The company originally secured planning permission for the project in April 2009, but submitted revised proposals for the plant, to reduce its overall footprint, size and height.
In particular, Veolia plan to use it to deliver Staffordshire county council's £1 billion, 25-year PFI-funded waste treatment contract, known as the ‘Waste to Resource' project, which Veolia and the council signed in July 2010 (see letsrecycle.com story).
While Staffordshire is expected to provide 130,000 tonnes of residual waste a year, the plant will also be used to treat waste from a number of the surrounding local authorities, with Sandwell metropolitan borough council supplying 60,000 tonnes-a-year, Warwickshire county council sending 40,000 tonnes-a-year and Walsall metropolitan borough council providing 50,000 tonnes-a-year.
Yesterday's decision was welcomed by Tom Spaul, Veolia Environmental Services' chief operating officer, who said: “We are delighted at the unanimous decision of the County Council's Planning Committee to agree the modified planning consent for the permitted Energy Recovery Facility (ERF) at Four Ashes which will provide a robust, long term landfill diversion solution to meet the waste management needs of the Council and its partner authorities.
“The revised proposals will reduce the building's overall footprint, size and height from that previously approved and contribute substantially to the local economy both during and beyond the construction process with the creation of forty long-term jobs.”
County council
Mr Spaul's comments were echoed by Staffordshire county council, which described the revised proposals as “less visually intrusive” than the original plans.
County councillor Robert Marshall, cabinet member for regeneration and infrastructure, said: “This is great news for Staffordshire residents and the county's economy. It means that Veolia can get on with delivering this major investment for the county which will see significant savings for the taxpayer over the next decade.
“We are seeing Staffordshire moving towards sending zero household waste to environmentally unacceptable and costly landfill. We can now maximise recycling, and generating energy from the residual household waste to power 32,000 homes.”
The facility is scheduled to be built by 2013.
Subscribe for free