Controversial plans for an ‘energy-from-waste’ (EfW) incinerator in north Oxfordshire have been given the go ahead by Oxfordshire County Council despite an outcry from local residents.
The council’s planning committee approved an application from developer Viridor to build the facility at Ardley near Bicester on Monday. The plant will burn up to 300,000 tonnes of non-recyclable waste a year, generating enough electricity to supply 22,000 homes and diverting rubbish from landfill sites.
A similar plan was rejected by councillors 12 months ago, but the new application was passed after the incinerator was given an operating ‘lifetime’ of 35 years. The Environment Agency has given Viridor a permit to build the plant, and the county council said it was preparing to sign a 25-year contract with the firm to operate the facility.
Ian Hudspeth, Oxfordshire County Council's Cabinet Member for Growth and Infrastructure, said: "There is a strong and clear need for a facility to provide an alternative to landfill to dispose of Oxfordshire's non-recyclable waste. This decision is a landmark moment in the process for establishing that facility and a key milestone in our wider efforts to tackle waste across the county.
“Once built, the energy recovery facility at Ardley would result in the diversion of at least 95 per cent of Oxfordshire’s municipal waste from landfill. Together with our continued good performance in reducing waste and increasing recycling and composting, this would achieve virtually zero municipal waste to landfill in Oxfordshire.”
Viridor’s project manager Robert Ryan. He said: “Oxfordshire councils are among the leading recyclers in the country and we are confident our facility will complement their efforts by recovering value from non-recyclable waste, stopping reliance on landfill disposal and avoiding hefty taxes.”
A public inquiry was held into Viridor’s first application, and the Secretary of State is expected to make a decision on it in January. Campaigners hope the proposal will be rejected, giving them a decent case for a judicial review of Monday’s decision. Campaigners have argued the incinerator will increase traffic and pollution and could be a danger to resident’s health.
Jonathan O’Neill, from pressure group Ardley Against the Incinerator, described the decision as a “farce”. He said: “We went into the meeting thinking this was what was going to happen.
“This application is not materially different from the first one, it’s still the same technology in the same place in the same building. “There are still options open to us. Monday’s decision doesn’t mean Viridor can start building tomorrow. We will wait for the dust to settle and see what we need to do, whether that’s lobby the Secretary of State for a judical review. The important thing is we do the right thing next.”
