Onyx is responsible for handling all municipal waste collections in the area under a 30-year contract. The recommendation, for the site at Bernard Road, will come before members of the City Centre and East Area Planning Board on September 23 2002.
The existing incinerator will remain in operation while the construction of the new facility is undertaken with the development work expected to take around three years.
A detailed report by officers (see: Sheffield feedback )
has been published by the city council. In it the officers note: “The incinerator has been designed to have a capacity of 225,000 tonnes per annum as compared to the existing incinerator's original design input capacity of 135-140,000 tonnes – although it significantly under performs on this capacity, 113,000 tonnes being incinerated in 2000/01.”
The council officers tackle key issues with regard to the incinerator including whether it is really needed, how it fits in with council policy, links with recycling and its consequences for public health.
Need
Council officers say the planning system should make provision for waste management facilities, in the light of forecasts of waste arising, which are expected to increase to 347,000 tonnes by 2010/11. This is especially important as there is a policy objective of reducing the amount of waste being landfilled.
Benefits of Sheffield's District Heating system are an important consideration for the council, and officers say it is important to retain an economic supply of heat following the closure of the existing incinerator. The proposed incinerator will not only meet this need but allow for the future expansion of the system.
Policy
Officers say waste management decisions should be based on the principles of regional self-sufficiency; utilising waste within the proximity of the plant and considering the Best Practical Environment Option. As highlighted in the report: “As the incinerator will allow Sheffield's municipal waste to be treated and disposed of within Sheffield, it will assist in achieving regional self sufficiency and will ensure the waste is managed near to its production.”
The incinerator will also reduce the amount of waste being landfilled and therefore by increasing the proportion of this waste from which energy is recovered, this officers say is consistent with regional policy.
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