CPRE Oxfordshire responds to OCC's consultation on Waste

31st October 2011

CPRE Oxfordshire has submitted its response to Oxfordshire County Council's consultation on its draft planning strategy for Waste. The consultation closed on 31st October.

See: CPRE Oxfordshire response to Waste Plan Consultation 2011 - 31 October.pdf

Consultation starts on county’s minerals and waste policy

30th September 2011

Oxfordshire County Council is currently consulting on its draft planning strategies for minerals and waste development. The new plans will determine where mineral working and waste facilities should be located in the county upto 2030. The eight week public consultation period runs from 5th September to 31st October 2011.

CPRE Oxfordshire will be responding to the consultations. A copy of our consultation response will be posted on our website shortly.

For more information see: Oxfordshire County Council's Minerals and Waste policy.

Vale of White Horse Planning Committee rejects WRG revised planning application for an MBT plant at Sutton Courtenay.

August 2011

The Vale of White Horse District Planning Committee has rejected the amended application by Waste Recycling Group (WRG) to build a Mechanical Biological Treatment (MBT) plant at Sutton Courtenay. Oxfordshire County Council will make a decision later this year.

CPRE objects to amended application by WRG for an MBT plant at Sutton Courtenay

July 2011

The CPRE Vale of White Horse District has objected to the amended application by Waste Recycling Group (WRG) to build a Mechanical Biological Treatment (MBT) plant at Sutton Courtenay. CPRE's objection to the proposal rests on several areas of particular interest to our aim of protecting rural Oxfordshire.

In its letter of objection, CPRE said: "The amended MBT remains a massive, permanent, industrial building in the countryside, some 321m long by 114m wide, and is still much larger than required to meet the proposed input. It will be highly visible in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, especially when Didcot A is dismantled. It will bring an industrial feel to what is essentially a very rural landscape. The impact on the surrounding countryside will be marked."

The amended application runs counter to three Landscape Policies covering the site as laid out in the Vale Local Plan 2011, and that, if Planning has a purpose, CPRE believes that the amended application must be rejected.

See: CPRE Vale letter of objection (July 2011) (PDF)

Legal challenge rejected by court

June 2011

In April 2011, the Ardley Against the Incinerator (AAI) group lodged a statutory appeal against the decision to allow an incinerator to be built at Ardley.

The legal challenge was heard at the High Court and has been rejected.

Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government Eric Pickles agreed to the plans in February after the planning inspector said there was a "pressing need" for such a facility and there would be no significant harm to health.

AAI had concerns over emissions from the plant and whether waste would be "imported" from outside Oxfordshire.

Ardley Against Incinerator chairman Jonathan O'Neil said: "It was a lot to spend but the point was local residents across Oxfordshire really believed in the cause we had. They believed we were doing the right thing."

The group said it will be asking Cherwell District Council to closely monitor air quality levels when the plant was operating.

Mechanical Biological Treatment plant on Sutton Courtenay Landfill Site

March 2011

Waste Recycling Group’s application to build a Mechanical Biological Treatment plant on Sutton Courtenay Landfill Site, which was expected to be considered by the Oxfordshire County Council Planning Committee on 7th March, has been put back to April 11th, whilst awaiting more submissions from WRG.

Secretary of State allows Viridor’s appeal

9th March 2011

The County Council was notified on 18th February of the appeal decision in relation to Viridor's original application for an Energy from Waste facility at Ardley. The Secretary of State has allowed the appeal.

See: For more information (external website)

Incinerator for Calvert, Buckinghamshire

4th March 2011

Waste firm Waste Recycling Group (WRG) has submitted its planning application (11/20000/AWD) to build a 300,000 tonne annual capacity incinerator just nine miles from Bicester at Calvert in Buckinghamshire.

Its development control committee will now decide whether to approve the application, but it is unlikely to be heard before autumn this year.

If approved the incinerator is expected to be operating by 2014 under a 30-year contract.

A final decision on planning permission for the Ardley incinerator is expected shortly.

See: For more information see the planning application here (external website)

CPRE disappointed at Inspector's decision to approve Viridor's application for an incinerator at Ardley

6th January 2011

Councillors had refused a 25-year deal for waste firm Viridor to run a plant at Ardley, north Oxfordshire, but the company appealed in January 2010, prompting a public inquiry last summer.

On 15 December 2010, the Planning Inspector recommended that Viridor's appeal be allowed and planning permission for the original application be granted, subject to conditions. The Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government Eric Pickles has agreed with the Inspector's conclusions and is minded to agree with his recommendation, subject to his consideration of the need for any additional planning conditions.

CPRE Oxfordshire is very disappointed at the Inspector's decision. We objected to the incinerator on two grounds, namely the adverse impact of the building on the local countryside and also the significant impact of the plant on the local transport system.

