Nottingham incinerator expansion rejected

Waste Recycling Group had wanted to add a third line to its plant at Eastcroft, providing Nottingham with a 250,000 tonnes per annum energy-from-waste plant.

” We will now consider the grounds for the committee's decision and will review our options, which will include the possibility of an appeal. “
– Waste Recycling Group
But at a meeting of the city council's development control committee on Wednesday, councillors turned down the application, saying it did not fit in with plans for redevelopment of the surrounding area.

A spokeswoman for Nottingham told letsrecycle.com on Friday: “The application was refused planning permission because of the detrimental effect new development on the site of the Eastcroft Incinerator could have on the neighbouring regeneration zones, which are of strategic importance.

“Proposals for the development and regeneration aim to have a major impact towards revitalising Nottingham city and the wider conurbation. The Eastcroft Incinerator is in the heart of the zones and any expansion of the plant conflicts with these strategic aims for the type of place that the community and city council seeks to create for the future,” she added.

However, additional objections put forward at the meeting – proximity principle, additional traffic and the waste hierarchy – were actually voted out.

“Disappointed”
WRG said it was disappointed with the council's decision, which “flies in the face of the council's own Waste Local Plan”. The company said that the plan “explicitly” supports the extension of Eastcroft.

A spokeswoman for WRG said: “The committee has refused our application on the grounds that it would inhibit the regeneration of neighbouring sites, yet Eastcroft will be operating for the next 3 years with or without extension.

“The extension would have reduced the need to ship more of Nottingham's rubbish out to landfill sites. Unfortunately that is now a likely consequence of the committee's decision. We will now consider the grounds for the committee's decision and will review our options, which will include the possibility of an appeal,” she added.

Celebrating
While WRG has been left to consider its decision local anti-incinerator group NAIL, are celebrating the decision.

Jon Beresford, one of NAIL's organisers, said: “We are convinced that if it wasn't for the NAIL campaign and the hard work and dedication of our supporters, WRG would have been granted permission.”