Archive for the Essex Category
A decision of sorts has emerged from the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government regarding the Rivenhall Airfield Public Inquiry into an incinerator proposal.
You can read the Secretary of State’s decision letter and the Planning Inspector’s lengthy report, both of which are archived on the excellent web-site of the Stop the Incinerator Community Group.
The decision leaves several issues unresolved, and as the following campaign update explains:
The major waste plant including a 360,000 tpa incinerator has been granted planning permission by the Government, which endorsed the Inspectors Report, following the October 2009 Inquiry.
The Inspector and the Government admitted that the waste plant would have negative impacts on the countryside and local communities but that the need for the plant outweighed these impacts.
There are 63 conditions attached to the consent. The most important of these requires the plant to have no more than one chimney stack and for that stack to be no more than 35m above current ground levels. However, the Inspector and the Secretary of State were unable to decide on the conflicting evidence they received about the stack height – the developers deciding to change from a 35m to a 40m stack during the Inquiry, the advice of the Environment Agency which strongly suggested that 35m would be well short of that required and the objectors who asked for clarity as the stack height was a key issue due to the location in open countryside.
This uncertainty could well result in further applications if the Environmental Permit requires a higher stack. The EA has stated that stack heights about double that proposed are more typical for a plant of this size.The plant is unlikely to be operational for many years, if it is built at all. It will take up to 2 years to excavate the gravel and sand to create a lower ground level and void for the plant and another 2 years to build it. There is also uncertainty over whether the plant would handle the Essex County Council municipal waste contract which is currently out to tender. It could be that the plant operates entirely as a commercial and industrial waste plant – a far cry from the “recycling and composting facility for north Essex” based on municipal waste that the developers first consulted on.
The local community, parish councils and Braintree District Council put up a strong fight against the plans and the original planning application attracted over 800 objections and just one letter of support. There is widespread concern about the way in which Essex County Council has repeatedly backed a major waste plant on the site (the current one is the latest in a series of revisions) and has ignored community views when it has a known commercial interest in the plant being built and used the plant to model its PFI bid. The County Council also spent up to £90,000 of public money at the Inquiry urging consent to be given, against the overwhelming views of local communities.
The Stop the Incinerator campaign has already decided to continue the fight against any incinerator being built on the site and will support campaigns against any other incinerator proposal in Essex.
The story was covered on BBC East on 6th March when campaign co-ordinator Cllr. James Abbott noted that this huge plant (the total site is over 60 acres in size) was being built in a district where total waste is falling and where recycling is now above 50%. The plant would generate over 400 HGV movements a day and import well over 95% of its feedstock from outside the district, including from London and the Home Counties. It has a planned total throughout (in and out) of 1.3 mtpa and would include a paper pulping plant, MBT unit, AD tanks and the incinerator. It would have a high gearing of waste disposal with about half of the imported material (by weight) being incinerated or landfilled.
The notion that 52% recycling by 2020 is less than ‘ambitious’ is familiar to waste campaigners. Now this has been confirmed in an article from the prestigious ENDS environmental news service.
Leading English councils hit 70% recycling rate
At least two English councils are achieving 70% recycling and composting during the summer months, making government targets to reach just 50% by 2020 look unambitious.
The two include South Oxfordshire and Rochford in Essex.
70% and above recycling and composting rates have been achieved in other parts of Europe for years – famously in the Flanders region of Belgium.
The government’s 2007 waste strategy requires English councils to recycle or compost 50% of their waste by 2020. But in 2007/08, 19 councils were already above that level (ENDS Report 406, pp 21-22 ).
Both Scotland and Wales have undertaken commitments to achieve 70% recycling targets.
According to ENDS:
South Oxfordshire, which achieved a 38% recycling rate in 2007/08, began a new waste collection contract in June. It is run by waste firm Verdant, a subsidiary of Greenstar.
