Government could claw back millions if incinerator plans are refused
THE Government could claw back millions of pounds from Notts County Council if it fails to gain planning permission for an incinerator, councillors will be told.
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) pays £3m a year toward the council's 26-year waste contract with Veolia.
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Rufford Colliery, the site of the proposed incinerator
Defra decided to make the pay out because the council promised to cut the amount of waste it was sending to landfill sites.
The incinerator at Rufford Colliery is a key part of the council's plans as rubbish which would be buried as landfill would be burned instead.
If planning permission for the incinerator is refused, the council will struggle to meet those targets and Defra could potentially recoup the annual contribution which it has paid since the contract was signed in 2006.
County council cabinet members will be told on Wednesday, March 24, that it is unlikely that Defra would take the full amount back but they must prepare for the possibility.
They will also be asked to give the go ahead to the principle of extending a deadline in their contract with Veolia to secure planning permission.
The current deadline of May 31 will be missed because of a protracted public inquiry, which is due to resume on April 13.
A proposed two-year deadline extension would allow the contract to stand if planning permission is granted.
Read tomorrow's Evening Post for the full story.
13 Comments
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by keith, Nuneaton
Thursday, March 18 2010, 1:35PM
“Recycling plants are far cheaper than incinerators and are operated/funded by private firms. They can just chage a gate-fee per tonne of waste. For sorted waste they pay the council. For waste that needs sorting they chage the council or buisness a fee of £10 to £50/tonne. That is a lot cheaper than the gate fee for an incinerator. The great thing is that there is no 30 year contract. A massive problem with the PFI contract is that it was for 26 years and not flexable. In 10 years time most people will read news online but the contract will assume we have waste full of newspapers.”
by Mr. Sensible, The Real World
Thursday, March 18 2010, 10:53AM
“"Instead of paying £18 milllon a year for a plant that is too big they should use the break option in the contract. The council can then follow Surreys example and save money by recycling more/ burning less."
But, Keith, in order to recycle you have to have the facilities; not something the new Tory administration specializes in.
And Meeki I am not going to take sides on incinerators; I don't know enough about them, so will sit on the fence.”
by m, gedling
Thursday, March 18 2010, 2:34AM
“i thought there was a pfi interest when i saw 26 year contract plan with veolia.
oh dear some council person is selling their childrens council tax contributions,
what are we coming to ?”
by keith Kondakor, nuneaton
Wednesday, March 17 2010, 8:32PM
“Since the signed the contract the amount of waste produced has dropped and almost half is recycled. Even Veolia's consultants have worked out that the council will not produce the 180,000 tonnes needed by the plant.
Instead of paying £18 milllon a year for a plant that is too big they should use the break option in the contract. The council can then follow Surreys example and save money by recycling more/ burning less.
Recycling/composting cost £30-£60/tonne
landfilling will cost £94/tonne once the tax goes to £72/tonne
burning waste at WRG in nottingaham costs around £60/ tonne
Burning waste in new PFI incinerator will cost £90-£140 per tonne depending on how much they have.
They should release the contact costs before they even think of extending the contract.”
by Dave, Notts
Wednesday, March 17 2010, 8:27PM
“The real Dave, Notts:
Why don't you campaign to have it built in your own back garden then? I'll quite happily sign any petition that you get going to get this done.”
by Gotcha, Nottingham
Wednesday, March 17 2010, 7:30PM
“Mr S. Have just watched Prime Ministers Questions from earlier today - have a look - your hero, the unelected Brown, was aniilated.
Have a nice night now.”
by Meeki, Notingham
Wednesday, March 17 2010, 6:33PM
“Mr S. A couple of years ago, Eastcrofts regularly breached emission guidelines and city council merely turned a blind eye.
However, when I lit my first fire in 33 years in my back garden to burn a small pile of waste. Within an hour, a council manager was lecturing me on pollutions.
I quietly reminded him of Eastcroft's breaching safety guidelines and the Environmental Agency's reports.”
by Mr. Sensible, The Real World
Wednesday, March 17 2010, 5:43PM
“As I have done before I will sit on the fence in relation to the issue of incinerators; they can be used to create electricity, however there are local health ETC issues and I would be interested to see the emissions from Eastcroft.
What I do know though, is that if you've got a landfill reduction target to meet, it would be incredibly irresponsible to make that more difficult by cutting recycling provision by closing the most eficient recycling centre in Nottinghamshire.
So, the Tory government at County Hall has brought this on itself.
And, like the bus plug issue, the taxpayer will end up paying either through council tax or through cuts as a result of Tory mismanagement.”
by Mr. Sensible, The Real World
Wednesday, March 17 2010, 5:41PM
“As I have done before I will sit on the fence in relation to the issue of incinerators; they can be used to create electricity, however there are local health ETC issues and I would be interested to see the emissions from Eastcroft.
What I do know though, is that if you've got a landfill reduction target to meet, it would be incredibly irresponsible to make that more difficult by cutting recycling provision by closing the most eficient recycling centre in Nottinghamshire.
So, the Tory government at County Hall has brought this on itself.
And, like the bus plug issue, the taxpayer will end up paying either through council tax or through cuts as a result of Tory mismanagement.”
by Martin, West Bridgford
Wednesday, March 17 2010, 4:14PM
“Get this thing built, we can't recyle everything and unless we all want to pay more in Council Tax or other charges due to increases in Landfill tax we need more incineration. The emissions argument is nowhere near as strong as the NIMBYs would have you believe. Oh and I speak as somebody who lives only a couple of miles from Eastcroft.”