Materials Management Plans (MMP)
ESP prepares compliant Materials Management Plans that support the sustainable reuse of soils and materials during construction projects
A Materials Management Plan (MMP) enables the re-use of contaminated or uncontaminated soil, made ground and other material in earthworks without the costs and time burdens of obtaining an environmental permit.
MMP’s are typically needed before earthworks or remediation when managing soil movement on a brownfield or greenfield site.
Characterisation and classification of waste materials play important roles when a decision is required on the most appropriate, and efficient, waste management approaches (Waste, Materials, CL:AIRE QP). This is why an effective materials management plan helps to reduce:
- Soil disposal and importation
- Carbon emissions
- Noise
- Costs of development
Whilst simple excavation and disposal of soil is still common practice in the construction industry, rising disposal costs and requirement to reduce environmental impacts, are driving the reduction of site waste materials to landfill.
You can download our helpful Materials Reuse Flowchart here: ESP Material Reuse Flowchart.
We are able to provide the support required in order to derive the most appropriate sampling, laboratory testing and assessment of materials, including options appraisals in line with the Waste Hierarchy (Prevention, Minimisation, Reuse, Recycling and Disposal).
Our detailed understanding of materials composition and geoenvironmental quality, allows the design of suitable handling, treatment and, required disposal options (where unavoidable).
What Is a Materials Management Plan?
Recent MMP Projects
ESP delivered Materials Management Plan (MMP) support and working platform design for the Stephenson Street Flood Defence Scheme in Newport, providing geotechnical input across multiple construction areas along the River Usk.
We undertook targeted site investigation, including trial pitting, in-situ testing and plate load assessments, to characterise variable alluvial ground conditions and assess their suitability for reuse and construction support.
Our work informed BRE-based working platform designs and evaluated the use of recycled aggregates, enabling safe, compliant material reuse and efficient construction across soft and highly variable ground conditions.
Case Study 1: Stephenson Street Flood Defence Scheme in Newport
Explore our project gallery to see our team in action. From initial investigations to final delivery, these images represent our commitment to high quality data collection and the professional standards we bring to every project.
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We operate within a framework of professional memberships and industry-recognised accreditations, including ISO9001 and ISO 14001, ensuring that our technical delivery is consistently aligned with the highest standards of quality and governance.
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What Are the Stages of a Material Management Plan?
Typically there are four stages involved with a Material Management Plan, we’ll briefly describe the process below:
Stage 1: Understanding The Site
ESP completes an initial assessment of all relevant site documents, while also consulting with you about your site and the proposal.
Stage 2: Mitigating Legal & Financial Risks
In 2018 there were changes to landfill tax rules, resulting in developers facing steep fines and tax liabilities for reusing materials without the correct environmental permits, waste exemptions, or an approved Materials Management Plan (MMP).
ESP will help you avoid these costly pitfalls by offering proactive, expert guidance at every stage of your project. Our approach ensures you:
- Establish a legitimate need for the material
- Confirm the material’s suitability for its specific use, ensuring compliance with regulations
- Accurately verify that the volume used is both necessary and proportionate
ESP will actively help you gather the evidence required to stay fully compliant and optimise resource use, ensuring a seamless development process.
Stage 3: Creating a Materials Management Plan
We will develop a comprehensive Materials Management Plan that includes all the evidence to prove materials are classified as non-waste in compliance with regulations.
To ensure compliance and avoid costly fines, MMPs must be completed before materials are excavated. We recommend starting this process early in the project planning phase so your plan evolves as the project design progresses.
By working with ESP, you will safeguard your project against unexpected delays and liabilities while promoting sustainability and efficiency.
Stage 4: Qualified Person Review & Declaration
Upon completing the Materials Management Plan, our registered CL:AIRE Qualified Person will thoroughly review the plan to ensure it meets all requirements. They will then prepare and submit a formal declaration to CL:AIRE, confirming full compliance.
