Boris gives approval to waste plant (From Your Local Guardian)

Boris Johnson gives approval to SITA waste plant in Benedict Wharf, Mitcham

10:23am Thursday 13th October 2011 in Merton By Omar Oakes

Plans for a new waste facility in Mitcham were approved by Boris Johnson last night.

Despite Merton Council rejecting a previous scheme for the new plant in Benedict Wharf in October 2010, a new and modified plan was approved by the London Mayor at City Hall on Wednesday evening.

Waste management company SITA can now build an anaerobic digestion plant which processes about 40,000 tonnes of rubbish per year.

The council rejected a previous scheme that would handle 100,000 tonnes.

Councillor Ian Munn, who represents Cricket Green ward, said he was "disappointed but not surprised" by the mayor's decision, as London's planning laws made it inevitable for the scheme to be approved.

Coun Munn, Labour, said: "In fairness to Boris he asked some very probing questions, but he was essentially boxed in to make a decision in favour of SITA.

"But there were a considerable number of planning conditions that the developer will need to abide by, which will hopefully mitigate our concerns about traffic movement and other nuicances."

The changes to the plan, since it was rejected by Merton Council last year, are:

• The size and footprint of the proposed Anaerobic Digestion (AD) facility has been reduced by more than half
• The amount of material that the proposed AD facility can process has been decreased from 100,000 tonnes to 40,000 tonnes per year;
• Plans to develop an in-vessel composting facility have been scrapped;
• The height of the AD stack has reduced from 37 metres to 32 metres;
• The height of the anaerobic digestion tanks has been reduced from 24.5 metres to 15 metres;
• An estimated 20 per cent less traffic than the initial plan proposed.

What do you think? Leave a comment below, call 020 8722 6335 or email: ooakes@london.newsquest.co.uk.