Community and environment

Viridor takes its responsibility to protect the environment very seriously. We also recognise we have a duty of care towards those people who live or work near to our facilities. 

We will consider all the key environmental aspects of our proposed development in detail and take all necessary steps to maximise environmental and social benefits whilst minimising potential impacts

A full Environmental Impact Assessment has been prepared by independent experts, for submission with the planning application. 

A permit to operate the proposed facility must be gained from the Environment Agency (EA). This permit will only be granted once it is satisfied that the facility will be operated safely and without unacceptable impacts on the local community or the environment. As a condition of operation, the EA will regularly monitor the site to ensure all conditions are met.

The EfW facility will not accept hazardous waste or clinical wastes and will not result in any unacceptable risk to people or the environment.

By using waste as a fuel in a controlled environment under optimum conditions, the amount of greenhouse gas can be dramatically reduced. The generation of electricity also offsets the use of fossil fuel.

The carbon footprint is reduced further still by separating out recyclates at source through kerbside collection and similar schemes.

Public access to areas adjacent to the site will be maintained for walkers.

We are committed to public consultation and will ensure that residents have a chance to comment on any proposals before they are submitted.

In addition to improving waste management across South West Devon, the proposal has a number of other benefits to the community:

• Employment for approximately 40 new permanent staff as well as many temporary jobs during the construction phase
• The development of a safe and robust alternative to landfill for residual waste from local homes and businesses
• Supply of 20MW electricity to the National Grid.  This is enough to power around 45,000 homes
• Supply of heat and cooling to local businesses and buildings, improving resource efficiency and further offsetting reliance on fossil fuels
• Goods and services used during construction and operation will be sourced locally where possible, providing support to local businesses
• The proposal will help enable national and regional targets on landfill diversion to be met
• EfW delivers good value for money offsetting the economic impact of landfill tax which would otherwise be passed on to taxpayers
• A dedicated educational and information facility onsite will provide a resource for local schools and residents and support Devon's ongoing waste prevention and education programmes

Viridor considers all constructive feedback received during ongoing public consultation on its proposals, and will incorporate comment and suggestion where appropriate.

We also operate a ‘Good Neighbour Policy’, which includes regular community contact via site liaison group meetings. For further information or to get involved with  a liaison group get in touch via the Contact Us page or call 01823 721 400.