Vehicles: Pollution Control

Bob Russell
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what advice she has given to local authorities on implementing the pollution prevention guidelines on vehicle washing and cleaning in policy planning guidance 13; and if she will make a statement.

Mr. Iain Wright
Planning Policy Guidance note 13: Transport sets out the Government's overall policy on planning for transport. Its objectives are to integrate planning and transport at the national, regional, strategic and local level and to promote more sustainable transport choices both for carrying people and for moving freight. Planning Pollution Statement 23: Planning and Pollution Control, and its Annex 1: Pollution Control, Air and Water Quality set out how the planning system can contribute to improvements in water quality. The policy expects local planning authorities to take into account the diffuse pollution that could be created by a proposed development and any measures the developer proposes to mitigate the impact. Neither documents provide specific advice on vehicle washing and cleaning.

The Environment Agency issued a revised Pollution Prevention Guideline 13 on vehicle washing and cleaning in October 2007. This is good practice guidance for all landowners and tenants to help prevent pollution from vehicle washing and cleaning using automatic wash systems, high pressure or steam cleaners and washing by hand. Local authorities should be aware of pollution prevention guidelines and implement them where it is appropriate to do so. The principal enforcement agencies for pollution prevention guidelines are the Environment Agency, Scottish Environment Protection Agency, the Heritage Service for Northern Ireland and the water companies for pollution and trade effluent respectively. DEFRA is working with the Environment Agency to tackle non-agricultural diffuse water pollution as part of its work under both the water framework directive and ‘Future Water’, DEFRA's recently published Water strategy. In particular, DEFRA is considering the introduction of simple general binding rules, which will provide a new approach to regulating such activities along with proportionate forms of enforcement, such as fixed penalty notices. A DEFRA consultation on this issue is anticipated later this year.