Before you go too far, make sure that you have read the whole of this document, and have contacted the co-ordinator too. If you are still trying to get a group together and stimulate more interest then it is part of the Co-ordinator’s job to give a presentation to the community. We have a good library of slides and overheads, as well as books and videos.
A suitable site is obviously vital. Even if you have not yet got a group together, you could find out about suitable sites. The Local Authority may own a piece of land, or you could ask your Parish Council for ideas. If you are only contemplating a small village scheme then there may be space on the local allotments, talk to the allotment holders. Don’t forget that farms can make ideal composting sites and if you can get a farmer’s support you could have the use of some useful machinery too. Once you think you have found a suitable site invite the co-ordinator to look at first. Then you must check it out with the Environment Agency. They will want to know, firstly, that you are operating within the current legislation. This whole area is under review at the time of writing, to take into account the concerns of community composting. The main concerns of the E.A .are that you are not going to pollute, or cause a nuisance. They will want you to prepare a site specific risk assessment that will include:
Who is going to use the scheme, and the tonnage of compost you anticipate making and the system you are going to employ.
These are more tricky questions. The project at Bratton Fleming automatically made everyone in the Parish a member of the scheme! Tonnages are difficult to estimate. Chagford with a population of about 1,400 makes about 100 tonnes a year
They will also want to know the precise location of the project. If uncomposted raw materials are going to be transported, then you will also need to register for an exemption from a waste carriers licence (see resources page). If you are going to be shredding then you need to apply for a shredding exemption too.
This all sounds rather long winded and bureaucratic but it is just to check that your proposed site is realty suitable, that you are not going to be polluting the environment, or disturbing neighbours and that you have thought about the scale of operations and the involvement of the community. Contact the co-ordinator for more advice before you do anything.
• Proximity to residential areas or inhabited buildings.
• Geology (likelihood of leachate to reach groundwater).
• Proximity to watercourses.
• Surface and groundwater abstractions.
• Other protection designations (e.g. Nitrate vulnerable zones, source protection areas).
• Designated physical features and areas (e.g. SSSI, Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, ancient monument, etc.).
• Transport network.
• Other considerations, (e.g. political, known objectors, etc.).
