City incinerator could power 42,000 homes

A WASTE incinerator which it is claimed would generate enough electricity for 42,000 homes could be built in Leeds.

Waste firm Biffa wants to build the plant at the former coal-powered Skelton Grange power station, which closed more than 20 years ago, in the Lower Aire Valley.

It is holding public discussions today at the Leeds College of Building's Stourton Link Campus about the plant – officially termed an energy recovery facility – to gauge public opinion prior to the company putting in a planning application later this year.

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It aims to divert the city's commercial and industrial residual waste away from Biffa's landfill site at Pontefract Lane into the new plant.

The site lies to the south-east of Leeds, close to junction 44 of the M1 and junction 7 of the M621.

Leeds City Council itself is proposing to build a separate electricity-generating waste incinerator to deal with the city's household waste that cannot be recycled.

Currently 500,000 tonnes of waste goes to Biffa's Skelton Grange landfill in Pontefract Lane. It has a limited capacity, and it will be almost full by 2014, when Biffa hopes its new plant will be up and running.

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Biffa's development director, Simon Allin said yesterday: "We hope the prospect of bringing this site back into use for energy production while supporting the economic regeneration of the Lower Aire Valley, which is is something the community will welcome.

"In addition, the diversion of residual commercial and industrial waste away from landfill is something that the public, policy-makers and Biffa are also passionate about," Mr Allin added.

Biffa says it is likely to submit a planning application for the plant sometime over the summer.

More than 5,000 invitations have been sent out to people near the site about the public exhibition. According to Biffa, the nearest residential area to the site is 1.5km, about a mile, to the north.

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The public exhibition is being held at Leeds College of Building's Stourton Link Campus, at Intermezzo Drive, Stourton, Leeds between 11am and 2pm today.

The proposal plans to use residual waste from the Leeds area to produce 21 megawatts of electricity and supply neighbouring developments – the equivalent of electricity for 42,000 homes.

Project planning manager Mike Harty said last night that invitations had been sent to a number of householders, businesses and stakeholders.

Mr Harty added: "We look forward to meeting people and explaining more about our plans for the site and the technology we plan to use to turn waste into energy."

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Following the conclusion of the two-day public exhibition, Biffa will consider comments received ahead of any formal application.

Anyone interested in finding out more information can visit www.erf-skelton-grange.co.uk, call the 24 hour information line on 07585 369 215 or write toBiffa at Skelton Grange ERF consultation, c/o Skelton Grange Landfill Site, Biffa Waste Services Ltd, Pontefract Lane, Newsam Green, Leeds, LS15 9AD.