Proposals for mass burn incineration pick up pace

The fates of two incinerators that have long been stuck in the planning system were determined in recent weeks. Most notably, a controversial 110,000 tonnes per year capacity plant in Capel, Surrey, looks unlikely to go ahead following a High Court hearing.

Surrey County Council awarded a Sita-subsidiary, Surrey Waste Management, consent for the plant last December. But Capel Parish Council challenged the consent. At a two-day hearing in January, Mr Justice Collins said he had ruled in favour of the parish council on at least one of the grounds of its appeal. These included allegations that Surrey had failed to properly assess Capel’s suitability for incineration compared with three other sites. The parish council also said Surrey had not taken account of the proximity principle in its decision. Capel is near the county’s border.