Waste incinerator plan unveiled

A computer generated image of how the Ardley incinerator could look

Plans to build an energy-from-waste (EfW) incinerator in Oxfordshire have been unveiled to the public.

Oxfordshire County Council is considering two bids to build an incinerator, either at Ardley or at Sutton Courtenay landfill sites.

Waste management company Viridor, which wants to build at Ardley near Bicester, unveiled its plans on Tuesday.

Both proposals have attracted local opposition although the county council could award a contract next Spring.

The council invited bids as part of its strategy to dispose of residual waste over the next 25 years.

Rather than send waste to landfill, up to 300,000 tonnes would be incinerated at Ardley or Sutton Courtenay to generate electricity.

'Health implications'

But Oxford Friends of the Earth has said the council's plan "flies in the face of public opposition and sound environmental policy".

Viridor is making its multimillion pound plans available at a public exhibition on Thursday and Friday this week at Ardley with Fewcott Community Hall.

Robert Ryan, Viridor project manager, said: "The proposal would deliver safe, efficient and proven technology to provide waste treatment, which will complement existing and future waste prevention and recycling initiatives."

I can assure you that the Environment Agency are sure the emissions from these plants are well within the safety maximum Councillor Roger Belson

Jonathan O'Neil, of the group Ardley Against The Incinerator, claimed an incinerator was "not safe".

"There are health implications, which are being registered, there are transport issues and there are pollution issues," he said.

"It's not the right way to be doing this.

"The technology that's been chosen is lazy man's technology, it's old, it's out of date."

Councillor Roger Belson, the county council's cabinet member for sustainable development, defended the project.

He said: "I appreciate that people are concerned about the emissions but I can assure you that the Environment Agency are sure the emissions from these plants are well within the safety maximum."

The Spanish-owned Waste Recycling Group has already submitted a planning application to the county council for its proposed multimillion pound scheme for Sutton Courtenay.

The local parish council is expected to announce its formal response to the scheme on 15 September, which will then be submitted to the county council.

Michael Jenkins, Sutton Courtenay Parish Council chairman, said: "It's clear from the meetings that there's quite a lot of strong feeling about an incinerator."