The expansion will allow Grundon to process 120,000 tonnes of commingled material a year collected from West Berkshire households as well as the company's commercial customers.
Grundon director of estates Robert Nicholson explained: “We currently recover several types of paper, cardboard and two types of plastic at the existing plant as well as aluminum and steel cans. The increased capacity will allow us to provide a better service to our customers by segregating materials more efficiently and collecting glass for recycling.”
Appeal
The company had applied to the West Berkshire council planning department in August 2006 for permission to double the MRF's 60,000 tonne annual capacity.
The application was initially turned down on the grounds of noise, odour and landscape despite the 60,000 tonne MRF operating alongside a 25,000 tonne annual capacity composting facility since 2001.
However this was overturned this month by the planning inspector, two weeks after a one-day public inquiry into Grundon's appeal.
In order to address the issues raising during the planning process it was agreed that all the activities on the site – including discharging waste and the storage of recovered bales of material – will continue to take place inside totally enclosed buildings, so there will be no opportunity for noise or odours to escape into the environment.
Additional tree and shrub planting around the perimeter of the building will also help to shield it from sight.
Mr Nicholson said: “We are very pleased with this rapid decision by the Inspector, which clearly demonstrates the benefits of working closely with the planning officers to reach agreement on outstanding issues before the Inquiry.
“We hope the building will be complete by early 2009, when we will be able to offer West Berkshire additional capacity for recycling their household waste, as well as providing a commercial service to local businesses who are also seeking to green their activities by recycling their waste,” he said.
Grundon, which has its head office in Wallingford, Oxfordshire, also runs MRFs at Colnbrook, near Slough, and Leatherhead in Surrey.
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