Covanta’s Rookery Pit plant approved by Parliament
Artist's impression of the Covanta EfW plant
Parliament has approved plans for Covanta Energy’s energy-from-waste (EfW) plant in Bedfordshire to go ahead, despite local councillor objections.
Planning permission for a 585,000 tonne incinerator at Rookery Pit, Stewartby, was granted by the Infrastructure Planning Commission in October 2011, but councillors from Central Bedfordshire Council and Bedford Borough Council had voiced objections due to the impact it could potentially have on ‘the environment, local communities and the road network’.
Due to the lack of council support and the fact that the project involves the compulsory purchase of council-owned land, the case was heard at a week-long special parliamentary hearing on Thursday (13 December).
After hearing the evidence through petitions presented by the councillors and waste company FCC (formerly Waste Recycling Group WRG), the Joint Parliamentary Committee, comprised of representatives from both houses, voted four to two to throw out their case.
Approval for plans to proceed is subject to an amendment to the Development Consent Order dealing with the Councils’ proposal that Covanta should contribute to the Bedford –Milton Keynes Waterway by constructing a culvert under Green Lane, Stewartby.
A meeting discussing the proposed amendment is due today (19 December).
It is expected that once operational, the plant could produce up to 64 megawatts of electricity per year from the incineration of household and business waste. However, the majority of feedstock for this will be brought in from other areas, as currently, the average waste output of Bedford Borough is just 50,000 tonnes.
Councillors have voiced their concerns that the plant will continue to see Marston Vale used as “a dumping ground for London and other areas”.
Councillor Sarah-Jayne Holland, Portfolio Holder for Community and Regulatory Services at Bedford Borough Council, said: “This is a scandalous decision and an absolute kick in the teeth for local people.
“Incredibly, the committee appears to have completely ignored the concerns raised by the thousands of local people who have signed petitions and campaigned vigorously against this monstrous incinerator for the last few years.
“Covanta have said the plant will be able to process nearly 600,000 tonnes of rubbish per year, compared to the average output of Bedford Borough which is just 50,000 tonnes.
“The Marston Vale has been a dumping ground for London and other areas for generations, and now Covanta wants to condemn local communities to a future in the shadow of a massive incinerator burning rubbish from anywhere right across in the country.”
Councillor Nigel Young, Executive Member for Sustainable Communities (Strategic Planning and Economic Development) at Central Bedfordshire Council said that the council was “very disappointed” with the result of the special parliamentary procedure, adding that they thought it was not “a sustainable development”.
He said: “We have made every effort to ensure that affected communities were widely consulted and their views taken into account. I’m sure they will be as disappointed as we are.
“However, it was absolutely right that we represented our communities by challenging all aspects of the plan at the highest possible level. We have consistently maintained that the impacts of the Rookery South scheme on the environment, local communities and the road network outweigh the benefits.
Councillor Holland added: “This decision by the Special Parliamentary Committee in Whitehall disregards the wishes of local people and the decisions taken by locally elected representatives and burdens Bedfordshire with a huge, oversized incinerator for generations to come.”
Read more details about the Covanta plant.
