Public inquiry into rejected incinerator plan begins

An application for the £200m incinerator was rejected in September last year

A £200m incinerator would stop Derbyshire waste from being sent around the UK and to Denmark for disposal, a developer has claimed at a public inquiry.

An application from R&P Clean Power Limited to build the plant off the A444, near Swadlincote, was unanimously rejected by county councillors in September.

They voted against the scheme due to its "significant size and scale", the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) said, with more than 3,400 people signing a petition and 1,200 writing objection letters.

The first day of the inquiry, held at County Hall in Matlock on Wednesday, saw R&P Clean Power and Derbyshire County Council outline their cases to government inspector Paul Griffiths.

The inquiry, taking place at County Hall in Matlock, is set to last for nine days

The scheme, if approved, would have been the third incinerator in the Derby and South Derbyshire area, according to the LDRS.

However, David Elvin, KC for R&P Clean Power, claimed there was a proven capacity gap for waste processing in Derbyshire.

He said even if the existing incinerators were at full capacity, including the "mothballed" Sinfin site - owned by the county and city council - there would still be a demand shortfall which needed to be filled.

Mr Elvin also told the inquiry there would be a clear economic benefit from the development, with last year's council meeting being told the scheme would represent a £200m investment, create 200 jobs during construction and 39 when operational.

He added it "was not disputed" that the 60m (196ft) tall incinerator "would be visible in the surrounding area and will have an adverse impact" but said the design was already minimised to be as small as "practically necessary".

'Significant adverse impact'

Mark Westmorland Smith, KC for the county council, said the "significant scale and height of the development will significantly impact the landscape".

According to the LDRS, he told the inquiry the proposed land was a designated local wildlife site and bordered both a "distinctively urban area" which "quickly falls away to rural and agricultural fields".

Mr Smith said: "The scale, mass and materials would cause a significant adverse impact which would not be possible to mitigate."

He added the height of the incinerator was "unprecedented in the area".

The council's case includes a stance that there is no demand or need for an additional incinerator, particularly with the county and city councils out to tender to get the Sinfin site fully operational.

The inquiry is set to last for nine days, the LDRS said.