with the regulations. The Department of Transport's Marine Pollution Control Unit undertakes operations at sea to counter pollution when oil (or other dangerous substances) threatens major coastal pollution or is likely to harm important fisheries or concentrations of sea birds. It maintains a national contingency plan and dispersant spraying, cargo transfer and mechanical recovery resources, including a remote sensing aircraft capable of detecting possible illegal discharges and of quantifying oil pollution. Offshore operators must ensure that oil does not escape into the sea and are required to have contingency plans for dealing with oil spilled accidentally. Discharges containing oil are controlled under the Prevention of Oil Pollution Act 1971. Discharges of chemicals are controlled and monitored by a non-statutory Chemical Notification Scheme, administered by the Department of Energy in consultation with fisheries departments. The Food and Environment Protection Act 1985 (which superseded the Dumping at Sea Act 1974) tightened the controls over dumping at sea, the most significant change being the introduction of specific controls on marine incineration. Under the Act a licence has to be obtained for the permanent deposit of any substance or article into tidal waters and the sea. Dumping at sea is permitted on the basis of the scientific criteria set out in the annexes to the Oslo Convention (International Convention for the Prevention of Marine Pollution by Dumping from Ships and Aircraft 1972) and the London Convention on the Prevention of Marine Pollution by Dumping Wastes and Other Matter 1972. At the Second International Conference on the Protection of the North Sea, held in London in November 1987, it was agreed to take action to protect and enhance the quality of the North Sea and benefit the environment as a whole. In February 1988 the Government issued guidance to the water industry and other public utility and industrial interests on reducing inputs of pollutants to the seas around Britain. Authorities are being required to prepare plans to reduce inputs of dangerous substances into rivers and estuaries, one of the major sources of such inputs to the North Sea, in order to meet the agreed objectives by 1990. At the conference ministers agreed to cease the dumping of harmful industrial waste by the end of 1989. The conference also established a scientific task force to ensure better coordination of North Sea research and monitoring and ministers also agreed to hold a third conference, in the Netherlands, in early 1990 to review progress. Clean Air Responsibility for clean air rests primarily with local authorities. Under the Clean Air Acts 1956 and 1968 they may declare `smoke control areas' within which the emission of smoke from chimneys constitutes an offence. About two-thirds of the premises in conurbations are now covered by smoke control orders. Emissions from most industrial premises are also subject to the control of local authorities under the Clean Air Acts and the Public Health Acts. The emission of dark smoke from any trade or industrial premises or from the chimney of any building is in general prohibited, and new furnaces must be capable as far as practicable of smokeless operation. Regulations prescribe specific limits to the quantities of grit and dust which may be emitted from certain furnaces. Industrial premises that have the greatest potential for giving rise to noxious or offensive emissions are, in England and Wales, under the control of the Inspectorate of Pollution. In Scotland this function is discharged by the Industrial Pollution Inspectorate. The Inspectorates require the best practicable means to be used to prevent emissions or render them harmless. Similar legislation and controls apply in Northern Ireland. Strict controls are in force on emissions from motor vehicles, and Britain has played a constructive role in European Community discussions on tighter limits. The maximum permitted lead content of petrol in Britain was reduced to 0.15 grammes per litre on 31 December 1985 and as a result the amount of lead measured in the air in 1986 fell to less than half the 1985 figure. The European Community has adopted a directive which requires unleaded petrol to be available throughout the Community by October 1989. The first unleaded petrol in Britain went on sale at selected service stations in 1986, and from 1 October 1990 most new cars in Britain will have to be able to run on unleaded petrol. Britain is implementing new and tighter limits on exhaust emissions from cars following agreement on a European Community directive (the `Luxembourg' agreement) in December 1987. In June 1988 agreement was reached in principle within the Community on new and tighter exhaust emission standards for small cars. The overall effect will be to reduce by more than half the emissions permitted from new cars. Considerable progress has been made towards the achievement of cleaner air and a better environment, especially in the last 30 years or so. Total emissions of smoke in the air have fallen by over 85 per cent since 1960. The domestic smoke control programme has been particularly important in achieving this result. London no longer has the dense smoke-laden `smogs' of the 1950s and in central London winter sunshine has increased by about 50 per cent since 1958. Similar improvement has been achieved in other cities including Glasgow and Sheffield. National sulphur dioxide emissions have fallen by about 40 per cent since 1970. The Government fully accepts the need for further reductions of both sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxide emissions. Under a 1,000 million Pounds programme, all new coal-fired power stations are to have equipment to remove acid emissions; the equivalent of three Central Electricity Generating Board power stations will be retrofitted with flue gas desulphurisation equipment, and all 12 major coal-fired power stations with low nitrogen oxide burners. In June 1988 agreement was reached on the European Community directive on the control of emissions from large combustion plants, under which Britain accepted a phased programme of reductions in sulphur dioxide emissions from existing large combustion plants by 20 per cent of 1980 levels by 1993, 40 per cent by 1998 and 60 per cent by 2003, and agreed to reduce nitrogen oxide emissions by 15 per cent by 1993 and 30 per cent by 1998. The Government is considering with the electricity supply industry how best to implement these further reductions. Britain is supporting an extensive research programme into the causes and effects of acid rain, and the likely results of possible abatement technologies. It is also participating in international research programmes and monitoring schemes. Britain is closely involved in