Colnbrook incinerator back on course after council rethink

And, plans by the company for a 400,000 tonne-per-annum energy-from-waste plant at the same site are back on track to open in 2008 following confirmation that Slough borough council will not stand in the way of the project.

” The matter went to a special council meeting, where it was resolved the council would not reconsider the planning permission for the incinerator.“
– Slough BC
The council had been considering an attempt to retract planning permission for Grundon Waste Management's 100 million project following local government elections last June (see letsrecycle.com story).

But at an extraordinary meeting of the council last month, Liberal Democrat and Tory councillors voted to drop the action, fearing it would see the council forced to pay compensation to the waste firm of as much as 200 million. Labour councillors abstained from the vote.

Speaking to letsrecycle.com, a council spokeswoman confirmed: “The matter went to a special council meeting, where it was resolved the council would not reconsider the planning permission for the incinerator. Legal advice suggested the council could have been liable for a sum of substantial value. We will be holding an open day to discuss the issues further.”

” Work will start on the clinical waste incinerator in the first quarter of 2005, and the EfW is still on target for early 2008.“
– Grundon
The council will be asking the Environment Agency to test the planning permission for the site against the current emission and air quality requirements to ensure that Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control (IPPC) permits are still valid. Local anti-incineration groups are being invited to make their own approaches to the Agency.

Compensation
In a report published last year, leading QC Lord Kingsland found that if the council did retract planning permission, it would be liable to pay compensation of an “amount of substantial proportions”.

With the council's annual budget running at about 146 million, the legal advice suggested Slough would be in breach of its statutory duties by incurring such a large additional expenditure.

Grundon has been running waste operations in Colnbrook for 22 years, including a 40,000 tonne-per-annum materials recycling facility (MRF), a clinical waste incinerator, a high density baling plant and a vehicle workshop. The 12-year-old clinical waste plant and the MRF are to be replaced as part of the redevelopment of the site.

A spokeswoman for Grundon said: “Work will start on the clinical waste incinerator in the first quarter of 2005, and the EfW is still on target for early 2008.”