In his report, the Inspector said "that whilst the proposal would represent a large scale industrial feature in the open countryside, it would only significantly impact upon a limited area to the south and east, within about a 1.5-2km radius of the plant..." (emphasis added).

See below paragraphs 21 and 22 of the Inspector's report which deal with 'The Impact on the Countryside'.

Landscape character and appearance

Para. 21

The Secretary of State agrees with the Inspector's assessment at IR16.33 – 16.48. He considers that whilst the proposal would represent a large scale industrial feature in the open countryside, it would only significantly impact upon a limited area to the south and east, within about a 1.5-2km radius of the plant (IR16.42). Whilst the proposed facility would cause some harm to the character and appearance of the area overall, he agrees that the mitigating factors would help to integrate it into the landscape, rendering it acceptable (IR16.43). However, the Secretary of State agrees that the benchmark against which the impact has to be measured is a former mineral working being restored to countryside by landfill and that, consequently, the development would be sporadic in the countryside and therefore contrary to CLP Policy C8 (IR16.45). Nevertheless for the reasons the Inspector gives the Secretary of State agrees that the proposal would not conflict with CLP Policy 9 and would be compliant with PPS7 (IR16.47 – 16.47. He also agrees that other material considerations include the old age of the CLP, its predating of PPS1, PPS7 and PPS10, its lack of coverage of waste management developments and the apparent inconsistency of application by reference to the Agrivert building and the windfarm (IR16.48).

Visual impact

Para. 22

For the reasons given at IR 16.49 – 16.57, the Secretary of State agrees that there are several private and public vantage points within about 2km of the EfW building, which would be significantly affected but that the impact on views beyond this 2km distance would be insignificant. Overall therefore, he agrees that the resultant harm would not be significant (IR16.58). However, he considers that the proposal would be more acceptable in terms of visual impact if a condition on a timeframe for cessation of use of the EfW facility is imposed with the effect described in paragraph 27 of this letter.

With regard to the impact on local residents and the traffic implications of the scheme, the Inspector says in paragraph 16, that "the traffic impact resulting from the proposal would be insignificant and acceptable".

The Secretary of State will now go back to all the main parties - including Cherwell District Council, Oxfordshire County Council and campaigners against the site - to discuss certain conditions recommended by the planning inspector.

A final decision on planning permission is expected in February 2011.

Meanwhile a second planning application by Viridor for an incinerator at the site, which was approved by councillors in October 2010, was not "called in" by the Planning Inspector, allowing the council to issue the planning permission for the alternative scheme.

Viridor will press ahead with the secondary scheme should its original plans fail.

See: Inspector's Report and the Secretary of State's 'minded to allow' letter are available to view here (external website)

See: BBC News (16 December) (external website)

See: Oxford Times (28 December) (external website)

CPRE requests Secretary of State to call-in Viridor’s application for an incinerator at Ardley

16th December 2010

CPRE Oxfordshire has today written to the Secretary of State to ‘call in’ the second planning application by Viridor for an incinerator at Ardley, near Bicester.

Cherwell District Council, Bucknell Parish Council, Tony Baldry MP, and Tony Ashe of Communities Against the Incinerator (COAI), have also requested that the Secretary of State call-in the application.

See: CPRE Oxfordshire letter to SOS (PDF)

See: Cherwell District Council letter to SOS (PDF)

See: Bucknell Parish Council letter to SOS (PDF)

See: Tony Baldry MP letter to SOS (PDF)

See: Tony Ashe – Communities Against the Incinerator (COAI) letter to SOS (PDF)

OCC approves Viridor’s application for an incinerator at Ardley

28th October 2010

CPRE Oxfordshire is deeply disappointed to learn that OCC has approved Viridor's second application to build an incinerator near Ardley. CPRE objected to the planning application on the grounds that the proposed Energy from Waste building and chimneystack would cause harm to the character and appearance of the local countryside and is contrary to Cherwell District Council's Local Plan. Indeed these were the very same grounds upon which OCC rejected Viridor's original application.

This time around Viridor agreed to dismantle the building and restore the site at the end of 35 years, thus turning it into a 'temporary' rather than a 'permanent' facility. While this word play seems to have won over County Councillors, we believe this decision has seriously undermined the overall integrity of Oxfordshire's rural landscape.

Oxfordshire County Council's Planning and Regulation Committee met on Monday 25 October 2010 to consider Viridor's second application for an incinerator at Ardley. 10 County Councillors voted in favour of the application, while 4 opposed.

The £650m proposal for an incinerator at Ardley Fields, near Bicester, comes just 12 months after a similar application by the same firm was rejected by County councillors. The design is currently subject to a Public Inquiry with the inspector set to report in January.

Like the original application, planning officers recommended approval of the revised scheme. The report said it is needed as landfill taxes are set to increase steeply.

The new application is for a plant the same size as the first, but dealing with more of the county's refuse. It will burn up to 300,000 tonnes of non-recyclable waste annually and produce electricity capable of powering 60 per cent of homes across the Cherwell District.

