Viridor

Viridor appeals energy from waste planning decision

19 October, 2009

Viridor has announced it is to appeal the decision taken by Cardiff Council's planning committee to refuse planning permission for an Energy from Waste Combined Heat and Power facility at Trident Park in Cardiff Bay.

The move comes after the city's planning committee went against the advice of its own officers in July and refused permission to build the facility, citing the fact waste could be brought in from other parts of south Wales as the reason.

Viridor is clear that it has a strong case to appeal. The planning committee has used an issue for refusal that is totally contrary to its own council policy. Cardiff Council has stated it will work together with four other councils (the Vale of Glamorgan, Monmouth, Newport & Caerphilly) to find a suitable waste solution, which by definition will involve the transfer of waste between councils.

Success for Viridor on appeal may also cost the council thousands of pounds in legal fees, something which the council's officers made clear to the members of the planning committee. 

Viridor's External Affairs Manager, Dan Cooke adds: "We were very disappointed with the original planning decision. Our proposal is clearly in line with local and national waste and planning policies.  It was refused in spite of a strong recommendation from the council's officers in favour and despite the fact that the committee was clearly informed that there were no valid technical grounds to refuse the application. We would also reiterate the many positive benefits from the development, notably investment, jobs, best practice residual waste treatment and local energy production.

"We are still extremely keen to move forward and to provide a facility which can help tackle south Wales's residual waste management issue. We will continue dialogue with the relevant parties and hope planning consent can be achieved in the near future."

Viridor's proposal is for a combined heat and power plant that would safely treat residual waste and provide a source of electricity and heat to the city - generating 30 megawatts of electrical power, enough for over 50,000 households in Cardiff and providing a potential heat source to numerous local businesses and other organisations.

Cardiff Council and the Welsh Assembly Government will be hit hard financially if a solution to the city's waste problem is not delivered. Cardiff's landfill site at Lamby Way will run out of space next year.  In landfill tax alone, Cardiff could find itself paying £5 million a year (based on landfill tax currently sitting at £48 per tonne). This will rise further as landfill tax increases by £8 a tonne per annum to reach £72 per tonne by 2013. This is in addition to substantial potential fines for not meeting landfill diversion targets.