The council already ran a co-mingled collection of dry recyclables alongside the paid-for garden waste collection. But in June, it added glass and Tetra Paks to its dry recyclables collection and started collecting food waste on a weekly basis from all households except flats. Since then, unaudited figures show it has achieved recycling and composting rates of 70.6% in June, 71.4% in July and 70.5% in August. The August rate breaks down as 36.0% dry recyclables, 21.6% garden waste and 12.9% food waste.
Rochford in Essex is reported to have broken the 70% recycling mark when it started a new collection contract in July 2008, that included free weekly collection of food and garden waste alongside accepting plastics and cardboard in its dry recyclables collection.
Well, if you thought that the Summer of 2009 was gonna be a chance for waste campaigners to relax, think again…
This UKWIN Update attempts to bring together just some of what has been happening since our previous update. Inevitably I will miss some important items, so please feel invited to add more information of interest by leaving a comment on the UKWIN website (below).
Global Day of Action
UKWIN is joining forces with campaigners around the globe who are organising a Global day of Action Against Incineration. For more details please contact Neil.
Cheshire
The government has approved plans to build a 95MW incinerator in Cheshire which is set to burn 600,000 tonnes of refuse-derived fuel a year. The decision is obviously a disappointment for all those who campaigned hard to prevent this permission from being granted. Due to the current economic climate, and to the lack of local authority contracts, the facility, although approved, may never be built. Watch this (sad) space…
Links:
http://www.letsrecycle.com/do/ecco.py/view_item?listid=37&listcatid=217&listitemid=53154
and
http://www.runcornandwidnesweeklynews.co.uk/runcorn-widnes-news/runcorn-widnes-local-news/2009/08/20/mike-hall-mp-slams-ince-marshes-incinerator-plan-go-ahead-because-of-existing-ineoschlor-runcorn-plans-55368-24490218/
and
http://www.crewechronicle.co.uk/crewe-news/local-crewe-news/2009/08/19/middlewich-incinerator-protestors-demand-council-bosses-reject-plans-96135-24472513/
Veolia High Court
Veolia have taken legal action against their waste partner Nottinghamshire County Council. The case, involving the right of the public to see how public money is being spent on delivering public services, is being heard on Tuesday 25th August 2009 at the High Court.
WASTE COMPANY IN COURT BATTLE TO KEEP WASTE CONTRACT SECRET FROM RESIDENTS
A French-owned waste company is going to the High Court to try and prevent Nottinghamshire County Council making public details of its £850 million waste management contract and the invoices paid by the Council.
The full hearing of the Judicial Review is taking place after an interim injunction was obtained by Veolia Environmental after council officials agreed to release the information following a request by local resident Shlomo Dowen, of People Against Incineration [PAIN].
Mr Dowen is represented by lawyers from Friends of the Earth’s Rights & Justice Centre.
Information in the contract and the invoices will show how much money Veolia Environmental is charging the local council for each method of treatment (landfill, incineration, recycling, composting, etc.) and will help show whether or not the local authority is getting value for money.
Shlomo Dowen said:
Nottinghamshire residents have a right to seeing how tens of millions of pounds of our money is being spent, and our waste is being dealt with. This information must be made public. Veolia Environmental must not be allowed to keep this information secret.
Friends of the Earth’s executive director Andy Atkins said:
The law gives the public explicit rights to see this type of information precisely so that they can hold authorities to account on major issues such as this. Companies like Veolia that wish to take enormous amounts of public money must recognise that members of the public have an interest in ensuring that the money is well spent.
Mr Dowen has already accessed some information from the Council and has asked the District Auditor to investigate amount of money it is charging Nottinghamshire’s County Council in respect of landfill tax.
Veolia is also embroiled in another controversy with Nottinghamshire County Council over its plans to build an incinerator on a former Colliery site in Sherwood Forest. The company claims that local waste levels are expected to rise significantly in the coming years– a fact hotly disputed by PAIN, who point to evidence that Nottinghamshire’s waste levels have actually fallen.
