A council chief from north Bucks has praised the progress of a £200m incinerator which is due to open in less than a year – but promised to ‘keep a close eye’ on residents’ concerns.
Buckingham councillor Warren Whyte, who is now the cabinet member in charge of the project, recently visited the plant in Greatmoor, near Calvert, to check on the construction work carried out by contractors FCC Environment.
Despite its critics, who argue it will destroy the environment, the council says the ‘energy from waste’ plant will radically change the way waste is processed across Bucks by burning it to generate electricity instead of disposing of it in landfill.
The energy produced will be equivalent to that required for 36,000 homes – which is approximately 3,000 more than the total number of households in the towns of Aylesbury and Buckingham combined.
The new system will save taxpayers a minimum of £150m over the next 30 years. It is due to open next spring after about two-and-a-half years of building work.
Warren Whyte, the new cabinet member for planning and environment, said: “I’ve only recently inherited the energy from waste project.
“I am impressed by how construction has progressed and nears completion.
“As a Buckingham councillor I am well aware of local concerns that were raised during earlier phases of the project and I will be keeping a close eye on the monitoring of the facility once it is in use. I am encouraged by the rigorous regime that is being put in place in line with Environment Agency requirements. “With the planned education facility on site, I intend to promote understanding of the plant’s operations with neighbouring parishes and local schools.
“Local residents are already benefiting from reduced number of HGVs and waste collection trucks that used to wind their way through many north Bucks villages on the way to Calvert, now diverted to main roads and the new A41 access road.”