The decision was taken at a meeting on Friday evening (October 11) which saw the application rejected unanimously by the 10 members of the
committee (see letsrecycle.com story). Nine reasons for the rejection, as put forward by officers, were accepted by the councillors. These included that the plant was considered to be “out of scale with the surroundings and would also lead to
unacceptable visual intrusion and noise levels.”
The proximity principle, which promotes the handling of waste within the area that it was generated, featured in the committee’s considerations. A substantial volume of waste from London has traditionally been moved north to Buckinghamshire and Northamptonshire. To ensure the plant’s viability, Shanks was hoping to bring in waste from outside the Milton Keynes area. But officers had concerns about this and noted that the development would “encourage the importation of untreated waste from London and other regions in the vicinity of the site”.
Shanks is expected to consider the comments of the committee before deciding its next move.
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