Controversial waste facility in Wiltshire APPROVED
Local residents and Councillors had voiced their concerns about its environmental impact
Last updated 22nd Jun 2021
Plans to build a new waste facility in west Wiltshire have been given the green light, despite concerns about its effect on the environment.
On Tuesday 22 June, the Strategic Planning Committee at Wiltshire Council approved the waste-to-energy incinerator in Westbury.
1,900 local residents had reportedly written formal objections to the Council regarding the proposals. Protestors were also seen outside the authority's County Hall, where the meeting took place, before it got underway.
Their opposition to the plant is based on its potential impact on Westbury's health and air quality. Local traffic is also a concern, as the facility would likely lead to more lorries across the town.
However, according to the developers for the proposed site, modern incinerators actually reduce carbon emissions.
Northacre Energy claims that these facilities repurpose waste which would otherwise have to be transported further away for landfill.
'Full and very careful consideration'
Cllr Nick Botterill, Wiltshire Council's Cabinet Member for Planning, said the the application was accepted "after full and very careful consideration".
"Planning and legal officers had already made a recommendation of approval as there were no material planning or legal reasons why the application could not be approved on planning grounds.
"If the committee had rejected the application despite the advice from officers, the Council would almost certainly been subject to a very costly appeal in the future and the decision likely overturned," he added.
The Environment Agency (EA) is responsible for the next stage of the development process, determining whether the facility is ultimately allowed to be switched-on.
EA will review the plant's operational impact and is expected to make a final call on the matter later this summer.