Seven week public inquiry into Norfolk EfW ends

Although there is no definite time frame for a final decision, the inspector for the public inquiry, Elizabeth Hill, is expected to issue a report in September 2013, before Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) Eric Pickles makes a final decision next year.

However, a forthcoming Norfolk county council debate on the incinerator could potentially mean that the 25-year PFI contract with Cory Wheelabrator to build the facility is scrapped before Mr Pickles makes a decision. Norfolk county councillors voted overwhelmingly in favour of holding the debate within the next five weeks, although no firm date for the meeting has yet been set (see letsrecycle.com story).

The public inquiry into the incinerator decision ended on Friday after seven weeks, with Norfolk county council and the contract consortium of Cory Environmental and Wheelabrator Technologies both issuing their submissions supporting the project on Thursday and Friday (May 16 and 17).

Opposing the incinerator, the Kings Lynn Without Incineration (KLWI) campaign group and Kings Lynn and West Norfolk borough council also issued their closing submissions to the inquiry at the end of last week.

Cory Wheelabrator was awarded the 500 million PFI contract for the controversial 268,000 tonnes per year capacity incinerator by Norfolk county council in February 2012 (see lets recycle.com story), but a public inquiry into the councils decision to award the contract was called by Mr Pickles in June 2012 (see letsrecycle.com story).

Speaking on behalf of the KLWI campaign group, Michael de Whalley told letsrecycle.com that he was confident plans to build the incinerator would be scrapped.

He said: I think we are very confident with the statements that we gave and the community gave a good account of themselves. The inspector commented on the unusually high level of public interest in the inquiry around 70 members of the public spoke against the incinerator at the Inquiry and we had two MPs and an MEP speak against it.

We are confident that this wont go ahead, especially now it is going to be reviewed at county hall.

When asked about the impact of the councils debate on the incinerator on the outcome of the public inquiry, Mr de Whalley said: If the council finds a way of withdrawing from the contract and votes against the incinerator at the forthcoming debate, then yes, that can mean that the councils decision could override the outcome of the public enquiry.

Reassurance

Norfolk county council, meanwhile, said in a statement that its submissions to the public inquiry should provide reassurance about the appropriateness of the scheme, while Cory Wheelabrator said it was convinced that the project represented a cost efficient solution to landfill in Norfolk.

The Norfolk county council statement said: The Secretary of State will now have the final decision on this matter and we believe the public independent examination of the evidence over many weeks will have provided reassurance about the appropriateness of the scheme. We have always believed we have followed all procedures correctly and look forward to receiving the Inspector’s comments in due course.

Paul Green, from the Cory Wheelabrator consortium said: The extended public inquiry has been a thorough process allowing all parties to actively participate and members of the public to have their say – whether they are for or against the proposal. The fact remains that Norfolk urgently needs an alternative to landfill and we remain convinced that the Willows Power & Recycling Centre will provide a proven and cost efficient solution for the whole county.

Kings Lynn and West Norfolk borough council, however, is opposing the incinerator and in December 2012 agreed its own contract with waste management firm Material Works Ltd to construct a separate waste treatment facility in the borough (see letsrecycle.com story).

Commenting on the end of the public inquiry on Friday, borough council leader Nick Daubney said: We are pleased with the way in which the Planning Inspector has conducted this inquiry. We pushed for the inquiry so that people had the opportunity to air their views. Throughout the inquiry the issues have been thoroughly explored and everyone who has wanted to has been able to have a say. The Inspector has given more time to people than we had anticipated. No one who wanted to speak was excluded and the whole process has been handled in a fair and open way.

The Inspector will now go and write her report, which will be submitted to the Secretary of State. We must await the Secretary of State’s decision.