Herefordshire Council is disappointed by a High Court ruling which will mean delaying a much needed waste treatment plant for Herefordshire.
The Council granted Estech Ltd planning permission for an innovative 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 alternative sites and failed to consider all environmental issues.
Today, Friday, February 18, the judge ruled that the council had given proper consideration to alternative sites. However the judge ruled in favour of Herefordshire Waste Watchers in respect of the claim that further environmental information should have been made available prior to planning permission being granted.
Graham Dunhill, Herefordshire Council’s Director of Environment, was perplexed with today’s decision.
“We’re pleased that the judge ruled in our favour with regard to the alternative sites.
“The Madley site wasn’t criticised by the judge and in fact he expressly rejected flooding arguments put up by Waste Watchers.
“The Council has lost on a very minor technical point and the judge has granted us leave to appeal and stated that this is a developing area of law.
“A full and thorough enquiry into the planning merits, siting and environmental impact was carried out by the Council to inform the final decision on the planning application. We also imposed planning conditions to minimise any damage to the environment and protect the amenity of local residents.”
The Council will now consider its position.
Cllr Edwards, Cabinet Member (Environment), was disappointed with the further delay.
“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.
“This decision means that progress in providing facilities to deal with the County’s waste will be put back, an unfortunate delay that we could really do without.
“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.
“Estech Ltd is disappointed that Herefordshire will not be able to benefit from the process as quickly as originally intended.”