The proposal, which is intended to form the centrepiece of SITA UK's 30 year PFI-funded waste treatment contract with Cornwall county council that was signed in October 2006 (see letsrecycle.com), was refused by the council's planning control committee in Truro, with 20 members voting against the plan, one for and one abstention.
We are disappointed that the planning committee has not supported our proposal
Louis de Poncheville, general manager, SITA UK
A council spokeswoman revealed that the application, which was originally made in March 2008 (see letsrecycle.com story), was refused on eight grounds, adding that “officers had advised them to grant permission”.
It has been reported that the location of the proposed Cornwall Energy Recovery Facility – in the borough of Restormel, between the villages of St Dennis and Treviscoe – was a key factor in the council's decision.
Disappointed
Reacting to the decision, SITA UK's general manager, Louis de Poncheville, said: ‘We are disappointed that the planning committee has not supported our proposal. We have provided an application for an energy-from-waste facility in central Cornwall, which is in line with waste policy.
“The CERC would complement recycling and provide a sustainable solution to dealing with Cornwall's waste by moving away from landfill. We were pleased to see that the key environmental consultees were supportive of the proposals and confirmed they had no issues with the planning application.”
“Cornwall has some important decisions to make now as time is running out and landfill sites are fast running out of space. Cornwall needs to have a local solution to dealing with its waste and should not be faced with having to rely on transporting it to landfill sites outside the county,” he added.
SITA Cornwall
SITA Cornwall, the subsidiary established by SITA UK to run the PFI-funded waste contract, had proposed to use the site to treat Cornwall's municipal solid waste as well as a small volume of commercial and industrial waste arising in the county.
The facility was expected to operate as a combined heat and power (CHP) plant, with 16.6 megawatts of the 20MW of electricity produced by the site being exported to the National Grid, while the rest would be used on site.
Meanwhile, much of the heat produced would be sent to the neighbouring Trelavour Kilns, run by the Goonvean china clay company and also to be used by Imerys Minerals at its Parkandillick plant, to be used in place of gas.
If planning permission was awarded, it had hoped to have the facility, which would also incorporate a 60,000 tonne-a-year capacity bottom ash recovery plant, up-and-running in 2012, with construction of the facility being undertaken by Japanese-based technology specialists Takuma Co Ltd.
Opposition
The proposals have aroused strong local opposition, with the establishment of a campaign group by residents of St Dennis, the St Dennis Anti-Incinerator Group (STIG), who have raised fears over potential emissions and the environmental impact of the plans.
A representative of STIG was among seven speakers the council had allowed to speak last night due to the “exceptional nature” of the meeting, alongside representatives of local parish councils, the local MP Matthew Taylor, local prospective parliamentary candidates and a representative from SITA Cornwall.
Next steps
Following last night's decision, the council spokeswoman said: “The council's position is that we are now waiting for SITA and they have the right to appeal.”
And, a spokesman for SITA UK revealed that the company was now set to discuss the next steps for the project with Cornwall county council, adding that “we are not sure what we are going to do next.”
