'Waste ghetto' scheme refused
Plans for a "War of the Worlds" style incinerator at a Devon beauty spot have been rejected by planners amid claims it would turn the county into a "waste ghetto" for the entire South West.
Devon County Council turned down the proposal for the £100m waste burner at New England Quarry, on the edge of Dartmoor.
Councillors unanimously agreed with officials who recommended the application for refusal, based on the damage it would do to the local landscape and in particular an ancient wooded valley.
Campaigners celebrated the victory yesterday and said developers Viridor would now find it hard to build the plant.
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But the company indicated it was likely to appeal against the ruling to the Planning Inspectorate, adding that it had won a succession of previous cases and substantial costs.
The company lost its battle to build a household waste incinerator, which is now under way in Plymouth by MVV Umwelt, but continued with the Lee Mill scheme.
Will Mumford, Devon County Council cabinet member for economy, enterprise and employment, said approval for the scheme at the city's North Yard rendered the Viridor plan "redundant".
He said the company would be forced to ship in waste from neighbouring Dorset, Somerset and Cornwall.
Viridor reacted angrily to the decision, which it called "wrong".
Spokesman Howard Ellard said: "It is patently obvious there is a need for this facility – they are exporting jobs and investment a sizeable distance away, to Avonmouth."
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