The local authority’s planning committee announced on Friday (November 22) that it had approved proposals for a scaled-down proposal for the plant.
Viridor had submitted its revised application in August 2010 after having its initial proposal for a 250,000 tonnes-a-year capacity facility refused by the council in June 2010 due to concerns over its impact on the local amenity (see letsrecycle.com story).
Development of the plant, known as an MBT, is seen as a core development in Viridor’s quest to deliver a residual waste treatment solution for both Cheshire East and Cheshire West and Chester councils. The company was named provisional preferred bidder for the £850 million deal earlier this month (see letsrecycle.com story).
Symon Grasby, bid manager for the waste treatment contract at Viridor, said: “Following this positive planning decision, we look forward to the successful conclusion of the waste treatment contract. This plan provides the cornerstone in what we believe to be a long term and sustainable waste management solution for our partners in Cheshire West and Chester and Cheshire East.”
Lostock Gralam
Subject to the award of the residual waste treatment contract, Viridor will construct the MBT at Lostock Gralam, to the east of Northwich and will regenerate brown field land, previously part of a local chemical works.
Once it is operational, the plant will treat residual waste from both Cheshire councils and produce 130,000 tonnes-a-year of solid recovered fuel (SRF). Viridor intends to use the SRF to fill the first phase capacity at the INEOS Chlor energy-from-waste facility at Runcorn – which is set to come online in early 2012 (see letsrecycle.com story).
The approval of planning permission is the latest development in the on-going saga of the Cheshire residual waste treatment contract, which is continuing despite Defra withdrawing PFI funding for the project as part of October’s Comprehensive Spending Review (see letsrecycle.com story).
Viridor said it is currently working closely with the two Cheshire local authorities to ensure that its service proposals for the effective management of household waste offer a ‘value for money’ and a practicable solution.
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