Hearings for the Public Inquiry into the proposed Sherwood Forest Incinerator will begin on 6th October 2009 in Rainworth, near Mansfield. These hearings are expected to last for three weeks. PAIN is joined at the Inquiry by Newark and Sherwood District Council and Notts Wildlife Trust who also oppose Veolia’s incinerator plans.
Shocked in Shepshed
Residents of Shepshed in Northwest Leicestershire we shocked to learn of possible plans for an incinerator in their village. The plans for an incinerator near Shepshed have been put forward by Biffa. Biffa are one of three companies short-listed by the County Council to build a new facility to process the County’s waste. Leicester Friends of the Earth have backed local residents in their opposition to plans to build a giant waste incinerator near Shepshed. You can read more about this at:
http://www.thisisleicestershire.co.uk/news/Fury-grows-incinerator-plan/article-1276006-detail/article.html
and
http://www.thisisleicestershire.co.uk/news/Massive-waste-burner-planned-Leicestershire/article-1273645-detail/article.html
and
http://www.letsrecycle.com/do/ecco.py/view_item?listid=37&listcatid=217&listitemid=53228
Emerging Global Anti-Covanta coalition
Campaigners from North America are joining with others faced with the prospect of a Covanta-run incinerator in locations around the world to share information and campaign tips. UKWIN is supporting this effort. If you would like to join this coalition, please contact paul@fluoridealert.org
Invergordon
“Controversial plans for a £43m waste incinerator in Invergordon have been rejected by Highland Council.” “Planners snubbed over Invergordon project…Company considers appeal…Highland town celebrates as waste plan thrown out…” “Highland Council chief executive Alistair Dodds is considering a plea from SNP opposition group leader John Finnie to launch an inquiry into his senior planners’ handling of the application.”
See
http://www.north-star-news.co.uk/news/fullstory.php/aid/4964/Incinerator_plan_is_extinguished.html
and
http://www.highlandlibdems.org.uk/news/000155/thurso_welcomes_decision_to_throw_out_plan_for_incinerator_in_invergordon.html
and
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/highlands_and_islands/8204937.stm
Perth
“Residents against the building of a waste incinerator in Perth believe the local council acted unlawfully when granting outline planning permission…Outline planning consent for the development was granted in 2006, but full details only emerged this year. The Grundon Waste Management plans for the £100m incinerator, which include a 260ft chimney, have attracted hundreds of objections. Bridgend, Gannochy and Kinnoull Community Council hired planning lawyers to look into the matter.” “The community council turned to Roy Martin QC and advocate Stephen O’Rourke in their David versus Goliath battle to prevent English-based Grundon Waste Management creating a towering £100 million recycling plant on the Shore Road.”
See:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/tayside_and_central/8213662.stm
and
http://www.perthshireadvertiser.co.uk/perthshire-news/local-news-perthshire/perth-city/2009/08/21/community-council-reveal-incinerator-legal-hurdle-73103-24492774/
RAID – Residents Against Inappropriate Developments
In their August 2009 e-newsletter the newly formed RAID are announcing their plans for further public meetings to inform more people about the proposed developments associated with the Hatfield Power Park (Doncaster) and especially one known as the DEW Project. If you have not yet seen the presentation or know someone who has not seen it please come along on one of the dates below:
Thorne – 3rd September at the Assembly Rooms
Dunscroft – 9th September at St Lawrence Community Centre
Dunsville – 18th September at the Community Centre
Hatfield Woodhouse – 25th September in the Village Hall
Stainforth – 2nd October at the Resource Centre (Old Folks Centre)
All the meetings will start at 7.30pm.
Also, the Barnsley Doncaster and Rotherham (Dearne Valley) Joint Strategic Waste consultation is coming to Dunsville Community Centre. On Friday 4th September there will be a public consultation meeting at Dunsville Community Centre to discuss the suitability of Hatfield Power Park as a waste management site as part of the DPD process. There will be a display from 2pm until 5pm and then a presentation from 6pm until 8pm with questions and answers.
