Plans for Biffas first EfW incinerator rejected

Proposals by Biffa to build its first ever energy-from-waste incinerator at a site near Shepshed have been rejected by Leicestershire county council.

A planning application by the Birmingham-based waste company to develop the £200 million, 300,000 tonne-a-year capacity facility at its Newhurst Quarry site were refused by the council's development control and regulatory board last week (October 15).

Outlining their reasons for the decision, the 13 councillor committee cited six factors which focused on the proposals having an “unacceptable impact” on the surrounding area, echoing council planning officers' recommendation that it be refused because its local waste management benefits were “outweighed” by this impact.

In particular, the councillors and planning officer highlighted its potential impact on a designated
Area of Particularly Attractive Countryside, the impact on Charnwood Forest and on the grade II listed Garendon Park.

Biffa

Plans for the Shepshed energy-from-waste (EfW) incinerator were originally unveiled by Biffa in July 2009, principally as part of the company's bid for Leicestershire county council's waste PFI, which the company was at the time shortlisted for (see letsrecycle.com story).

However, with the company being cut from the list of bidders in June 2010 (see letsrecycle.com story), Biffa's plans for the facility are now based on it being developed as a merchant facility, targeting commercial and industrial (C&I) residual waste in the county.

Commenting on the decision today, (October 18), Biffa's planning manager, Jeff Rhodes, said: “We're obviously very disappointed with the decision. There's clearly a need for at least one, if not more, facilities like this to deal with commercial and industrial waste in the county.”

Mr Rhodes told letsrecycle.com that this need had been acknowledged by the council, but that its decision had been based on councillors deeming this less significant than the impact the plant would have on the area.

Taking issue with the specific reasons given for the refusal, he said: “The reasons for refusal condense down to two reasons really, relating to the visual impact – the scale of the building and impact on the area generally and impact on areas.

“In terms of general impact that hasn't changed since day one and we're a bit disappointed it was only recently flagged up as an issue.

“It terms of the impact on the park we're also disappointed because English Heritage said they wanted to keep discussing with us but that was cut short with the planning decision,” he added.

Appeal

Mr Rhodes said Biffa was yet to decide whether to appeal the council's decision, but noted that the company had six months from the date of the refusal in which to lodge any appeal it might make.

While Biffa does operate a waste gasification facility on the Isle of Wight, as well as generating energy from landfill gas at disposal sites nationwide and proposing to develop anaerobic digestion facilities, the Shepshed plant would represent a significant step towards the company's previously-stated aim to move into the energy sector (see letsrecycle.com story).