Oxfordshire bins energy-from-waste plant

22 October 2009

Oxfordshire CC has rejected a planning application from Viridor for a 300,000t a year energy-from-waste facility, just weeks after selecting the company as preferred bidder to build an incinerator.

The council’s planning and regulation committee this week refused both Viridor’s application for a facility at Ardley, and Waste Recycling Group (WRG)’s application for a 220,000t plant at Sutton Courtenay. In September, WRG lost out to Viridor as preferred bidder to treat the county’s waste.

A council spokesman said both applications were refused because they were considered contrary to each representative district council’s local plans. He added: ‘The council is still in the final stages of the current procurement process and Monday’s planning decision does not alter this. The council will now consider what to do next – as yet, we have no further detail to add.’

Meanwhile, Viridor announced it would appeal a decision by Cardiff Council to refuse planning permission for an energy-from-waste facility in Cardiff Bay. The move comes after the council’s planning committee went against the advice of its own officer in July and refused permission to build the facility on the grounds that waste could be brought in from other parts of South Wales.

Viridor claimed the planning committee used an issue for refusal that was totally contrary to its own council policy.

‘Cardiff Council has stated it will work together with four other councils – the Vale of Glamorgan, Monmouth, Newport and Caerphilly – to find a suitable waste solution which, by definition, will involve the transfer of waste between councils,’ the company said.

Viridor’s proposal is for a combined heat and power plant that would treat residual waste and provide a source of electricity and heat to the city – generating 30 megawatts of electrical power, enough for more than 50,000 households in Cardiff.

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