Consett incinerator appeal ruling delayed again

Protesters say the incinerator would have a negative effect on local people's health

A decision on plans for a waste incinerator in County Durham has been delayed for a further two months.

The outcome of a public inquiry into the proposal at Hownsgill Industrial Park, in Consett, had been due this week following an initial delay from 15 March.

Durham County Council had refused permission for the energy-from-waste facility at the former steelworks site, but developer Project Genesis appealed.

The decision is now due by 26 June.

The proposed Hownsgill Energy Centre, with a 50m-high (160ft) chimney stack, would process up to 60,000 tonnes per year of commercial and industrial waste.

Campaigners opposed to the scheme fear it will be a danger to people's health, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

In turning down the proposal in September 2021, the county council said the facility would cause cumulative harm and worsen views of a "predominantly rural and attractive landscape".