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BBC News
02-04-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Dorset incinerator opposers 'devastated' over High Court ruling
Campaigners have said they are "devastated" after losing a court case against the decision to build an incinerator near Dorset's Jurassic Coast World Heritage High Court has dismissed an appeal for a statutory review into Powerfuel Portland's £150m waste incinerator planning application, which was given the go-ahead by the government in September, despite initially being refused by Dorset decision comes after a two-day hearing in Stop Portland Waste Incinerator (SPWI) group said taking the matter to the Court of Appeal was its "one final chance". The group's request for a statutory review was upheld on the grounds the Secretary of State's decision "does not satisfy" Dorset Council's Waste Debbie Tulett, who heads up the campaign, described news of the latest decision as "devastating"."I am very disappointed that the judge was unable to see that the planned waste incinerator does not comply with our county's waste plan," she said."We do have one final chance left on the legal challenge side of things and that is to try and get our case heard at the Court of Appeal." Ms Tullett said she believed the majority of those who were opposed to the incinerator "would like us to fight to the bitter end".She said after "nearly six years of full-time fighting against the waste incinerator, I am not ready to throw in the towel yet".Olympic sailor and Portland resident Laura Baldwin, who is also campaigning against the plans, described the decision as "deeply upsetting"."It is clear that it is no longer a financially attractive investment with the upcoming inclusion in the emissions trading scheme making it very much more expensive to burn waste," she Olympic champion Ellie Aldridge said "no-one will want to train" at the National Sailing Academy if an incinerator was built nearby. 'Vital to port' The Environment Agency (EA) granted Powerfuel Portland an environmental permit for the incinerator in February after concluding it had met all of its necessary the time Dorset Council leader Nick Ireland called the announcement "extremely disappointing".He said the incinerator would be "throwing out nitrous dioxide, sulphur dioxide, arsenic, nickel, chromium" into the atmosphere, below the top of the island and opposite the beach, and harm the area's tourism Powerfuel Portland said the facility would have the capacity to process up to 202,000 tonnes of waste per year and create enough energy to power about 30,000 said hazardous or clinical waste would not be Port previously said the power plant was "vital to this port's future" by allowing it to offer shore power to docked cruise ships. You can follow BBC Dorset on Facebook, X, or Instagram.
Yahoo
12-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Sailing academy at risk of closure if Olympic team leaves due to incinerator
WEYMOUTH and Portland stand to lose its world class sailing academy and the training base for Olympians due to the waste incinerator, it was warned today. The facility at Osprey Quay has said its financial viability could be jeopardised if the British Olympic Sailing Team leaves - which its athletes have threatened if the incinerator is built nearby at Portland Port. The loss to the area would be about £5 million a year plus 50 jobs. The warning comes as campaigners head to the High Court today for a legal challenge to the government's controversial decision to award Powerfuel Portland planning permission for its £100 million energy recovery facility. Laura Baldwin competed in the 2004 Olympics as a sailor and has been a vocal campaigner against the waste incinerator (Image: Cristiano Magaglio) Protesters are heading up by coach for the hearing - which has come about after a local campaign raised funds to pay for the legal fees and mount a challenge. The incinerator scheme has left the future of Olympic athletes using the Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy in doubt. They are worried about air quality and the effect on their health, claiming the incinerator poses a "grave threat to the future of sailing in the UK". The academy, which was built in 2005, has long been the home of the Olympic sailing team and took centre stage in the 2012 Games when it was the base for competitions and the medal ceremony. READ: British Sailing to research health impact of Portland incinerator The WPNSA has been the home to the British Olympic Sailing team since 2012 (Image: Newsquest) The Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy statement in full (Image: WPNSA) But the academy said the departure of the Olympic sailing team - which it describes as a 'raison d'être for its existence' - would 'jeopardise its financial viability and have a detrimental effect on its image and credibility'. A spokesperson added: "If the closure became reality, the loss to Weymouth and Portland would be in the order of £5 million per annum brought to the area by competitors and visitors, in an addition to the 50 direct and indirect jobs the academy supports." It comes after the Royal Yachting Association (RYA), the national governing body for all forms of recreational and competitive boating, called on Powerfuel Portland demanding clarity for its athletes over potential health implications. The current British Olympic Sailing Team has been opposed to the waste incinerator on Portland due to health concerns (Image: Supplied)READ: Olympic sailors threaten to leave Portland over incinerator In a letter the RYA said: "We are calling on allay the fears of our athletes by providing greater clarity on the approach taken to environmental modelling and how this was applied to the human health data assessment. "This reassurance is essential as we all want Portland to remain the home of British sailing. "The RYA's heritage and connection with Portland is deeply rooted. We have close ties to Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy which is host to multiple significant international and national events annually, which play a substantial role in supporting Portland's tourist economy." The design of the new training base at the WPNSA for British Olympic athletes (Image: RYA) The RYA previously revealed £9 million plans to build a new training base at the site for a 'world-class performance and innovation centre' alongside the existing sailing academy. READ: Ellie Aldridge hits out at Portland waste incinerator plans The letter continued: "The health and wellbeing of all participants in our sport, particularly our athletes, is a paramount concern to the RYA, and while we did not object to the planning application in 2020 on the grounds of navigational safety, there are now many questions being raised regarding potential impacts to human health from the incinerator, should it go ahead." Planning permission and an environmental permit has been issued for the project with Powerfuel Portland planning on proceeding with the incinerator. An artists impression of the planned waste incinerator on Portland Giles Frampton, director, Powerfuel Portland, said: 'Powerfuel responded to a letter from the RYA confirming that the Environment Agency (EA) had issued the project with a permit to operate. In its decision letter the EA explicitly confirms: 'the permit will ensure that a high level of protection is provided for the environment and human health.' "The Environment Agency is the UK regulator for such matters and, following a three year process which included a focus on air quality, has concluded the Portland Energy Recovery Facility will not result in harmful health impacts. "It is not clear what qualification or evidence the RYA has to disagree with the Environment Agency's conclusion."
BBC News
19-02-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Portland incinerator: Defra refuses council plea to intervene
Dorset Council's leader says he is disappointed after the government refused to intervene over plans for an incinerator in Ireland urged the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) to act in light of its own review of waste Mary Creagh, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Nature, said it was not appropriate for Defra to comment on the decision.A statutory review of the planning decision will be heard at the High Court on 12 March. The proposed energy recovery facility, planned for land on Portland Port, was given the go-ahead by the government in September, despite initially being refused by Dorset Stop Portland Waste Incinerator (SPWI) group applied to the High Court for a statutory review of the decision, which was granted in December. Mr Ireland had written to Environment Secretary Steve Reed, urging Defra to instruct the Environment Agency to pause its determination of environmental permits for the her response to Mr Ireland, the junior minister said: "Regarding the granting of planning permission for the Powerfuel Portland incinerator, I understand that since you wrote, a claim for judicial review of that process has been listed for hearing by the High Court."Furthermore, as planning decisions are a quasi-judicial process, it is not appropriate for Defra to comment on the decision to grant planning permission consent for any proposed facility."She added that decisions about the plant's location were a planning matter and not connected to the Environment Agency's Ireland said: "This is another disappointing response from the government that fails to address the core points raised - most importantly, how they can justify granting permission for a facility that will, most likely, not adhere to their own newly tightened rules regarding future waste incineration." You can follow BBC Dorset on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram.
