Rivenhall incinerator gets final go-ahead

Gent Fairhead and Co have put forward the plans for the old Rivenhall airfield

Plans for a huge incinerator at an ex-airbase have been given the final go-ahead by the Environment Agency (EA).

Gent Fairhead and Co have got permission to build the incinerator, with a 35m (114ft) high chimney at Rivenhall, near Braintree, Essex.

Objectors worry the plume generated by the plant will not be able to safely dissipate from a stack at that height.

The EA said that a lower stack could be allowed for the facility, due to advanced filtering technique.

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There are also stricter limits on emissions of oxides of nitrogen, sulphur dioxide and lower limits for certain heavy metals.

Communities concerned

The plans had been granted permission in 2010 but needed a permit to operate from the EA.

The plant will be one of the largest waste incinerators in the UK and would generate up to 404 HGV movements per day, with a significant volume of waste having to be imported into Essex - and all of it brought in by road, said the Local Democracy Reporting Service

Green Party councillor James Abbott, who represents the Witham Northern division, which includes part of the site, said: "This is a terrible decision which flies in the face of common sense. The EA has a statutory duty to protect the environment and people."

Witham MP and Home Secretary Priti Patel said: "Communities are extremely concerned about the impact the incinerator will have and the risks its operation poses to the environment and to health."

EA team leader for Rivenhall, Frank Saunders, said: "We believe that a lower stack is acceptable but only in conjunction with the significantly lower emission limits."