Meanwhile Bicester could end up with two incinerators: Waste Recycling Group (WRG), who put in a planning application for an incinerator at Sutton Courtenay rejected in favour of Viridor, recently submitted a planning application for Edgcott/Calvert, just across the county border in Buckinghamshire.

This could mean two incinerators within 15 miles - one five miles to the north at Ardley and a second 10 miles east at Calvert. As a spokesperson from local campaign group, Stop Aylesbury Vale Incinerator, told the Bicester Advertiser: “Bicester is set to be the filling in a very nasty sandwich if both developments go ahead.”

CPRE Oxfordshire has also written to the Secretary of State requesting that the application be called-in.

CPRE Oxfordshire objects to proposed Mechanical Biological Treatment Plant proposed for Sutton Courtenay

12th October 2010

CPRE Oxfordshire has objected to the proposed application by Waste Recycling Group (WRG) to build a Mechanical Biological Treatment (MBT) plant at Sutton Courtenay. The deadline for objections was 7 October.

The proposed MBT plant is a massive, permanent, industrial building in the Vale countryside, some 370m long by 130 wide, which is four times the size of the incinerator that was proposed by WRG at this site and rejected previously. It will be highly visible in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, especially when Didcot A is dismantled. It will bring an industrial feel to what is essentially a very rural landscape and the impact on the surrounding countryside will be permanently marked. On these grounds, CPRE has called for the application to be rejected.

See: CPRE Oxfordshire's letter of objection to County Council (6 October) (PDF)

County Council signs contract with Viridor for incinerator at Ardley before planning permission granted

30th July 2010

Just as the Public Inquiry into Viridor's planning application for an incinerator at Ardley concluded (on 28 July), Oxfordshire County Council decided to sign a multimillion-pound contract with Viridor for the incinerator before planning permission is granted.

Campaigners opposed to the Ardley incincerator had urged the County Council to wait until a decision over planning permission was made. But councillors have backed a recommendation from officers to sign the 25-year contract with Viridor.

The Planning Inspector's report is not expected until October 2010 and the Secretary of State will not make a decision until December at the earliest.

See: Oxford Times (29 July) (external website)

Ardley Incinerator plans will meet strong opposition at public inquiry, warns CPRE Oxfordshire

6th July 2010

The Planning Inquiry into Viridor's appeal against refusal of their Energy from Waste plant at Ardley will begin today (Tuesday 6th July) at Bodicote House, Banbury. Strong opposition is expected from local campaign groups as well as objections from the County Council and Cherwell District Council.

CPRE Bicester and Ploughley District has consistently raised objections to the Viridor proposals and a Statement outlining CPRE Oxfordshire's concerns about this plant and the incineration of waste in general will be read out during the Inquiry.

Dr Helena Whall, Campaign Manager for CPRE Oxfordshire, said:

"Our objections to the proposal to build an incinerator at Ardley rest on two areas of particular interest to our aim of protecting rural Oxfordshire, namely, the harmful impact of the building on the surrounding countryside, and the impacts of operating a scheme of this scale on the local transport network, in terms of traffic generation, air quality, additional HGV movements and local bridleways.

We believe the decision to reject Viridor's planning application presents the County Council with an excellent opportunity to reconsider its policy on waste management, to recognise that incineration is not necessary, and to find more environmentally acceptable ways of reducing residual waste and avoiding landfill in the county."

See: CPRE Oxfordshire's Public Inquiry Statement (July 2010) (PDF)

See: CPRE Oxfordshire's updated Public Inquiry Statement (August 2010) (PDF)

See: CPRE Oxfordshire Press Release (6 July 2010) (PDF)

See: CPRE's letter of objection to OCC (October 2009) (PDF)

See: CPRE's letter of objection to OCC (March 2009) (PDF)

See: Oxford Times (5 July 2010) (external website)

WRG is to submit plans to build a MBT plant in Sutton Courtenay

23rd June 2010

Having failed in their bid to build an incinerator in Sutton Courtenay, WRG is now making a speculative application to build a £20m Mechanical & Biological Treatment (MBT) plant for 220,000 tonnes of waste at the landfill site between Didcot and Abingdon.

The County Council have stated that "this is not part of the procurement plans for Oxfordshire's waste". It is therefore very likely to be dependent on waste from London and elsewhere.

As the Oxford Times editorial on 24 June warned, this also risks ultimately leading to "an incinerator for Oxfordshire and an MBT for London in Oxfordshire (in Sutton Courtenay). A double whammy!"

MBT is an alternative to burning in which waste goes through various biological and mechanical processes.

The plans have been met with opposition by local campaigners who believe such a scheme has no place in Sutton Courtenay.

A public exhibition by WRG outlining its proposals was held at Sutton Courtenay Village Hall on 2 and 3 July.

See: Oxford Times (23 June) (external website)

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