The revelation has led to accusations that a ‘political agenda’ saw the government’s ruling on the proposed plant delayed.
The Planning Inspector’s report on Norfolk council abandoned Willows energy from waste incinerator has been published after being released under Environmental Information Regulations, after having been requested by the council.
An inquiry into the proposal was held in the spring of 2013, and the report by Elizabeth Hill, the inspector appointed by the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, was delivered to DCLG minister Eric Pickles on 30 September 2013.
However, after Norfolk council received no notification of a decision on the proposal from the government, in April 2014 it opted to scrap its £500 million contract with the developer of the facility, Cory Wheelabrator, over fears that a continued delay could harm the contract’s likely value for money (see letsrecycle.com story).
Application
The decision to scrap the contract has exposed the council to around £33.7 million in cancellation fees, which it is required to pay to the contractor. The application by Cory Wheelabrator Technologies Inc. and Cory Environmental Management Ltd was formally withdrawn by the applicant on the 8 January 2015 – up to which point no decision had been reached by DCLG.
Norfolk council has since begun tendering for a new long term residual waste treatment contract.
Having considered the likely impact of the proposed 268,000 tonnes-per-year capacity plant, the Inspector concluded: “…the proposed development would be consistent with national and local waste and energy planning policies and relate favourably to wider sustainability objectives in terms of waste and energy.”
Saga
Councillor George Nobbs, leader of Norfolk county council, said: “The publication of this report is yet another episode in this sad, sorry saga. People may wish to reflect on the fact that this report was withheld by Mr Pickles’ department for 16 months, by which time the Willows project – which has cost so much to Norfolk people – was dead and buried.”
“The application has been withdrawn, the council has taken incineration off the agenda for good, and it is only now that this report has been released by the government. I suppose this is what people mean by ‘the smoking gun’.”
‘Agenda’
Councillor Toby Coke, chairman of the council’s environment, development and transport committee, called for the government to pay for the cancellation fee for the contract in light of the release of the report.
He said: “It’s perfectly clear that there was a political agenda being followed in delaying the planning inspector’s report and council taxpayers in Norfolk have been left with a huge bill as a result.
“All the talk about Mr Pickles carefully considering the arguments have been exposed for what they were – complete rubbish. Eric Pickles should do the honourable thing and stump up the £33.7m that his delay has cost Norfolk taxpayers.”
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