Pitsea incinerator: Fears raised over air quality

Clearaway is proposing the incinerator at Archers Field in Pitsea, with two huge chimneys and that is set to burn landfill waste from across the county to “create secure, low carbon sources of energy”.

Now councillors have been told bosses at the site are working on another plan for a nearby site for a so called "block making receptor sites."

It comes after public outcry and fury from residents, councillors and MPs over the waste burning plans.

Craig Rimmer, Tory councillor for Pitsea South East says neither plan is acceptable for the borough.

The chairman of Basildon Council's Leisure and Environment Committee said: "It feels like it's been hanging over us for a long time now and it'd be good to just kill it.

"We have a good argument to stop it with the air quality issue and this is an attempt to show there's a by-product from the waste and benefit from it.

"The trucks alone will tip us over the edge into poorer air quality and the Government has warned us about this previously.

"I think this is being done as a more attractive package. It just can't happen here."

While Basildon Council unanimously refused the plans, the final decision on the incinerator - which will be built by Basildon-based recycling firm Clearaway if plans are given the green light - will lay in the hands of Essex County Council.

It comes as a stretch of the A127 in Basildon and two areas to the south of it – notably in East Mayne – were found to be exceeding legal limits for nitrogen dioxide – a harmful gas caused by vehicle emissions.

A spokesman for Essex County Council said: “We have been advised that the applicant for planning application ESS/120/20/BAS is likely to be making an additional application in support of this submission. If the additional application comes forward it would be subject to the appropriate advertising and consultation process at that time and the applications are likely to be reported together as a package.”

Clearaway was contacted for comment.