Extra waste burning approved for incinerator

A south London incineration company has been granted permission to process tens of thousands of extra tonnes of rubbish each year after the Environment Agency approved a permit variation.

Viridor Ltd can now increase the amount of waste handled at its energy recovery facility to 382,286 tonnes annually - an increase of nearly 35,000 tonnes.

This comes despite opposition from residents living near the Beddington site, who have previously told the BBC they are concerned about pollution and increased traffic.

Chair of Sutton Council's environment committee, Christopher Woolmer, said he was "deeply disappointed" by the decision, which the council had consistently opposed.

In the run-up to the ruling, locals spoke of unpleasant smells and a near-constant flow of lorries serving the facility, while community campaigners and councillors said repeated objections had been lodged with the Environment Agency on their behalf.

Concerns have also been fuelled by reports of previous emissions breaches at the energy-from-waste plant.

The incinerator exceeded its emission limits 916 times between 2022 and 2024. Viridor said the breaches were caused by a third-party contractor and were very small in scale.

It added they did not pose a risk to human health and said safeguards were now in place to prevent a recurrence.

The Environment Agency said it was satisfied the variation met environmental legislative requirements and provided a high level of protection for human health and the environment.

Matt Higginson, an environment manager for the Environment Agency, said permits placed "stringent conditions" on waste sites.

"Emissions from the plant are monitored around the clock, and the data is rigorously assessed to identify if any breaches to the permit occur."

The agency has powers to suspend or revoke permits, issue enforcement notices or pursue prosecution in serious cases.

The updated permit has also allowed the site to temporarily store and move some hazardous and clinical waste, though these materials will not be burned at the energy recovery facility.

Woolmer said the council formally objected last year, arguing the site and plant lack the capacity to process the proposed amount of waste, and raising concerns about Viridor's repeated permit breaches, which led to a downgrade in its compliance rating.

He added: "We stand with our local residents who share our serious concerns.

"While we recognise that energy from waste facilities has a role in managing waste, it is imperative the highest standards are maintained.

"We will now consider what action we can take to ensure that all our objections were properly considered and that the necessary safeguards are in place."

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