Suggested design for incinerator

Plans to build a waste incinerator just north of Welham Green have moved a step closer.

It would be capable of processing enough waste to fill Wembley Stadium annually.

Hertfordshire County Council says it has been successful in a bid to set up the £115m waste treatment facility.

The authority says that the site will deal with 170,000 tonnes of municipal waste every year, waste that would have previously gone to landfill.

New Barnfield

The site identified as a 'reference site' by the authority is New Barnfield in south Hatfield, although the authority says a final decision on the location has not yet been taken.

New Barnfield, to the north east of this map (click here for a closer look)

It says that the facility will enable the authority to extract energy from material that can't be recycled and that it will have a positive impact on the environment and will save costs.

Herts says the new plant would create local jobs.

It's being paid for with a government grant from the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) for £115.3 million of Private Finance Initiative (PFI) Credits funding.

Herts will now begin the formal procurement process for the new treatment facility and the process of finalising where it will be built.

The North Mymms District Green Belt Society (NMDGBS) raised the issue in a recent newsletter, sent to all local homes.

"The main concern of this society is that use of this site for waste handling will cause a significant increase in the number of very heavy vehicles using South Way, Hatfield and all surrounding roads."

You can discuss the plans for the incinerator in this site's forum.

5 April 2009