The council's Planning & Regulatory Committee voted unanimously to refuse the application for an energy from waste facility in Slyfield on Friday. The plant, which was designed to handle about 225,000 tonnes of waste a year, was proposed by Thames Waste Management.
The committee's decision followed presentations from the local community and a debate lasting two hours. The reasons for refusing planning permission was the impact on local residents and the character of the local area, the effect on the River Wey and on landscape and the Green Belt.
Committee members said that they recognised that the anti-incineration campaigns across the county had raised awareness of the issue which had resulted in a high level of interest in recycling and minimisation of waste in areas across Surrey. But they added that whatever the level of recycling, there would still have to make provision for dealing with whatever waste was left over.
Opponents of the proposal spoke about the unacceptable impact on the town, traffic levels, wildlife and the countryside. There was also concern about the floodplain location and pollution issues, such as the lack of continuous monitoring of dioxins and heavy metals and Councillors highlighted the uncertainty of scientific information on the subject. The proposed development was felt to be too large for the site and too close to residential areas, schools and businesses.
Although flooding was a concern, the Environment Agency said it did not consider it a reason for refusal and that there are protective measures that could be taken. In any case the site is earmarked for industrial use and therefore cannot be preserved for stormwater storage.
Thames Waste Management did not respond to the views expressed by objectors to its proposal. Its application for an energy from waste plant near Guildford is one of two major waste management projects the company is currently working on. Thames Waste Management is one of the two preferred bidders for the East London Waste Authority contract which is worth 400 million over the next 25 years. Shanks is the other preferred bidder.
The committee made its decisions regarding Surrey Waste Management's plans on Thursday. The committee approved Surrey's Capel energy from waste plant and rejected its Redhill proposal. The decisions for all three plants now go the the government office for the South East, with a final decision expected by February. Local sources say that while it is unlikely that the Capel decision would be reversed, it could go the the Secretary of State for approval.
Subscribe for free