2:23pm Monday 20th February 2012
By Tarik Al Rasheed
A PLANNING appeal that will ultimately decide whether a disused waste incinerator is switched back on is to be heard next week.
Tuesday’s hearing at Malvern Theatres will decide whether a decision to refuse plans for an ‘eco-community’ on the site of the former Hayler’s End incinerator in Hanley Swan is overturned.
Planning consultant Andrew Boughton, who is acting on behalf of applicant Peter Styles, has already warned that a second knockback will “almost certainly”
result in the incinerator being brought back into life.
he said: “When the site was sold by Worcestershire County Council back in 2007 there were no covenants placed on its future use.
The legal use of the site remains as an incinerator and there are no planning reasons that would prevent that being the case.”
Mr Boughton said several operators are interested in bringing the incinerator back as a more “bespoke” facility, dealing with specialist materials including waste from vets and medical facilities.
“At the moment something in the region of 73,000 tonnes of specialist waste originates in Worcestershire, but only about 8,000 tonnes is actually treated in the county, so a small plant which would treat about 30,000 tonnes a year would clearly find a use,” he added.
Malvern Hills District Council originally turned down consent for a development of 24 homes in a community hub in March last year.
In response to some of the concerns expressed, the number of homes proposed has now been reduced to 21 ahead of the appeal.
Mr Boughton also plans to argue that the district does not have its five-year land supply and the present planning system does not encourage people to try alternative models of housing.
The appeal hearing is scheduled to take place at Malvern Theatres in Grange Road, from 10am-4pm on Tuesday.
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