Proposals For Mass Burn Incineration Pick Up Pace

摘要

The incineration boom is continuing. Three plants with a combined capacity of 656,000 tonnes per year have been awarded planning permission during the past six months. But Surrey's attempts to build a plant in Capel are in doubt again.rnThe fates of two incinerators that have long been stuck in the planning system were determined in recent weeks. Most notably, a controversial 110,000 tonnes per year capacity plant in Capel, Surrey, looks unlikely to go ahead following a High Court hearing.rnSurrey County Council awarded a Sita-subsidiary, Surrey Waste Management, consent for the plant last December. But Capel Parish Council challenged the consent. At a two-day hearing in January, Mr Justice Collins said he had ruled in favour of the parish council on at least one of the grounds of its appeal. These included allegations that Surrey had failed to properly assess Capel's suitability for incineration compared with three other sites. The parish council also said Surrey had not taken account of the proximity principle in its decision. Capel is near the county's border.rnThe text of Mr Justice Collins'judgment explaining the reasoning for his decision is expected at the end of February.rnThe decision is the latest twist in a long-running battle between Surrey County Council and local campaigners over its attempts to build an incinerator in the county. Applications for incinerators in Redhill and Guildford were rejected in 2001. Initial plans for a facility in Capel were rejected by a judicial review in 2002 (ENDS Report 335, PP 53-54).