Please encourage anyone you know to visit the RAID website and sign the online petition.
Newcastle
An ongoing political row is rumbling on over the issue of the incineration of waste in Newcastle.
See:
http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/north-east-news/the-environment/go-green-news/2009/06/20/controversial-debate-over-newcastle-incinerator-72703-23932252/
Crymlyn Burrows
There is news on the infamous Crymlyn Burrows Incinerator on the outskirts of Swansea. Neath Port Talbot Council has accepted a payout of £6.7 Million in a court case against the firm of consultants that advised them to go ahead with the plant. The local residents are also taking a class action suit against the incinerator for the odour problems it is causing. For those unfamiliar with the background story see the Swansea FoE website.
Jersey
“A damning new report on the euro rate incinerator fiasco has raised serious concerns about the management of the Treasury.”
See
http://www.thisisjersey.com/2009/08/10/incinerator-report-serious-concerns-over-treasury/
Kingston
KINGSTON AGAINST INCINERATION NETWORK
Networked to UK WIN – Networking Communities fighting Incineration
The last Kingston Council “consultation” workshop on Waste and last year’s Energy seminar did not reflect adequately input from local residents and there were various individual protests at the waste workshop. It is therefore very important that there is grassroots understanding and consensus on this before the waste consultation workshop on the 16th September to ensure that what we want is not manipulated into what we don’t want…For more info contact PennyKFOE@aol.com
A letter from the Co-ordinator of Colchester and NE Essex Friends of the Earth, Paula Whitney to her local Gazette Letters page:
Dear Editor,
Cllr Tim Young (6 Aug) has robustly defended Colchester council’s formal opposition to the Essex Waste Strategy last May when the coalition took control. Last autumn Colchester’s Cabinet formally opposed the county’s second bid for PFI funding since 2005. Well done!
Cllr Tina Dopson informed Defra that Colchester did not support the
bid. Our LibDem MP Bob Russell, many opposition councillors and campaigners told Defra and the Minister this, and that many thousands of Essex people have opposed MBT and incineration since 1999.Since May 2006 waste PFI rules require bids to show that all relevant councils and the public ‘have been consulted and that there is broad
consensus’. Hence the 2008 trick public consultation, widely
condemned as misleading.Colchester rather put a spoke in the last PFI bid by pulling out. If we can scupper the bid we will save Essex council taxpayers huge costs and recycle and compost more instead.
Now the surprise news has just hit the headlines (3 Aug) of a third
desperate attempt by ECC for costly PFI finance from Government. This one deftly includes Colchester as one of the councils supporting the bid as a member of the previous Essex waste ‘Partnership’. Pardon?The ‘MBT’ plant for 351,000 tonnes a year at Basildon would shred and
compost ‘black bag’ waste in massive warehouses, reducing its weight
by a fifth. ECC officers said it may be landfilled or turned into polluting fuel pellets to burn in an incinerator on one of the sites.Let’s hope Colchester council, our MP and some of us can move fast to
inform Defra and the Minister that neither they nor the Essex people
support the PFI bid. These 27.5 year contracts will cost the taxpayers huge sums to destroy our valuable resources.
And finally…
Music to our ears
Yet another anti-incinerator song has been composed. “It Was Madness” will be released on the 14th September. On this note UKWIN has been asked if there is anyone who would be able to help promote the single…
A 1-minute preview of the song can be heard at http://web2.nessmp3.com/bands/1327. There is a possibility it could be a National hit and with it massive exposure for the cause. The artist who wrote and performed the song is keen to do appearances, etc, however he won’t be able to work the ‘machine’ on his own. Are there any offers of help?
County Council set to break “no incineration pledge” for Essex this Friday, 24th April 2009
Residents and councillors organise peaceful protest on steps of County Hall Continue Reading “Peaceful Friday morning protest outside Essex County Hall” »
