Dear Sir,
A planning application has been submitted to Durham County Council which is causing a bit of a stink! Construction and operation of a high temperature thermal treatment facility for clinical and hazardous wastes, land North of Hitachi Rail Europe Ltd., Millennium Way, Aycliffe Business Park DL5 6UG. The company submitting the application is Fornex Environmental Solutions established in October 2019.
The Town Council has been proactive in trying to find out information and share it with our residents. There has been great concern over the lack of consultation; the potential health risks to residents and the loss of habitat for a number of protected species.
In brief the application will be for a High Temperature Incineration (HTI) plant which would safely treat clinical and hazardous wastes, including materials seized or detailed by the Police, Border Force and other agencies. The site may also take liquid waste that require treatment; these would be directly injected into the heat treatment process.
It is proposed to recover energy from the materials in the form of heat, providing both the heat needed to run the facility, and to export to neighbouring users should this be commercially and practically viable. It will also generate renewable electricity from a large number of roof-mounted solar panels.
It will be a totally enclosed facility that would operate 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, with a maximum of 15 HGV movements per day (11 bulk loads, delivered, 1 delivery for reagent, 1 collection of ash and 2 pallet collections/consumable deliveries). The maximum annual operational through-put of hazardous materials will be – 10500 tonnes which is equal to 1.25 tonnes of waste per hour. Waste would be stored and processed on site in accordance with the site’s Environmental Permit, if approved.
Construction will take approx. 15 months, with a 3-month commissioning period and there is the potential to employ 27 after completion. A main point to consider is the ‘stack’, or chimney which will be 30m high (Hitachi roof apex is 13m).
Virtual meetings were arranged by the local MP Paul Howell and representatives from the company where it was noted that a number of the matters discussed did not reflect the information set out in the planning application, such as the operational hours or the types of materials to be incinerated which caused some concern by the officer present.
The application was considered at the Planning Sub-Committee and a report was taken to the last Council meeting where it was agreed that a letter be sent to local media; a public meeting be organised when Covid restrictions allow and a planning consultant be appointed to represent the Town Council. Officers are in the process of contacting planning consultants to assist with a campaign to reject the planning application and potentially harmful development.
We will keep you up to date with information and when a public meeting has been arranged we will let you know.
Cllr Robert Fleming
Chairman of the Town Council Planning Sub-Committee