Concerns raised about incinerator project near Reading

Waste management company J Mould successfully applied to develop Reading Quarry to create an energy from waste (EfW) facility and a data centre.

EfW facilities work by burning unrecyclable waste to turn turbines and generate electricity.

The quarry is located in Berrys Lane, Burghfield, which falls under West Berkshire Council's jurisdiction, with that authority approving the project in September 2022.

Reading Borough Council had raised concerns about the impact construction traffic would have on regular traffic in Reading, which had to be submitted in a construction traffic management plan (CTMP).

Readers can subscribe for just £3 for 3 months in this flash sale

However, these concerns have been dispelled following revisions to the plan.

Jonathan Markwell, the council's principal planning officer, wrote: "The council's transport planning team have confirmed that reasonable steps have been taken to avoid peak hour traffic movements.

More specifically, the CTMP has been updated to state that travel will be outside of peak hours where possible, although it is acknowledged that some peak HGV vehicle movements are likely to occur whilst the main building is being fitted with its internal equipment during a six-week period.

"The proposed construction traffic routing is acceptable to the council as it avoids Reading town centre and high-density residential areas.

"Long vehicles will be required to use the red route via the A4 Bath Road due to the constraints of the alternative route.

"Accordingly, the council have no objections to raise from a transport perspective."

Mr Markwell's comments were made in what are called 'adjacent authority consultations' where neighbouring councils are able to provide official support or opposition to projects that are near administrative boundaries.

The concerns raised about the incinerator were noted by Micky Leng, lead councillor for planning and assets, who commented that the council's comments on applications in neighbouring areas often 'go under the radar'.

Cllr Leng (Labour, Whitley) said: "It's come across that in fact we didn't ask questions, we didn't raise our concerns.

"Well, I can assure residents that officers did."

He mentioned the incinerator at a meeting of the council's planning applications committee on April 30.

While answering a question at a policy committee meeting last November, Karen Rowland, lead councillor for environmental services, stated the council and Reading Labour MPs are lobbying the government to properly review the use of EfW facilities, as extra capacity to burn waste is not needed in Reading.

Push for incinerator near Reading to be shut down before it is built

She instead encouraged people to recycle as much as possible to reduce the need for incinerators.

Cllr Rowland (Labour, Abbey) said:  "If we are all serious about a reduction of our reliance on EfW facilities, we each have a job to do.

"We must, as a community and a responsible society, seek to maximise our
recycling which remains our priority."

Another example of Reading council commenting on plans in a neighbouring area was its response to the project to replace Shire Hall in Shinfield with six logistics units in Wokingham Borough.

Reading council also voiced objections to the Caversham Lakes destination in South Oxfordshire District Council's jurisdiction, with activities ending on the lake last March.