Natural Resources Wales (NRW) recently consulted on its draft revised Fire Prevention Plan Guidance applying to the waste sector, including all metal recyclers in Wales. The guidance was produced in conjunction with the Welsh Fire and Rescue Service and the Waste Industry Safety and Health Forum (WISH). The resulting draft guidance, although informal, is extensive, transposing elements of WISH’s own fire guidance document, was produced as a result of extensive waste burn trials at Cory Environmental’s Barling landfill site in 2016.

Despite the Welsh government stating the seriousness with which it attributes to fires at waste and recycling sites, it has afforded the industry only four weeks to respond to the consultation paper.  This has made it impossible for the industry to properly-address the far-reaching proposals in any meaningful way.  As a result, British Metals Recycling Association (BMRA), Motor Vehicle Dismantlers Association and British Vehicle Salvage Federation wrote to Lesley Griffiths AM, the Minister responsible for the environment in Wales, to express our dissatisfaction at the lack of proper consultation with the industry.

Unfortunately, the Minister refused to extend the consultation period, meaning there is now likely to be a disparity between England and Wales in the way Fire Prevention Planning is handled at metal recycling sites. BMRA and its associates will continue to lobby on behalf of the sector to ensure a level playing field between the two countries.