Waste incinerator near Warboys proposed

Sycamore Planning have submitted an application for a heat and power plant to process 48,000 tonnes of wood per year.

The application (H/5002/18/CW) also calls for the construction of a treatment plant to process 65,000 tonnes of waste water per year. Sycamore Planning currently operate the Warboys Landfill Site at Puddock Hill.

Although the buildings would be relatively low lying, there would be 6 flues rising 3m above the roofline of a building with the dimensions of 40m x 18m x 9m. The nature of the pollution would not be so problematic as that at the proposed Waterbeach waste incinerator because wood would be the main fuel. Nevertheless, we expressed the following concerns to the Cambridgeshire County Council:

• The building will have a significant effect on the landscape.
• While it is hoped that the plant will be operated to the highest standards and be monitored by the licensing authority, there is concern that, should polluting emissions occur, there would be a damaging effect on the nearby Sites of Special Scientific Interest of Warboys Clay Pit and of Warboys and Wistow Wood.
• There is the potential for light spillage into the countryside because of the proposed operation of the plant for 24 hours a day for 50 weeks of the year.
• We questioned whether the access road is suitable for 16 deliveries of waste wood and waste water by 24-tonne heavy goods courier service vehicles or 27-tonne tankers each day.

Update (17 September 2018):

This application was passed by Cambridgeshire County Council despite strong local objections, including our own. We are now waiting to see if it will be called in by the Secretary of State and to determine if we should respond to the expected public consultation by the Environment Agency when an operating licence is applied for.

Warboys incinerator – CPRE objection – CCC – H_5002_18_CW