Kings Lynn EfW approved by Norfolk council

However the facility at Willows Business Park must be approved by the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) before a formal decision notice can be published, following intervention on Thursday by communities secretary Eric Pickles (see letsrecycle.com story).

At the meeting of the councils planning (regulatory) committee on Friday nine councillors voted in favour of the application and four against with two abstentions.

Commenting on the decision, Graham Plant, Norfolk county councils cabinet member for planning and transportation, said: Members of the committee thoroughly examined the application and after a full and frank debate accepted officers recommendations. The committee was satisfied that officers had addressed all relevant considerations and agreed that planning permission should be granted. This is, of course, subject to the Secretary of State’s views.

Consideration

Councillor Bill Borrett, Norfolk county council’s cabinet member for environment and waste, added: This is another step on the way and I am relieved that after detailed consideration the Planning Committee have decided to accept the recommendation to grant planning permission.

“I believe that this proposal has been subjected to the most intensive scrutiny, by the Planning Process, the Public, the Environment Agency and DEFRA, which has approved the largest grant Norfolk has received for a single project. I have been very keen that we do everything by the book, so I welcome the Secretary of State’s interest.

As well as approval from the secretary of state, the facility will also need to obtain a full permit from the Environment Agency before it can begin operating.

Facility

The Kings Lynn EfW is being proposed by a consortium of Cory Environmental andUS incineration specialist Wheelabrator under a 500 million, 25-year contract with Norfolk county council which was signed in February this year (see letsrecycle.com story).

It will have the capacity to process up to 268,000 tonnes of waste every year, which could see it provide enough electricity to supply 36,000 homes.

The council said the Willows facility could bring savings of up to 200 million over the life of the contract.

However, plans for the facility have come under fire from a number of district councils in Norfolk, in particular the borough council of Kings Lynn & West Norfolk, which is where it would be based. Last month the borough council announced plans to pursue an alternative technology for the treatment of black bag waste under a proposed contract with Material Works.