New waste facility likely for Sutton and Croydon (From Your Local Guardian)

New waste facility likely for Sutton and Croydon

6:10am Thursday 18th February 2010 in

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A new waste plant is likely to be built in Sutton and Croydon to help process millions of tonnes of rubbish from four London boroughs.

Residents of Croydon, Sutton, Kingston and Merton are expected to throw away 5m tonnes of rubbish over the next 25 years – enough to fill the new Wembley football stadium up to five times.

Fears have been rife throughout the four boroughs that an incinerator would form part of any new facilities, although Croydon’s controlling Conservative councillors have been quick to deny plans.

Factory Lane recycling plant in Croydon has been a strong candidate to host a new facility after gaining the backing of the four boroughs, which have banded together to solve their future rubbish problems as the South London Waste Partnership (SLWP).

But the SLWP has revealed about 20 hectares would be needed to deal with the group’s waste – meaning plants would need to be built on all the group’s favoured sites in Croydon, Kingston and the Sutton and Merton border to cope with demand.

Purley Oaks Highway Depot also scored highly in the group’s recent consultation, but would only provide 1.68 hectares of land.

Any site rated as suitable under the SLWP’s waste plan would be looked upon favourably in planning applications for waste facilities for 12 months. The final decision on the plan is due to be taken by the Government’s planning inspectorate in summer 2011.

Up to 20 per cent of the waste processed by the new facilities will come from private firms under the new waste contract, which is expected to be signed by a winning bidder by May 2011.

Bids from four companies have made the group’s shortlist so far, which will be whittled down to two by the end of the year.

Currently 14 sites throughout the four boroughs recycle, compost or process 750,000 tonnes of waste each year.

Favoured solutions for the SLWP’s 20-hectare waste needs: • Factory Lane, Croydon 11.92ha • Villiers Road, Kingston 1.86ha • Garth Road, Merton and Sutton border 7.65ha Total 21.43ha Other possible solutions: • Purley Oaks Highway Depot 1.68ha • Existing recycling sites at Beddington Lane, Sutton 5.35ha • Land west of Beddington Lane, Sutton 6.76ha • Beddington Farmlands, Sutton 4.02ha