After the on-site work is completed, we will also prepare a comprehensive validation report and submit it to CL:AIRE
to confirm that all materials were managed per the approved MMP
Compliance with Waste Management Standards and WM2 Guidelines
- The assessments are undertaken in line with current standards and waste management legislation, including the European Directive List of Wastes (Commission Decision 2000/532/EC), Annex III to Directive 2008/98/EC and Interpretation of the Definition and Classification of Hazardous Waste (WM2).
- WM2 has been produced for use by anyone involved in the producing, management and regulation of hazardous waste and outlines the key requirements in the assessment and designation of waste materials.
- WM2 also includes a series of waste classification codes, often referred to as LoW (List of Wastes) or EWC (European Waste Catalogue) codes for both hazardous and non-hazardous wastes.
- Working with our UKAS accredited laboratory and utilising dedicated assessment techniques we can offer a range of geoenvironmental testing as part of Waste Assessment Criteria (WAC) classification, ranging from soil screening through to detailed soils classification.
Sustainable Reuse of Excavated Materials under DoWCoP
The classification of excavated materials on a development site allows an assessment of its potential suitability for re-use in accordance CL:AIRE Definition of Waste Development Industry Code of Practice (DoWCoP).
This creates a sustainable means of re-use of excavated and treated materials on development sites without the materials being designated as waste. In addition to the environmental benefits, this can lead to significant savings and ‘unlock’ previously cost prohibiting elements for developers (residential to commercial).
To do this a Material Management Plan (MMP) is required and ESP has extensive experience in designing, organising and auditing these. The MMP usually accompanies a remediation strategy or a design statement and documents the objectives relating to the use of the materials.
In broad terms, the MMP must demonstrate:
- The materials will not have any detrimental environmental or human health effects at the proposed receiver. The level of assessment will vary dependant on the contamination status of the donor soils however this has successfully been achieved previously by Earth Science Partnership for receiver sites of varying sensitivity;
- The materials are suitable for the intended purpose, i.e. specified chemical and geotechnical properties set by the receiver are met;
- Certainty of use for the quantity of material specified is confirmed.
Upon completion, a verification plan is produced to validate the works have been undertaken in accordance with the MMP, and have achieved the design/remediation objectives.
ESP have experience in validating MMPs designed by ourselves and other specialists.
Earth Science Partnership is qualified to review MMPs prepared in line with the DoWCoP, and to then submit the required Declaration which allows the works outlined by the MMP to commence.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is a CL:AIRE Qualified Person?
The role of the Cl:aire Qualified Person (QP) is fundamental to the application of the Cl:aire Code of Practice (DoWCoP) and is primarily to provide confidence to EA/NRW that best practice is being followed, and that there is an effective audit trail relating to what is planned.
Our Giles Sommerwill (QP:299) and Hywel Davies are qualified and registered QPs, and therefore qualified to review MMPs prepared in line with the DoWCoP, and to then submit the required Declaration which allows the works outlined by the MMP to commence.
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Speak To Our Experts Today
Earth Science Partnership is a leading expert in Materials Management Plans (MMP) across Wales, England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Ireland. We have decades of combined experience in our team of industry-recognised experts.
Our work, for homeowners, land owners, developers, and investors is completed in compliance with the latest, relevant industry best practices and guidance. We understand that every project is unique, so we deliver our services tailored to your needs.
If you’re looking to complete a Materials Management Plan (MMP), the ESP team can support you with a straightforward, cost-effective solution for your planning permission application.
Author
I am a UK Registered Ground Engineering Specialist and Chartered Engineering & Environmental Geologist with significant experience in Site Hazard Assessment, Remediation, Design, and Implementation across the Geoenvironmental and Geotechnical sectors in the UK and abroad.
I often work in multi-disciplinary teams advising other engineering and design professionals on the implications of ground hazards.
My work involves undertaking design, planning, management, and reporting of ground investigations. For example investigations for new developments and many bespoke studies including:
- Assessment of hydrogeological settings, materials for earthworks.
- Impact of abandoned mine workings.
- Remediation and stability assessment of soil and rock slopes/landslides, most notably the Pantteg Landslide in the Swansea Valley for which I have guided and presented assessments to Local Authority officers and the general public.