The original three-month inquiry was carried out during 2003, with the inspector ultimately backing the proposal, which would see a plant processing on average 585,000 tonnes of waste a year for a 30-year period.
” At the conclusion of the in-depth public inquiry the inspector gave the project a clear green light, so it is frustrating to have to go through the process again.“
– David Riddle, Cory Environmental
However, it has taken until early this year for the government to consider the planning inspector's report, only for then-Secretary of State Patricia Hewitt to decide she wanted more information on the proposal (see letsrecycle.com story).
The decision over Belvedere is seen as having massive implications for London, and will also have a big impact on thinking in the rest of the UK concerning the treatment of waste.
The new Secretary of State, Alan Johnson, has now indicated that the re-opened inquiry will last a few weeks rather than months, and will not revisit all of the issues covered previously.
Issues
Instead the inquiry will focus on any changes in circumstances since October 2003 and three key issues:
- Whether plans for the incinerator are consistent with the latest government policies on waste and planning;
- Whether plans for the incinerator are consistent with the London Plan, a London-wide planning strategy published by the Mayor of London in 2004;
- How the incinerator would affect road and river transport, including the safety of pedestrians, cyclists and river users, having regard in particular to the Crossrail proposals.
The fresh inquiry is set to start on September 6 and is expected to last two to three weeks. However, a pre-inquiry meeting is being held on July 18 at the Marriott Hotel, Bexleyheath, for those intending to speak at the inquiry. The inspector in charge of the new inquiry, Keith Smith, will take contact details of all who want to give evidence, so that he can keep them in touch with proceedings.
Local authority Bexley council has “vehemently opposed” the proposed incinerator on the grounds that waste from outside the borough would be treated there.
Commenting on the new inquiry, a statement from Bexley council said it would “continue to object to the proposals to build an incinerator in the borough, which would burn rubbish from other boroughs across the capital.”
Cory
The Belvedere plant – to be run by Riverside Resource Recovery Ltd (RRRL) – would form a major component of Cory Environmental's 30-year waste contract with the Western Riverside Waste Authority. This includes the London boroughs of Hammersmith and Fulham, Lambeth, Kensington and Chelsea, and Wandsworth. The waste from Cory would be material left over after the recycling of municipal waste has been carried out.
Commenting on the decision to re-open the public inquiry, Cory executive chairman David Riddle said: “Cory regrets the fact that the Secretary of State has decided to re-open the public inquiry regarding the RRRL planning application. At the conclusion of the in-depth public inquiry the inspector gave the project a clear green light, so it is frustrating to have to go through the process again.
“This extra stage will hold up what is becoming an urgent decision with regards to managing London's waste in the future. However, we look forward to a speedy inquiry and decision. We remain confident that RRRL is the right long-term solution to help solve London's waste crisis,” Mr Riddle added.
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