Augean goes ahead with low level waste burial

In November the High Court upheld a previous decision by the Secretary of State to allow low level waste at the site.

Planning permission was initially refused by Northamptonshire County Council, but the scheme was then given the go-ahead by Communities Secretary Eric Pickles.

However, a local resident filed an appeal with the High Court to try to block the Wetherby-based company’s low level waste strategy.

The Court of Appeal has now granted permission to appeal against the decision.

Yesterday Augean said the first consignments have allowed the thorough testing of its procedures and operational management systems. It added that all relevant regulatory parties were involved in overseeing the deliveries of waste.

The group said it had started taking waste following the withdrawal of an application for an injunction, although it remains subject to a legal appeal on what Augean described as “a clarification of a narrow point of planning law”.

“The group has been advised that the Court of Appeal hearing is scheduled for the week commencing January 16 and intends to continue to strongly defend its position,” the company said in a statement.

Over the coming weeks Augean will continue talking to clients from the nuclear decommissioning, medical, site remediation and research markets to develop commercial opportunities.

If the Court of Appeal rules in favour of Augean the group expects the site to be made available to the entire low level waste market during the first quarter of 2012.