A CONCERNED councillor worries about local communities as plans for the Rivenhall Airfield incinerator continue.

Essex councillor for Braintree Eastern, Paul Thorogood, is stressing his concerns as construction on the site goes ahead.

With claims it will be Essex’s largest single source of CO2 emissions, the incinerator is being built by Belgian-based company Indaver who say the project will cost £600million and hope to have it operational from 2026.

Following a liaison meeting involving councillors, Mr Thorogood claims new information about the Integrated Waste Management Facility has come to light.

He says, while Indaver has planning permission from 2010 to build the incinerator, which would include, a paper pulping plant and a composting processing system, “Indaver says only the incinerator is commercially viable and so it may drop the other elements - which are arguably greener waste processing systems.”

Mr Thorogood added that Essex County Council rejected Indaver’s bid only to build the incinerator, but this decision is being appealed with a hearing in January 2023.

He also says “Indaver has also submitted a Development Consent Order (DCO) to the Government to increase electrical output from the incinerator.”

The move has sparked concerns from the councillor who said: “So the planning uncertainty continues.

“Despite decades of applications and variations, Indaver cannot say to local communities exactly what they will build - apart from their commitment to the incinerator element of the plant.

“ The original planning agreement stated the plant was for Essex waste only, but that requirement was dropped by Essex County Council some time ago - so now waste can come in from anywhere.

“To direct waste lorries to the Rivenhall Airfield site, Indaver is already planning to put signs up along local roads including the B1018 through Cressing, despite the planning agreement that only access via the A12 and the A120 can be used, to the private haul road that joins the A120 near Bradwell.

“So it is clear that despite all the assurances, the site developer - and Essex County Council - is anticipating waste site HGVs coming through local villages and not following the agreed route.”

However, Indaver has hit back at the claims made by councillor Thorogood.

John Ahern, Business Development and Commercial Director at Indaver said: "Indaver continue to build the IWMF as per the planning from 2016, whilst reviewing the market to find sustainable developments that will be beneficial to the wider project.

"It's important to note that Indaver have never applied to build the incinerator only and whilst there was a DCO submitted to increase the electrical input, this will absolutely not increase the waste intake of the IWMF.

"The IWMF has been designed to provide a waste solution to both Essex and adjoining counties, all waste deliveries will be using the entrance to the site located on the A120 and Indaver have no intention of delivering waste to the IWMF by any other route."