international measures to prevent further damage to the ozone layer of the atmosphere by chlorofluorocarbons, the man-made gases in aerosols. In 1987 Britain signed the Montreal Protocol to the Vienna Convention on the Protection of the Ozone Layer, which is expected to come into force on 1 January 1989. Signatories to the Protocol have agreed to reduce their consumption and production of the substances with the greatest potential to deplete the ozone layer-chlorofluorocarbons and halons. Noise The Control of Pollution Act 1974 (and similar legislation in Northern Ireland) requires local authorities to inspect their areas for noise nuisance and gives them the power to take action by serving a noise abatement notice on a person responsible for it. It also enables them to designate `noise abatement zones' within which registered levels of noise from certain premises may not be increased without their permission. The Act contains specific provisions to control noise from construction and demolition sites. It also contains provisions enabling individuals to take action through the courts against noise amounting to a nuisance. Transport is one of the main offenders in noise pollution, and control measures are aimed at reducing noise at source, through requirements limiting the noise that aircraft and motor vehicles may make, and at protecting people from its effects. The Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations 1986 set out the permissible noise levels for various classes of new vehicles. More stringent limits will be introduced for new vehicles between October 1988 and October 1990. Under the Land Compensation Act 1973 and similar legislation in Scotland, compensation is payable for loss in property values caused by physical factors including noise arising from the use of new or improved public works such as roads and airports. Regulations made under the Acts also enable highway authorities to carry out or make grants for insulation of homes subject to specified levels of increased noise caused by new or improved roads. Noise insulation may also be provided where construction work for new roads is likely to affect nearby homes seriously. Noise emission levels of almost all aircraft on the United Kingdom Register are regulated in accordance with standards agreed by the International Civil Aviation Organisation. Since 1986 all subsonic jets on the United Kingdom Register have had to comply with these standards, and this requirement was extended to overseas-registered aircraft from 1 January 1988. Various operational restrictions have been introduced to reduce noise disturbance further at Heathrow, Gatwick, and Stansted, where the Secretary of State for Transport has assumed responsibility for noise abatement. These measures include restriction on the type and number of aircraft which may operate at night, the routing of departing aircraft on noise preferential routes, and quite take-off and landing procedures. Radioactivity Radiation resulting from industrial and other processes represents only a small fraction of that to which the population is exposed from the natural environment. Nevertheless, that fraction is subject to stringent control because of possible effects on health or longer-term genetic effects. Under the Radioactive Substances Act 1960 most users of radioactive materials other than those subject to licence under the Nuclear Installations Act 1965 must be registered by the appropriate department, and authorisation is also required for the disposal of radioactive waste. The Health and Safety Executive, through its Nuclear Installations Inspectorate, is the authority concerned with the granting of nuclear site licences for commercial nuclear installations. No installation may be constructed or operated without a licence granted by the Executive. The National Radiological Protection Board (NRPB), established under the Radiological Protection Act 1970, provides an authoritative point of reference on radiological protection. Following the accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power station in the Soviet Union in 1986, the Government is setting up a Radioactive Incident Monitoring Network. More than 80 stations throughout Britain will continuously monitor radiation in order to improve emergency arrangements in the event of a nuclear accident overseas. In 1987 the Government announced a series of measures to deal with the problem of naturally occurring radon gas in houses, including a survey by the NRPB to identify houses with the highest levels where remedial action would be necessary. Radioactive Waste Disposal Radioactive wastes vary widely in nature and level of activity, and the practices followed reflect this variation. Some wastes are dispersed safety in the environment. The Nuclear Industry Radioactive Waste Executive (UK Nirex Ltd) is responsible for developing and operating disposal facilities for solid wastes with a low or intermediate level of activity and is seeking to identify a suitable location for a deep multi-purpose facility. UK Nirex Ltd is evaluating the relative merits of techniques of deep burial in a repository on land, tunnelling under the sea-bed from the shore, and disposal into the sea-bed from a sea-based rig. The Department of the Environment is also sponsoring research, in collaboration with other countries, into disposal of high-level wastes, but these will first be stored in vitrified form for at least 50 years. Addresses Department of the Environment, 2 Marsham Street, London SW1P 3EB. Northern Ireland Department of the Environment, Environmental Protection Division and Conservation Services, Calvert House, 23 Castle Place, Belfast BT1 1FY. Scottish Development Department, New St Andrew's House, Edinburgh EH1 3SZ. Welsh Office, Cathays Park, Cardiff CF1 3NQ. Cadw: Welsh Historic Monuments, Brunel House, 2 Fitzalan Road, Cardiff CF2 1UY. Civic Trust, 17 Carlton House Terrace, London SW1Y 5AW. Council for Environmental Conservation, 80 York Way, London N1 9AG. Countryside Commission, John Dower House, Crescent Place, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire GL50 3RA. Countryside Commission for Scotland, Battleby, Redgorton, Perth PH1 3EW. English Heritage (Historic Buildings and Monuments Commission for England), Fortress House, 23 Savile Row, London W1X 2HE. Health and Safety Executive, St Hugh's House, Stanley Precinct, Bootle L20 3QY. Housing Corporation, 149 Tottenham Court Road, London W1P OBN. National House Building Council, 58 Portland Place, London W1. National Trust, 36 Queen Anne's Gate, London SW1H 9AS. National Trust for Scotland, 5 Charlotte Square, Edinburgh EH2 4DU. Nature Conservancy Council, Northminster House, Peterborough PE1 1UA. Nuclear Industry Radioactive Waste Executive (NIREX), Harwell, Didcot, Oxfordshire OX11 ORH.