Green light for IVC plant in Oxfordshire

Oxfordshire county council's planning and regulation committee this week approved an application by organic waste specialists Agrivert and Wooton Farms to develop a site at Worton Farm in Cassington.

Subject to conditions, the approval will see the small composting operation – which can currently handle up to 30,000 tonnes of green waste a year – extended to include a reception building, biofilter, weighbridge, office, composting tunnels and earth bunding.

It is also expected to strengthen Agrivert's current bid to treat up to 39,000 of commingled and source separated food waste on behalf of Oxfordshire county council – who are expected to announce a shortlist for the contract imminently.

Alexander Madden, Agrivert managing director, said: “We are delighted with the outcome of the planning application. This is one of six sites that Agrivert is currently developing for organic treatment facilities, which have all been chosen for location, access and beneficial partnerships.”

Roger Marshall, director of Worton Farms, said: “We are pleased to be working in partnership with Agrivert, bringing together a wealth of experience and expertise in the organic recovery sector. This planning permission will enable us to expand our operation and increase our service offering to the wider market.”

Site

At the Cassington site, which is owned by Worton farms, there is already a a transfer station and materials recycling facility run by Worton subsidiary M&M skips.

Agrivert hopes to use this facility to recycle materials which cannot be composted, while it in turn will take green waste which come in on the skips.

Although the planned development is for green belt land, Agrivert's sales and marketing director Harry Waters claimed it was a necessary development.

He said: “If you look in the planning guidelines you can build on green belt land in special circumstances which applies here due to the proximity of the waste stream, shortage of other suitable sites and excellent road access.”

Writing in a report put before Oxfordshire council's planning committee, the head of sustainable development at the county council agreed. He said: “The site has a number of benefits that are not available in alternative sites and there is a need for more composting facilities regionally as well as locally to improve recycling efficiency and meet recycling targets.

“Potential local environmental impacts such as smell would not be significant and could be adequately mitigated against and controlled through conditions. These locational benefits and the minimal harm to the Green Belt would justify very special circumstances in the Green Belt,” he added.