Pic: Virador

A controversial waste plan that could see an incinerator built on Beddington Lane, was approved by Croydon Council on Monday in spite of concern from local people and Green councillors.

Croydon Council said that a contract has not yet been signed  and that planning permission has not yet been applied for.  However, waste company Viridor was previously selected as the preferred bidder for an incinerator on Beddington Lane by The South London Waste Partnership (SLWP). The SLWP  provides waste management for Croydon, Sutton, Kingston and Merton councils.

If the plan goes ahead, the incinerator could become operative by 2015.

The proposal has caused concern among local residents in Croydon area. Jerry Wood, 35, told Eastlondonlines: “I think is not a good idea to choose Beddington Lane as the incinerator site. As we in Croydon live downwind, there is no doubt that we will be the recipient of air pollution”.

But Croydon Council said the proposed facility would be eco-friendly and safe: “If planning permission is granted the Energy Recovery Facility proposed for Beddington would use the latest technology to thoroughly clean any emissions before they leave the facility. The proposed facility would also have to operate under an Environmental Permit issued and regulated by the Environment Agency which will ensure that local air quality is not compromised.

“Viridor’s proposal is a safe, environmentally sustainable and cost-effective way of dealing with household waste,” Bownas added. “Instead of being buried in the ground, this waste would be turned into 26 megawatts of electricity. It is enough to power the facility itself and supply 30,000 homes. The facility would also enable the work to restore the existing landfill site to amenity parkland for the Beddington Country Park and Wandle Valley Regional Park to be accelerated.”

According to Croydon Council, Viridor is planning to do an Environmental Impact Assessment to ensure the safety of the new facility.

Viridor will also undertake a public consultation in February this year to gather feedback from local residents about the proposed development.

In recent weeks, environmental campaigners questioned the SLWP’s decision to build a new incinerator on the Croydon/Sutton border instead of using an existing facility. And local campaign group Stop The Incinerator say the proposal does not sit well with Croydon Council’s aim to achieve a 70 per cent recycling rate in the borough.