A RESIDENT has criticised Reading Borough Council for failing to oppose a plan to build an incinerator which she fears could pollute the air and cause a health hazard.
Waste management and construction contractor J Mould wants to build an Energy Recovery Centre and adjacent Data Centre at its site off Berrys Lane, Burghfield, which falls within West Berkshire Council.
It would commercial and industrial waste, with the fumes running an electricity-generating turbine.
Planning agents for J Mould say it would dispose of 150,000 tonnes of waste per year and provide electricty for the National Grid and a proposed new data centre on the site.
But a West Reading-based woman has objected, raising fears that it could negatively impact people in the town, and has said Reading Borough Council should have opposed it.
“An incinerator creates carbon dioxide which melts the ice caps. Its detrimental to the world,” she wrote in her objection.
“Emissions from incinerators are harmful for health, and cause cancers and asthma.”
She raised fears that these health risks could affect people in Coley, Southcote, Whitley and Green Park Village, which has a primary school which opened in September 2020.
She added: “What they [the council] don’t realise is the CO2 emissions and polluting dioxins will hit Reading.”
The woman went on to call incinerators a ‘white elephant’ as more and more waste is being recycled, meaning the incinerator will not have enough waste to burn.
“There’s not enough rubbish now and in the future to keep these incinerators viable – there wouldn’t be enough rubbish to burn,” she argued.
A spokesperson for Reading Borough Council said officers examined the plan when it was submitted in September 2020, and recently, and found no reasons to object.
“This planning application is for the existing J Mould Reading Quarry site in West Berkshire, which is already designated as a waste management facility,” they said.
“It should be noted, the Council’s response was based solely on the impact on Reading Borough as the neighbouring authority, rather than any impact in West Berkshire.
“The impact of the proposed development on air quality has been assessed in an Air Quality Assessment submitted with the application.
“The assessment uses appropriate standards and guidance and found that the impact of pollutants released from the proposed development would be insignificant at all residential receptors in Reading.
“It is wholly for West Berkshire District Council to consider and assess the application in full against its adopted local plan policies and national guidance.”
The plan, reference 20/02029/COMIND, can be viewed westberks.gov.uk’s planning portal
