Ward Question – 25 February 2010

Back

Under Standing Order 14, Councillor Sandra Dunn asked the following question:

'What is the position of Spelthorne Borough Council with regard to the proposed energy from waste plant at Charlton? Does it support or oppose the proposal?'

Councillor Councillor Gerry Forsbrey responded as follows:

“To date the outline proposals have only been described to the Council and residents.  Surrey, we understand, are now working on a detailed proposal to be submitted in late summer as a planning application.  Until the Council see these detailed proposals and understand fully particular issues, such as potential impact on transport and air quality, it would not be appropriate for the Council to make a statement along the lines suggested.”

Written response by Councillor Gerry Forsbrey:

“Thank you for your question regarding proposals for Charlton Lane. 

As you may well know, Surrey is rapidly running out of landfill sites for rubbish, and considerable emphasis is now being placed on minimising waste in the first place, followed by reuse and recycling. It is hoped this will greatly reduce levels of residual waste across the County. Authorities are also increasingly looking at food waste collection, which also requires processing.

Surrey is aiming to move away from the traditional approach of several large energy from waste plants, towards a cleaner and more advanced thermal treatment technology called gasification.

The proposed Eco Park at Charlton Lane will provide an opportunity for a number of advanced processing technologies (including gasification) to co-locate, alongside an innovation education centre. The aim of these technologies is to harness as effectively as possible the beneficial by products of waste.

For example anaerobic digestion of food waste will produce heat and gas which can make electricity of bio fuel. Gasification on the other hand, thermally heats waste and turns it into gas, which is then burnt producing heat and electricity. The plant at Charlton would have a capacity of 60,000 tonnes of waste per year rather than the original energy from waste plants proposals of 140,000 tonnes per year.

To date, the Council and local residents have only seen outline proposals for the Eco Park. I understand Surrey are now in the process of working up detailed proposals, with the intention of submitting a planning application to the County in late summer. We will obviously be a key consultee in this process, and the local community will have the opportunity to give their views on the proposal.

At this stage, the Council have not seen sufficiently detailed proposals to enable it to fully understand the possible implications of the proposal on a number of very important local issues such as the impact on transport and air quality. Until we do so, it would not be appropriate to indicate support or opposition.”