Page last updated at 16:05 GMT, Wednesday, May 26 2010
Site Waste Management Plans (SWMP)
New regulations came into force in April 2008
which means that any construction project in England costing over
£300k needs a Site Waste Management Plan (SWMP). This
includes:
- new build
- maintenance
- alteration or installation/removal of services such as
sewerage, water.
A SWMP sets out how building materials, and
resulting waste, is to be managed during the project.
The purpose is to ensure that:
- building materials are managed efficiently
- waste is disposed of legally, and
- material recycling, reuse and recovery is maximised
It is the clients responsibility (or principal
contractor) to:
- ensure a SWMP is written, followed, and updated during the
project. Although the plan must be written at the construction
design stage, it is a requirement of the SWMP regulations to
maintain it during the whole project
- update the plan with the site day to day activity
There are two types of SWMP depending on the
cost of the project:
- a project costing between £300 - £500k follows a basic
template
- anything over £500k requires a much greater level of
detail.
The SWMP regulations are intended to be self
regulated. The onus is on the client (or principal contractor) to
make sure:
- the SWMP meets its regulatory requirements
- all those involved in the project act 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
Further information on the SWMP regulations,
guidance and templates for creating plans are available from the
links below.
If you have any queries regarding SWMPs please
contact the Pollution Team at EBC.
Useful links:
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