Council rejects plan for incinerator next to school

Campaigners claim the proposed incinerator in Hixon could cause health issues

Dozens of residents applauded as a council confirmed its opposition to plans to build a clinical waste incinerator near a primary school.

Campaigners claimed the proposed development at the industrial estate in Hixon, Staffordshire, could pose a health risk to children who attend St Peter's Primary School next to the site.

Applicant In Waste said the incinerator would be sited alongside "existing industrial processes" and would create 20 jobs in the area.

Members of Staffordshire County Council voted to reject the planning application on Thursday but the final decision will be made by the government's planning inspectorate.

Ahead of the meeting a group of residents, accompanied by MP Sir Gavin Williamson, demonstrated outside Stafford's County Buildings.

Many held placards with slogans including "health before wealth" and "no Hixon incinerator".

Residents previously held a protest against plans to build an incinerator in Hixon

Councillors were told the incinerator would process up to 3,504 tonnes of waste per year, including syringes, dressing, medicines, plastic tubing and anatomical waste.

Resident Amelia Garner said she was a mother to a child at the school and its playing field was about 80m from the proposed site, which she described as "not a safe distance".

"It is a direct exposure zone and this application places 230 children, some as young as two years old in the nursery, at daily risk," she said.

"As the school points out many children already live with asthma or other respiratory conditions – even small increases in nitrogen dioxide or particulate matter can have lifelong consequences."

Councillor Brendan McKeown, chairman of Hixon Parish Council, said there were "more red herrings in this application than there are in an episode of Death in Paradise".

'Acceptable limits'

Dudley Saunders, representing the applicant, said the development would create 20 jobs in the area.

"The waste is required by law to be disposed of through high temperature incineration in a highly-controlled and secure manner," he added.

"The chosen site sits immediately adjacent to existing industrial processes and the site was selected not only for its established industrial context, but also because it presents a unique opportunity to directly export low carbon heat and power to neighbouring facilities."

Mr Saunders said the applicant had identified a national and regional need for the facility and the current nearest site was more than two hours away.

In Waste previously told the BBC it had carried out a full suite of environmental assessments and that emissions would remain within "acceptable limits".

The company had already lodged an appeal with the planning inspectorate ahead of the council's vote to reject the proposal.

It was made on the grounds of non-determination after a decision on the planning application, submitted in June 2024, was not made within the statutory time period.

This news was gathered by the Local Democracy Reporting Service, which covers councils and other public service organisations.