Protesters have discovered that a proposed £60 million incinerator could include the burning of commercial waste.
Residents at a Let’s Talk meeting, held in Astley Village Hall last Wednesday, were shocked to hear that Veolia Environmental Services bosses have a clause in their application to allow the burning of commercial waste at the incinerator.
Proposals for the site in Battlefield were initially said to be only for the disposal of household waste. But at the meeting, people were told by Veolia managing director Donald McPhail that if there was not enough household waste to fill the quota, commercial waste would be burned too.
Last year Shropshire Waste Partnership (SWP) awarded a multi-million pound 27-year contract to Veolia to deliver household waste management services and under the contract the company has proposed to incinerate household waste.
A planning application will be submitted later this year to Shropshire County Council.
Shrewsbury’s MP, Daniel Kawczynski, said he had been bombarded with letters, phone calls and e-mails from concerned residents over the incinerator.
During the meeting, Edward Bedell of Astley Parish Council and Claire Wild, borough councillor for Haughmond and Attingham, questioned Mr McPhail about the issue of commercial waste.
Mr McPhail said: “The planned energy recovery facility at Battlefield will generate up to 8MW of electricity – enough to power 10,000 homes. The ERF has been designed to take domestic type waste.
“However, if there is any spare capacity, we would be able to take commercial waste from around the county.
“This commercial waste is produced by businesses and is waste that is not recycled. For example, packaging materials from shops.”