The issue has emerged as councillors discuss the proposed features of a replacement Waste Local Plan, which will allocate about 23 potential sites for new waste management facilities.
While the draft plan includes possible sites for thermal treatment facilities, some councillors have called for the rejection of energy-from-waste.
In the latest environment and resources scrutiny sub committee meeting, Cllr George Mainwaring said he had had many representations from local people against thermal treatment in the county.
He said: “I recommend that the term 'thermal treatment' is removed from the consultation document. If in the future the government or the European Union rule that thermal treatment must take place, then so be it and let them instruct us.”
But the committee's chairman, Councillor Dr John Fraser, argued that the trends in waste management in Cheshire are not sustainable and more waste needs to be diverted from landfill through energy from waste and other technologies.
He said: “We are facing a future crisis – which is not going to go away. Doing nothing is just not an option. Not only is landfill space in this county rapidly running out but 90% of waste currently going to landfill should not be ending up there.”
“To ensure a sustainable future, we have to reduce waste volumes generated and also ensure that maximum value is extracted before disposal,” he added.
After the meeting, Cllr David Brickhill added his concerns over placing a potential thermal treatment at Pyms Lane junction, a site close to a housing estate and a luxury car factory.
He said: “Amongst its possible uses is a thermal treatment plant which burns waste. Not only is it near housing estates but I believe that pollutant solid and gaseous material in the smoke could be harmful during the manufacturing process of Bentley cars.”
Consultation
Despite disagreements over energy from waste, the draft Plan has been recommended by the environment and resources scrutiny sub committee as a basis for consultation. With the provisions for thermal treatment included, the Plan will now go to the council's executive committee and then the full council.
If the draft is approved by at both meetings, a six-week public consultation on the draft Waste Local Plan is due to start in May, 2004. The council hopes that the new Plan will be adopted in late autumn 2005, following another consultation and perhaps a public inquiry.
Covering all types of waste, most of the sites in Cheshire's new Waste Local Plan are on industrial estates across the county. A range of waste treatment technologies are suggested, including household waste and recycling centres, aggregate recycling, anaerobic digestion, mechanical biological treatment as well as energy-from-waste.
In 2002, Cheshire landfilled over one million tonnes of waste in three sites and currently pays around 6 million a year in Landfill Tax. In terms of municipal waste, the county recycled 18% in 2002-03 and has a government target of 33% for 2005-06.
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