The controversial expansion will see the incinerator’s annual capacity rise by almost 35,000 tonnes, allowing significantly more waste to be burned despite fierce resistance from local councils and residents.
The Environment Agency has approved plans to increase the amount of waste burned at Sutton’s controversial Beddington incinerator by almost 35,000 tonnes a year, despite huge public opposition and hundreds of recorded nitrogen oxide emissions breaches in recent years.
Councillors and MPs have condemned the decision, with Hackbridge councillor Dave Tchil branding it an “absolute betrayal” of residents living near the site. Local MP Bobby Dean has also called for the decision to be reviewed by central government.
The Environment Agency (EA) announced the approval of changes to Viridor’s environmental permit for the Beddington Energy Recovery Facility today (June 3), allowing the incinerator to process almost 380,000 tonnes of non-recyclable waste each year.
The increase represents an additional 35,000 tonnes of waste each year at the plant, which burns household rubbish from Croydon, Kingston, Merton and Sutton as part of the South London Waste Partnership, alongside commercial waste from across the region.
Councillor Tchil, of the Labour Co-operative and Independent Group, told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS): “As a representative for the community forced to live in the shadow of the incinerator, the EA’s decision to grant Viridor this permit to burn even more is an absolute betrayal of Sutton’s residents.
“For years, our community has battled odours, relentless emissions, and even fires and shutdowns, all the while incinerator enthusiasts have repeatedly failed to prove they can operate in harmony with the local neighbourhood.”
Taking aim at Sutton’s Lib Dem council, who approved plans for the incinerator back in 2013, he said: “We would not be in this position if the Sutton Liberal Democrats hadn’t actively instigated, championed, and signed off on their incinerator contract in the first place, chaining our borough to decades of mass waste-burning.”
“This news was conveniently timed until after the local elections,” he added. “It is a disgrace that our residents are being forced to bear the health and environmental costs of corporate greed and the Lib Dems’ catastrophic long-term political failure.”
Despite these criticisms, Sutton Council says it has consistently opposed the proposal. Responding to the announcement, Sutton Council’s Sustainable Transport Committee, Councillor Christopher Woolmer, said: “We are deeply disappointed by the decision today from the EA to give the green light to more waste being treated at the Beddington Energy Recovery Facility.
“While we recognise that energy from waste facilities has a role in managing waste, it is imperative that the highest standards are maintained. Last year, the Council formally objected to the EA.
“We argued that the site and plant lack the capacity to process the proposed amount of waste. We are also concerned about Viridor’s repeated permit breaches, which last year resulted in a downgrading of their compliance rating.”
Responding to Tchil, Woolmer said: “Only the Labour Government has the power to overturn the Environment Agency’s decision, and we are calling on them to do that urgently. Labour councillors need to stop sitting on their hands and get their colleagues in Government to act.”
Carshalton and Wallington Lib Dem MP Bobby Dean shared the council’s concerns over the EA, calling the approval ‘disgraceful news’. He told the LDRS: “Expanding operations at the site when there is no community need for the increase raises serious questions about whether the EA is operating in local people’s interests.”
He added: “My colleagues and I have repeatedly raised all of our concerns with ministers in Parliament, submitted detailed objections to the EA, and met directly with its officers to make the case against this increase.” Mr Dean has written to the Secretary of State demanding an urgent review of the decision.
The council is now considering its own response to the decision and wants reassurance that its objections were properly considered and that the right safeguards are in place. It also called on the EA and Viridor to engage directly with residents to explain the increase and what it will mean for day-to-day operations.
The EA said it had reviewed the technical evidence submitted by Viridor, and considered responses from two rounds of public consultation before reaching its decision. It said the facility had shown it could safely process more waste while complying with its environmental permit.
The EA noted that London and the South East still produce large amounts of non-recyclable waste, much of which is exported or sent to landfill. As well as increasing the site’s waste-burning capacity, the revised permit includes several technical updates, including changes to emissions monitoring and waste classification, and officially renames the site the Beddington ERF and Waste Transfer Station.
A spokesperson for Viridor told the LDRS: “As the UK continues to move away from landfilling our waste, Viridor applied to increase the facility’s permitted capacity so that more non-recycled waste can be treated locally.
“The EA has independently reviewed the application and supporting technical evidence before reaching its decision. The application was based on the Beddington ERF’s strong operational performance and demonstrated ability to process additional waste while continuing to operate within strict environmental permit requirements.
“The facility generates energy from waste that has not been recycled, providing an important waste management service for the South East, and delivering a better climate outcome than if the waste was landfilled.
“The variation will help ensure more of this waste can be managed locally, reducing reliance on landfill while generating electricity for homes and businesses.”
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