Hertfordshire county council has approved planning permission for an energy-from-waste incinerator at New Barnfield in Hatfield.
However, local MP Grant Shapps is calling for Communities Secretary Eric Pickles to call in the decision as he claims the plant will have a significant, negative impact on the local population and area. Mr Shapps worked alongside Mr Pickles in his previous role as Housing Minister at DCLG and is currently Conservative Party chairman.
Mr Pickles has the final say on whether planning permission is formally granted, as the plant would be situated on greenbelt land.
Councillors approved the plans at a meeting of the councils Development Control Committee yesterday (October 24), which saw 11 councillors vote in favour of the facility and four against.
The plant is being proposed by Veolia Environmental Services under its 800 million PFI-funded waste contract with the council, which was signed in August 2011 (see letsrecycle.com story).
The facility would have the capacity to treat up to 380,000 tonnes of residual waste every year, generating 26.6 megawatts of electricity.
Opposition
The proposed facility has come under fire from a number of groups including Herts WithOutWaste (HertsWOW) and Hatfield-Anti-Incineration as well as Mr Shapps.
Mr Shapps said he will write to Communities Secretary Eric Pickles asking him to call in the decision. If he chooses to call in the decision it will be heard by a planning inspector at a public enquiry. If not, the councils decision will stand and planning permission will be granted. However, Mr Shapps said that if this happened he would be prepared to launch a Judicial Review.
Commenting on the councils planning approval, Bryan Hammond, chair of the Development Control Committee, said it had reached its conclusion following a lengthy debate during which time the pros and cons had been weighed up.
He said: Weve heard from thousands of representations on the impacts this facility will have on the local area – including concerns about noise, pollution and traffic as well as visual impact and green belt issues. But on the other hand, weve heard about the urgent need for a waste treatment facility in the county, the lack of suitable alternative sites and the contribution it will make to carbon reduction targets.
It hasnt been a straightforward decision – and I know it wont be universally popular – but overall the committee felt that the negative impacts of the facility are clearly outweighed by the benefits, and therefore weve resolved that planning permission be granted for Veolias proposals subject to strict conditions and the prior conclusion of a legal agreement.
Welcomed
The decision was welcomed by Veolia ES. Keith McGurk, regional director for the firm, said: The decision to approve planning today recognises that this facility is a crucial part of the strategy to minimise the amount of waste sent to landfill a response to both cost and environmental pressures. Waste is a valuable resource and energy from waste facilities have a critical role to play, together with recycling and composting initiatives, as part of a comprehensive waste management strategy.
Veolia ES said an application for an environmental permit has been submitted to the Environment Agency and it hopes to begin work on the facility in 2013. Construction of the facility would create up to 350 jobs and 52 permanent positions once it is operational.
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