Herefordshire autoclave plant hits further delay

A meeting of councillors at Herefordshire council on Wednesday deferred the plans for another planning hearing next month. The councillors were against the plans, but did not have the authority to reject the project outright.

” A significant number of local authorities are now considering autoclave technology as their preferred route to the problem of waste recycling and landfill disposal “
– Estech Europe Ltd
The Estech Europe Ltd project had actually been granted planning permission by the county council in 2004 before the High Court overturned the decision in early 2005 (see letsrecycle.com story).

Following the High Court's wishes, Estech provided more information on the plant's environmental impact this August.

Nevertheless, the revised plans did not win support at the meeting of Herefordshire county council's southern area planning committee on Wednesday.

The facility, to be built on the Stoney Street Industrial Estate in Madley, is being designed to process about 100,000 tonnes of mixed municipal waste each year using US technology. The process treats mixed waste using high-temperature steam to break down biodegradable waste and allow “cleaned” recyclable material to be picked out of the residues.

Wednesday's meeting saw councillors voting to reject the plans despite council officers' recommendations to conditionally approve the project.

However, the plans must now be considered by the main planning committee of the county council.

A spokeswoman for the council explained: “The sub-committee was minded to refuse the application but had no powers to do so. Therefore the matter has been referred to the council’s main planning meeting which will meet on Friday, November 24.”

“Fibrecycle”
Estech's American technology, which is known as “Fibrecycle”, sees waste treated with steam at 160 degrees Centigrade at low pressure in a rotating autoclave system. The process reduces and sanitises the waste and enables it to be screened into different components for recycling.

The West-Midlands based company claims that the technology could recycle up to 80% of material taken from Herefordshire and Worcestershire, with 20% going to landfill.

“Unacceptable”
In a report prepared by Herefordshire council's planning officer for the Southern Area Planning Sub-Committee meeting, local parish council Madley warned that the plant would create an increase in HGV movements that was “unacceptable.” It also warned that the absence of other autoclaving facilities in the UK meant there was no “true assessment” of its environmental impact.

However, the Environment Agency said that the project would create no significant impact on local air or water quality, and planning officers recommended overall that planning permission be awarded, provided operations were strictly controlled.

Estech
Speaking to letsrecycle.com, a spokesman for Estech Europe said: “While a delay is always a little disappointing we respect the decision of the meeting to refer the application. We support the rigorous process that the council has adopted.”

The spokesman added: “It should be remembered that the Fibrecycle process is a clean, non-incineration and benign process, enabling the community and the council to meet the required recycling and landfill diversion targets. A significant number of local authorities are now considering autoclave technology as their preferred route to the problem of waste recycling and landfill disposal.”