Government may have final say on Berkshire waste incinerator

The artist's impression of the waste plant which would burn rubbish 24 hours a day

The government may have the final say on whether a controversial plan for a waste incinerator gets the go-ahead.

Plans for the plant in Burghfield were conditionally approved at meeting of West Berkshire Council on Wednesday.

The council is now waiting for the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities to determine whether the Secretary of State will call the decision in.

If approved the plant would run 24 hours a day.

The 64,000 sq m (690,000 sq ft) site would provide electricity to the national grid by burning 150,000 tonnes of waste from the Reading Quarry landfill.

The applicant, J Mould, said the "energy recovery centre" at its existing site would complement waste and recycling in West Berkshire.

Dozens of people living in Reading had sent letters of objections to West Berkshire Council, raising concerns about the impact of the plant on residents' health.

Councillor Ross Mackinnon said those residents were "rightly concerned" about particulates in the environment, "I completely understand their worries" he told the meeting.

The MP for Reading East Matt Rodda asked the council to refuse the proposals as he raised concerns over the potential impact of the scheme on air quality and HGV traffic.

Thames Water had also raised concerns about pollution in the underwater aquifers, the council said.

But a representative for the applicant defended the plans.

He told councillors the facility would be located at an existing waste management site "which means the proposals are acceptable in principle".

Councillors were told there was "a clear and demonstrable need" for the scheme as well as evidence that such a facility would divert waste from landfill without reducing recycling rates.

A total of 30 permanent jobs are expected to be created as part of the £280m investment.

• This story was amended on 26 August to reflect that the government may have the final decision, rather than will have the final decision, as was originally reported on 25 August.