Let battle recommence (From Warrington Guardian)

Let battle recommence

CONTROVERSIAL plans to build the UK's first heath waste treatment plant in Warrington, thrown out last year, are to be debated again.

Applicants Mona Developments have lodged an appeal against Warrington Borough Council's refusal of the £4m scheme, off Winwick Road.

The plant would recycle 10,000 tonnes of clinical waste a year from medical establishments such as hospitals, dental surgeries, vets, tattooists and health centres within in a 30-mile radius of the site.

The scheme is now to be considered in a public inquiry and a Government inspector will decide whether to give the project approval.

The plant would deal with waste such as surgical packs, dressings, swabs, 'sharps', packaging and other similar materials.

Developers admit that three per cent of the items brought in may be hazardous waste - for example, chemotherapeutic drugs or prescription medicines.

The planning application to build the plant has already been refused twice by members of the development control committee and the issue has already gone to a public inquiry before when it was given the go ahead. But because the company could not build the plant as big as it originally planned, it had to be reconsidered by the development control committee last year.

The application provoked outrage from nearby residents when it was first proposed and other organisations including Warrington Collegiate, Warrington District TUC and a number of councillors voiced their concerns.

Bewsey and Whitecross Clr Pat Wright said: "We will still be strongly fighting against this application and plan to start a petition soon."

l What do you think about the proposals, e-mail hcartwright@guardiangrp.co.uk or contact the newsdesk on 434110.