Cornwall to back new Suez MRF and transfer station

The proposed site in Hallenbeagle, Redruth, will comprise a materials recycling facility (MRF) for dry household recyclables and a waste transfer station.

The transfer station will enable the bulking of separately collected food waste as well as residual waste from households, recycling centres and commercial waste customers. All residual waste will then be transported around 20 miles away to the Cornwall Energy Recovery Centre (CERC).

Approximately 23 Suez vehicles will also be based at the site.

Approval

The report explained that the site has a history of a planning approval for a similar site. Cory previously held permission for a transfer station there from 2012 but due to a change in contract arrangements Cory did not then implement that permission.

It added that while 436 daily HGV movements are anticipated from the development, which while “not inconsiderable”, is less than the approved Cory site.

The report concluded: “On balance it is considered that the proposal is acceptable, subject to conditions. All other matters have been taken into account, including the comments of the Parish Councils, all other consultees and representations from members of the public, but none are of such significance as to outweigh the considerations that have led to the recommendation for conditional approval.”

Needed

In its planning application, Suez said the proposed development is “required to deal with the additional wastes that will be recycled in Cornwall, in part driven by the separate collection of food waste.”

Cornwall is set to roll this out food waste collections later this year.

Suez added that both the company and the council “recognise that the site at Pool which currently undertakes waste transfer and recycling function is not suitable for the management of the anticipated increased waste throughputs in the future”.

In October 2006, SITA UK, now known as Suez UK, was awarded a 30-year waste disposal contract with Cornwall council (see letsrecycle.com story). This included the management of a network of waste transfer stations.