Countdown on burner

CRUNCH time is days away for campaigners fighting an appeal from the firm bidding to build a giant £40 million incinerator in Kidderminster.

Monday is the deadline for people to send in their objections to the proposed waste-to-energy plant on British Sugar land off Stourport Road.

The Environment Agency has given the green light to the burner by issuing a permit despite its rejection by Worcestershire County Council planning councillors when members voted 11-2 to throw out the scheme in April.

However, the permit decision, which still leaves waste firm Severn Waste Services requiring planning consent to build the burner, has sparked fury among campaigners fighting the proposal.

And Wyre Forest MP Dr Richard Taylor, Kidderminster Civic Society and members of Stop Kidderminster Incinerator have urged the public to show their opposition to the plan - which has caused outrage since Kidderminster was chosen as the location in February last year - by writing to the Planning Inspectorate ahead of an appeal against the refusal.

The agency has decided the burner could be operated without causing significant pollution and without an unacceptable impact on human health.

It will now write to about 100 angry residents who live by the proposed site to answer their concerns about its impact.

But SKI members have questioned the firm's ability to run such a large-scale waste-to-energy plant in the week it was fined £60,000 for breaking rules in its waste management licence for the Bonemill household waste reclamation site in Stourport.

Spokesman Brian Jordan said: "It would appear the agency can trust a company without the management skills or sense of responsibility to run a small rubbish dump with running a huge and potentially dangerous incinerator.

"This news comes as no surprise to us. To our knowledge the agency has never refused a licence to an incinerator company despite their past bad records for keeping emissions within statutory levels."

Dr Taylor said: "Foley Park is already one of the most deprived areas in the West Midlands - economically, socially and from health standpoints.

"This plan would increase the problems and involve the loss of sport amenities which could not be substituted nearby, as well as adding more traffic difficulties on an already bottle-necked road.

"Most importantly though, nobody knows for sure the health risks this incinerator could cause."

Bob Harris, of Wyre Forest Friends of the Earth, said: "The decision by the agency to approve the pollution, prevention and control permit was a foregone conclusion.

"The agency is a government body which exists purely to rubber-stamp government policy, which is to incinerate waste."

However, SWS area director Philip Sherratt defended the firm's credentials.

He said: "We accept the case brought by the agency because of small breaches in the licence at the Bonemill site.

"However, there was no pollution or danger to staff or public coming on to the site. Having gone through this procedure we are very much involved in reviewing our work procedures to ensure these technical discrepancies do not happen again."

The permit - which will allow the incineration of about 150,000 tonnes of waste per year - and a report explaining how the decision was made, is currently being finalised and the permit is expected to be issued at the end of September.

A copy of the permit and decision document will be placed on the agency's public register at its Foley House office, 123 Stourport Road, Kidderminster.

A date for the appeal hearing has not been finalised.

Where to write to...

People wishing to express concerns about the incinerator should send three copies of their letter to the Planning Inspectorate, Room 3/08b Kite Wing, Temple Quay House, 2 The Square, Temple Quay, Bristol, BS1 6PN, quoting reference APP/E1855/A/01/1070/998.