County Council '˜raise no objection' to incinerator plans

An application has been submitted to West Sussex County Council to build the £150m facility at the former Wealden Brickworks site in Langhurstwood Road.

Waste management company Britaniacrest put forward plans to build a new Recycling, Recovery and Renewable Energy facility which will handle 230,000 tonnes of commercial and industrial waste.

Campaigners have opposed the development due to concerns over its visual impact, the amount of traffic visiting the site and possible pollution caused by emissions.

A spokesman for Surrey County Council told the County Times: “It’s not that we support it but we have raised no objection.”

Reasons for the council’s decision include the ‘very limited visual and landscape impact’ on the Surrey landscape.

It also claims the facility is considered to be in the wider public interest, would reduce the number of HGVs on Surrey’s roads and would have no adverse impact on the highways in the county.

The full reasons for the council’s decision are listed below:

1) The development would reduce exports of HIC waste from West Sussex to Surrey reducing the number of HGVs on Surrey’s roads;

2) Subject to the imposition of a suitable planning condition, the proposal would have no material adverse impact on the highway network in Surrey;

3) The development would have the potential to treat some residual HIC waste arising in Surrey until such time as sufficient residual waste treatment capacity is provided in the county to manage Surrey’s waste;

4) The development will need to comply with stringent EU emissions standards and specific emissions limits prescribed within the Environmental Permit which will ensure a high level of protection for the environment and human health;

5) There is a demonstrable need for the proposed development which is considered to be in the wider public interest;

6) The development would have a very limited visual and landscape impact on the Surrey Hills AONB given:

i. significant tree coverage limits long distance views from the majority of the Surrey Hills AONB including Landscape Character Area GW9;

ii. the extent of separation between the Surrey Hills AONB and the application site would result in only very distant views of the development;

iii. the colours selected for the building and stack have been chosen to minimise the visibility of the development by blending it in with its surroundings.

Don’t miss out on all the latest breaking news where you live.

Here are four ways you can be sure you’ll be amongst the first to know what’s going on.

1) Make our website your homepage

2) Like our Facebook page

3) Follow us on Twitter

4) Register with us by clicking on ‘sign in’ (top right corner). You can then receive our daily newsletter AND add your point of view to stories that you read here.

And do share with your family and friends - so they don’t miss out!

Always the first with your local news.

Be part of it.