Staffordshire MP asks tyre bale question in Parliament

On 27 June Karen Bradley, the Conservative MP for Staffordshire Moorlands, asked Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs the Rt Hon Caroline Spelman MP “what regulations govern the use of tyre bales for land engineering.” While not riveting for those already in the know, their exchange shows that these issues are discussed in the halls of the palace of Westminster and gives some clarity to the interpretation and processes associated with these rules.

In his written answer to Karen Bradley’s question, fellow Tory member of Parliament Richard Benyon (Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Natural Environment and Fisheries in the department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs) said: “The use of waste tyre bales requires an environmental permit (or the registration of an appropriate exemption from the need for an environmental permit) under EU legislation; this is to prevent harm to human health and the environment. The EU requirements are implemented through the Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2010.”

Perhaps suggesting the question was linked to a particular project, and addressing this detail even if it wasn’t, Benyon continued: “The Environment Agency (EA) is the main competent authority responsible for determining applications for environmental permits and registering exemptions. The EA must be told the location of the site where the waste tyres bales are to be used as part of the application or registration procedure. A land engineering project may require planning permission from the relevant local planning authority.”

The preliminary exchange was followed up with a further question asking Caroline Spelman MP: “(1) whether tyre bales used for land engineering are classified as waste for the purposes of Article 6 [i] and [ii] of Directive 2008/98/EC…(2) whether her department has submitted an application under the provisions of Article 6 (4) of Directive 2008/98/EC for tyre bales used for land engineering to be considered as having ceased to be waste; and if she will make a statement.”

Richard Benyon second consecutive written answer on the subject said: “Tyres that have been discarded are waste in accordance with article 3 of directive 2008/98/EC (the waste framework directive). We have not notified a decision under the procedures of article 6(4) of directive 2008/98/EC in respect of tyre bales having ceased to be waste”, adding: “An Environment Agency and industry project is assessing the suitability of developing a quality protocol for tyre bales. A quality protocol identifies the point at which waste has been fully recovered and may be regarded as a non-waste product or material that can either be reused by business or industry, or supplied into markets without the need for waste management controls. However, further research and investigation needs to be undertaken to develop a quality protocol for tyre bales to meet the end-of-waste criteria and cease to be waste.”

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