SITA UK has unveiled plans to build a 120,000 tonne-a-year capacity in-vessel composting (IVC) facility at a site near Farnham in Surrey.

The Berkshire-based waste management company held two public consultation exhibition days last week (January 16 and 17) to give residents the chance to see its plans for the plant, which would be built at its existing Runfold landfill operation.

The site of SITA UK's proposed in-vessel composting facility at Farnham

If built, the plant, which has already received a £1.5 million grant from the Waste and Resources Action Programme, would produce around 60,000 tonnes-a-year of compost to be used on restoration of the adjacent landfill.

Commenting on last week's exhibition, the company's business integration manager, Mark Fletcher, said: "The exhibition was part of our pre-planning application consultation. It gave residents the opportunity to view our proposals, ask questions and provide feedback on the plans.

"We are delighted that so many people support the need to increase composting facilities in the county and we were pleased to be able to talk through issues that were raised; the comments that we received will help to shape our planning application," he added.

Speculative

While SITA UK's subsidiary Surrey Waste Management has held the 25-year PFI contract for the disposal of Surrey county council's waste since 1999, the company has stressed that the Runfold IVC application is speculative and is not connected with that deal.

However, SITA confirmed that it has been in discussions with the county council about making the facility available for Surrey's household organic waste.

And, it has also said it is looking to source material for the facility from commercial operations both "within the county and its borders".

The company now plans to submit a planning application in early 2009 for the facility, which would be built on a seven-acre site between its Runfold North quarry, which has already been restored, and the Hogs Back landfill.

As well as demolishing existing buildings to make way for the new plant, the company said that much of the facility would be hidden from view.

If the planning application is successful, SITA expects to begin the one-year-long building programme for the facility in July 2009, with the aim of having it up-and-running in July 2010.