Oxfordshire waste incinerator decision to go to Government (From Oxford Mail)

Oxfordshire waste incinerator decision to go to Government

7:16pm Wednesday 8th July 2009

• Print
• Email
• Share
• Comments(2)

THE fate of a controversial proposal for a £100m giant incinerator in Ardley, near Bicester, could be decided by a Government minister, it emerged last night.

A joint letter from 20 parish councils in north Oxfordshire, raising concerns about the project, was sent to Whitehall earlier this year urging ministers to re-examine a controversial planning application from Viridor Waste, if it was approved at the first stage by Oxfordshire County Council.

The process they were after is a “call-in” and means Government ministers go over the application, taking into consideration all local representations, before finally making a decision.

However, because the application goes against the county’s development plan, John Denham, the minister who heads the department for communities and local government, will probably call it in anyway. It will then be up to him to decide whether to rule on the application or hand it back to County Hall for planners in Oxfordshire to determine. It is possible a lengthy public inquiry will be held, further delaying the project.

Junior minister Ian Austin said: “The Secretary of State will consider all the information, including all representations, such as those received from the 20 parish councils.”

The news was welcomed by Hazel Watt, of Bucknell Parish Council, who said: “It’s fantastic news. As far as I’m concerned it shows there is some justice in the world.”

Fellow parish councillor John Kightley said: “We are obviously pleased it is not going to be a local decision. Oxfordshire County Council hasn’t followed the proper procedure for site selection and let the market decide.”

Ardley and Sutton Courtenay, near Abingdon, are the two sites identified as locations for the county’s incinerator.

Last night, Callum Mackenzie, of Sutton Courtney Against the Incinerator, said the group was also working on lobbying the Government about calling in the application, should it get that far.

Waste firm Viridor wants to build an incinerator at its landfill site at Ardley Fields, in Middleton Stoney Road, which could burn up to 300,000 tonnes of the county’s waste each year.

In January, the parish councils — which together represent more than 8,000 people — wrote to the Government questioning County Hall’s impartiality in deciding the application.

MP Tony Baldry, whose constituency covers Ardley, said: “The important thing for local people concerned about the application is that all representations should automatically go to the Secretary of State.”

A county council spokesman said: “It will be a matter for the Secretary of State to decide whether to call in the planning application for him to determine himself, or whether to leave the decision with the county council as waste planning authority.”

A Viridor spokesman added: “We have submitted a robust and comprehensive application to the planning authority.

“We look forward to its determination at the appropriate level.”

A decision on which incinerator proposal is approved will be made later this year.

bicester@oxfordmail.co.uk

• Print
• Email
• Share
• Comments(2)