Wisbech incinerator plan to be subject of fresh consultation

Protestors gathered as a team of government planning inspectors visited the proposed site for the Wisbech incinerator in February 2021

Residents have been invited to share their thoughts about controversial plans for an incinerator in Wisbech.

MVV Environment wants to build the waste-to-energy incinerator on the Algores Industrial Estate, near the Cambridgeshire-Norfolk border.

It said preventing waste going to landfill and burning it would generate energy for local industrial use.

The Environment Agency (EA) said it would listen to people before issuing the facility an environmental permit.

A consultation will run from Thursday until 22 February, the EA said.

MVV Environment said that up to 625,600 tonnes of non-recyclable household, commercial and industrial waste would be burned at the site each year.

The controversial waste incinerator could be built in an industrial part of Wisbech on the Cambridgeshire/Norfolk border

This could generate more than 50 million watts of electricity and up to 30 million watts of steam heat, it said.

The consultation will take place while the government officials looked at whether the incinerator would meet all the necessary environmental guidelines.

'Detailed and rigorous'

The EA said it would issue its final decision document and environmental permit following the consultation.

John O'Neill, EA installations team leader, said the views of the community were "hugely important" and the application was subject to a "detailed and rigorous assessment".

The project is also the subject of a separate examination by the Planning Inspectorate due to its large scale, following the initial proposal being submitted to the Secretary of State in December 2019.

It attracted a tidal wave of opposition, including from former Prime Minister Liz Truss, who said it would have an impact on her constituents in neighbouring South West Norfolk.

North East Cambridgeshire MP Steve Barclay also added his opposition to the scheme.