Planners recommended to reject bid to expand Nottingham EfW

Waste Recycling Group had wanted to add a third line to the Eastcroft incinerator capable of dealing with an additional 100,000 tonnes of waste each year.

WRG wants to expand the existing 150,000 tonne annual capacity of the Eastcroft plant to 250,000 tonnes

But a meeting of the city council's development control committee next week will consider a report suggesting that the application be turned down.

Council officers said in their report to councillors that the expanded incinerator would “unacceptably constrain the regeneration of the city”. The report suggested the expanded plant would inhibit development and economic potential of surrounding areas.

The incinerator site is 1.5 km southwest of the city centre, with the existing plant built in 1971. The current process capacity of the facility is 150,000 tonnes each year.

WRG's proposal would require construction of new buildings, a new boiler and grate as well as a new flue gas treatment system. The planning application says no changes would be made to the existing 91 metre-high chimney. The development was expected to take 30 months to complete, coming online in 2010.

With Veolia Environmental Services building an incinerator at Rainworth and rising municipal waste recycling rates, the expanded Eastcroft plant would have been used to divert commercial waste from landfill. Planning officers said the Veolia plant – part of Veolia's new 26-year contract with Nottinghamshire – was a relevant issue when assessing the Eastcroft proposal.

Protest
Anti-incinerator protesters have welcomed the planning officers' recommendations to reject the WRG proposal, but a protest is still to take place when councillors make a decision on the recommendation next week.

Local campaign group Nottingham Against Incineration and Landfill, who argue that “landfill is far less polluting than incineration”, is to lobby councillors as they arrive on Wednesday for the planning meeting.

Jon Beresford, from said the planning officers' recommendation to refuse the project was “fantastic news”.

But, he said: “Our fight goes on until these ridiculous proposals are dead and buried. It is highly unlikely, but possible, that the committee could ignore the recommendation and vote to grant permission

“As the vote is still very crucial, we will continue with our protest outside Nottingham council House on 20th September from 12.30am,” Mr Beresford said.