Homeowners near approved Swadlincote incinerator now plan to sell their properties
The incinerator, approved at appeal by a Government inspector following rejection by Derbyshire County Council would sit off the A444 on the outskirts of the town, on the existing Willshee's waste site.
Government inspector Paul Griffiths effectively concluded that the benefits of the waste facility in diverting waste from landfill and energy creation outweighed the 'significant harm' to the area and its residents. A spokesperson for Willshee's has confirmed that the firm will not be the operator of the new incinerator facility.
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Now Woodland Road residents see the incinerator approval as the final straw, following frustrations with the existing Willshee's waste plant, and the impending concerns about the disruption from the new 60-metre-tall facility. Geoff Cooper, who has lived in Woodland Road for 50 years, said: 'I don't want it. I am not happy with it, but what can you do?
'I don't know how they will manage it when there is disruption from what is there now. There was a fire a few weeks ago and there was thick smoke all over the place.'
An unnamed resident said: 'I can't say I am best pleased about it. I am worried about the traffic, we already have all the Willshee lorries going up and down here every day. Getting out of your own driveway is already difficult. We are not looking forward to it.'
They said they were glad they were already in the process of selling their home.
Rebecca and Simon Cuff have lived in Woodland Road for 10 years. Mr Cuff said: 'We are not impressed really. It is so close and it is going to be all day and all night, with smoke and particulate. It will be unsightly in the landscape.'
Mrs Cuff, who has asthma, says she is concerned about the impact on her own health. She said: 'I had this horrible thought that it was going to go through. There is another one at Drakelow and another in Sinfin, it makes no sense.'
They said the facilities on site already frequently 'stink', adding: 'It is already bad enough as it is.'
Mrs Cuff said: 'We'd like to move now. We don't really feel like we want to be here anymore. It is a shame. It is probably going to lower our house prices now though.' Peter McQuilton, who has lived in Woodland Road for 20 years, said: 'There is not a lot we can do about it now. We objected but they didn't listen. We have been overridden. This isn't new, this has been happening to councils for several governments.'
A further resident, who is also now in the process of selling their home after 43 years in Woodland Road, said his garden seating was recently covered in soot and ash from the Willshee's facility fire in May. They said: 'We just don't know what to do. I am now finalising the paperwork to sell the house.
'We can't understand why highways didn't object when we already cannot get out of our drive. How they (Willshee's) can run this new facility when they already can't control what they have already, I don't know.
'It will be taller than the Tall Chimney, I can't believe it. I just can't believe they have passed it. I thought everybody fighting against it would mean something. So many people opposed it, people living in the vicinity and people from far away, that is how strongly we all felt about it.'
A spokesperson for Willshee's said: 'Willshee's recognises the value of the Planning Inspectorate's decision to approve the development of the new Energy Recovery Facility adjacent to our Swadlincote site. The facility will be operated by a separate contractor with a proven track record of running Energy from Waste facilities of similar scale and technology to that of the SERF.
'It is designed to create a clean, safe and secure supply of renewable energy by recovering energy from residual, non-recyclable waste – helping to reduce reliance on landfill, lower carbon emissions, and ultimately support the UK's transition to a more sustainable, circular economy. Willshee's will supply a significant proportion of this waste fuel, and co-locating the facility next to our operations is expected to help reduce vehicle movements across the wider region, while supporting the proximity principle of managing waste as close as possible to the source of waste.
'Willshee's current operations will continue alongside the new facility and remain fully compliant with all existing permits and regulations.'
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