Planning permission for the facility was approved by Hertfordshire county council in October 2012 (see letsrecycle.com story). However following a large number of objections, the final decision will now be made by the Secretary of State for the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG).
The recycling and energy recovery facility, proposed by Veolia Environmental Services, is planned for a green belt area in New Barnfield. If approved, the EfW plant will have the capacity to treat up to 380,000 tonnes of residual waste every year, generating 26.6 megawatts of electricity.
In a letter to Hertfordshire county council, the DCLG said: The Secretary of States policy is to be very selective about calling in planning applications. He will, in general, only take this step if planning issues of more than local importance are involved.
Having regard to this policy, the Secretary of State is of the opinion that the application is one that he ought to decide himself because he considers that the proposal concerns matters that give rise to substantial cross boundary or national controversy.
A public inquiry will be held, after which a planning inspector will submit a report to Mr Pickles which will include recommendations on whether or not the application should be granted. Mr Pickles will then either grant or deny planning permission.
Disappointed
Richard Thake, cabinet member for the environment at the county council, said: Veolias application is complex, the site is in the green belt and it has attracted a large number of objections, so weve always thought that there was a chance it could be called in.
Planning in a county like Hertfordshire is always going to involve balancing different considerations, but we believe that there is a compelling case for granting planning permission, and we will be putting that case to the public inquiry.
The council added that it does not expect a decision to be made until late autumn.
The facility forms the centrepiece of an 800 million PFI-funded waste contract between the council and Veolia, which was signed in August 2011 (see letsrecycle.com story).
Veolia said it was disappointed at the Secretary of States decision to call in the application. The waste management firm said construction on urgently needed infrastructure had been due to commence in the summer but is now likely to be delayed by around 12 months.
Opposition
Veolias plans have come under fire from a number of groups including Herts WithOutWaste (HertsWOW) and Hatfield Against Incineration and local MP Grant Shapps, who had previously called his former colleague Mr Pickles to call in the decision.
The move by the DCLG has been welcomed by Hatfield Against Incineration, which has been campaigning against the incinerator.
Cathy Roe, secretary for the group, said: This means that the issues that local residents and other campaigners have raised will now be explored by an independent inspector instead of being dismissed out of hand by Herts County Council. We are sure that the case against an incinerator at New Barnfield is so strong that the inspector will refuse planning permission. That we have been granted this inquiry is thanks to all those who have worked so hard to support the campaign.
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