Inspector gives green light for Northacre EfW

A town council has condemned the decision and called the EfW “monstrous”.The £200m facility is intended to handle 243,000 tonnes a year of residual waste and generate power sufficient for 54,000 homes.It has been subject of local controversy and Mike Sutton, deputy mayor of Westbury Town Council – which deals with some matters – said: “The decision by the planning inspector to allow the appeal and therefore the building of a monstrous incinerator close to hundreds of homes, is very disappointing and a dark day not only for Westbury but the whole of west Wiltshire.”Sutton added:”Lack of clear government policy and commitment to environmental targets allowed this application to progress through a process where dealing with the problem of waste is put before human health.“This decision further demonstrates the damage that can be done by government’s failure to acknowledge that incineration is not the long-term answer to waste disposal.”Nick Botterill, Wiltshire’s cabinet member for planning, said: “Our strategic planning committee decided in June 2022 to advise the secretary of state that it would have refused this planning permission on the grounds that it does not represent sustainable development.“However, the application has now gone through the full appeal process and, disappointingly, the decision has been made to allow the appeal and grant planning permission.”in his 74 page decision letter, Normington said: “The proposed development is consistent with the land use allocation of the site.”He added it was “logical’ to site the EfW next to a mechanical biological treatment plant as planned since this would produce some of the fuel needed.“Accordingly, there are environmental and economic benefits of siting the proposed development in this location,” he said.Normington added: “I am satisfied that the evidence presented in the inquiry demonstrates a local and sub-regional need for more recovery capacity to divert the management of residual waste up the hierarchy.“I have afforded significant weight to the identified waste management benefits. The proposal would represent a waste recovery facility and would provide for a source of low carbon and partially renewable electrical energy of 25.6 MW which would make a contribution to base load electricity.Northacre has been contacted for comment.