The lessons from explosions such as at the Flixborough chemical works in Humberside in 1974, Seveso in Italy in 1976 and Buncefield in 2005 underline the importance of controlling sites where hazardous substances could be present and where development is proposed near them.
Sites which want to store, use and could inadvertently generate certain quantities of hazardous substances at or above defined limits must obtain hazardous substance consent, in accordance with the Planning (Hazardous Substances) Regulations 2015, the Town and Country Planning (Hazardous Substances) (Scotland) Regulations 2015 and the Planning (Hazardous Substances) (Wales) Regulations 2015.
Sites obtain consent from the Hazardous Substances Authority (HSA), which is usually the local planning authority. Hazardous substance consent is an important risk control system in the overall control of major hazards as it enables the HSA to assess the risk of the presence of a significant quantity of a hazardous substance in a particular location. This risk control system embodied by the consent ensures that public safety is adequately addressed by the local planning authority when making planning decisions and formulating local plans in the vicinity of sites storing or processing hazardous substances.
Therefore, an up-to-date hazardous substance consent is an essential part of the management of major accident hazards. Changes in hazardous substance classification brought about by the Classification, Labelling and Packaging Regulations could mean an existing deemed consent is no longer valid. The HSE has developed an online application wizard that helps with preparing the information required when applying for hazardous substance consent, or a variation to an existing consent, but the application must be submitted to the HSA by the applicant.
KK Risk can manage the application process, from deciding what to apply for, and providing information to the public. For planning applications for developments near major hazard sites, our consultants have extensive experience of conducting land use planning risk assessments.
