Council awaiting High Court ruling

Herefordshire Council and Herefordshire Waste Watchers are left waiting for a decision that will have a crucial impact on the development of a much needed waste treatment plant.

The Council granted Estech Ltd planning permission for a ground-breaking waste treatment site on March 17, 2004.

Herefordshire Waste Watchers, a local pressure group, requested a judicial review of the Council’s decision.

The pressure group claimed that the Council had neglected to give full consideration of a truly alternative site at Rotherwas and failed to consider all environmental issues.

Today, Monday, January 31, the High Court heard from lawyers representing both the Council and Herefordshire Waste Watchers. Following the hearing His Hon Justice Elias QC

adjourned the case to deliver a “reserved judgement”, meaning the judge will go away and consider all points and arguments and inform both parties of his final decision in approximately one week.

Graham Dunhill, Herefordshire Council’s Director of Environment, said: “With households producing increasingly more waste and Government preparing to impose a financial burden on authorities who don’t meet stringent targets to recycle and reduce waste, Herefordshire desperately needs a site such as Madley.

“Full consideration was given to the Rotherwas site, it was viewed as unsuitable given the risk of flooding to the site and particularly the access road – making it impractical for a site with large vehicles needing frequent access.

“A full and thorough enquiry into the planning merits, siting and environmental impact was also carried out by the Council to inform the final decision on the planning application.

“Madley is the best possible environmental option.”

“Planning conditions have been imposed to minimise any damage to the environment and protect the amenity of local residents.

“The proposed development is a ground-breaking waste treatment plant, combining a number of benign technologies which will steam treat waste and turn it into re-usable fibre material and Estech Ltd is disappointed at the delay,” he added.

The fibre material has many varied uses. It can be combined with re-cycled plastic to make building boards for furniture construction and due to it’s highly absorbent nature can be dropped on an oil spill to soak up the damaging fuel.

Although the Madley site is pioneering it’s not the only one in the West Midlands as Worcestershire County Council has just approved plans for a plant using the same technologies.