SWERF

A waste to energy plant which Derby City Council wants to see built in Sinfin has been hailed as a solution to the waste problem. But residents and environmentalists are opposed to the Swerf technology, some claiming that it is just another incinerator. Australian firm Brightstar's plans to build a waste-to-energy plant in Sinfin have met with opposition from local residents and environmentalists. And although the city council has backed the plan, authorities in India and Australia have not been so enthusiastic. We are told it will be safe for Sinfin, but plans to build a revolutionary recycling plant near slums in India have been halted amid health fears.

Derby City Council's planning control committee unanimously approved Brightstar's plans for Sinfin in February - despite opposition from residents and environmentalists. But since the site had previously been earmarked as an "open space", the matter was referred to the then Local Government Secretary, Stephen Byers. He decided not to intervene, leaving the council free to grant planning permission, which it did in May - angering Brightstar's opponents. Derby City Council's cabinet member for environment and direct services believes the Swerf would benefit the city as a whole.

In July last year, Councillor Ashok Kalia signed a short-term waste management contract with Brightstar, which would see the Swerf processing 50,000 tonnes of domestic rubbish a year. He said, "We have a mega problem in that more and more waste is being generated by Derbyshire households every year. We have to get rid of it somehow and, as a council, we are looking for the best way to do that. We want to put more and more effort into recycling and composting - and we are - but there will always be some waste left to deal with. I do not believe in incineration - it is a waste. And I do not believe in shoving rubbish into landfill sites."

"We do not want what happened at Loscoe to happen again. Swerf does not burn rubbish. It gets more out of it and does not create pollutants. At this stage, it is the best solution to the waste problem. Even if we wanted to go on using landfill sites, we could not. Bretby, where we send waste, is coming to the end of its life and is due to close in a year or so. The Government penalises councils for sending stuff to landfill by making us pay landfill tax, and the price we are charged per tonne looks set to rise soon. Recycling will benefit the Council Tax payers in pounds and pence, as well as protecting the environment for future generations of Derby residents."

"We want to make it easier for householders to recycle by providing twin-bins and we have applied to the Government for £1m to help pay for this. We are not putting all our eggs in the Swerf basket. More kerbside collections and separate bins for waste that can be composted will boost recycling rates. The Swerf will also send some rubbish for recycling, as well as using what is left to generate green electricity."

Derby's 100,000 households generated 111,000 tonnes of waste last year, just over a tonne per household. Of this, only 12%, 13,320 tonnes, was recycled, with the remaining 97,680 tonnes going to landfill sites. For every tonne of waste sent for landfill, councils have to pay £11 in tax. In 2002, Derby City Council paid just over £1m. This tax increases by £1 per tonne per year, but the Treasury is currently considering doubling it to force councils to boost their recycling rates. On top of landfill tax, councils have to pay for the waste to be disposed. This took the cost to Derby taxpayers to £3.5m last year.

If the Swerf is built, waste used to create electricity will not count towards the council's recycling targets. Derby City Council hoped to introduce a twin-bin system to increase its recycling rate to 33% by 2005 to meet Government targets. And in March, it joined forces with the county's eight district and borough councils to apply for a £5m Government grant. The bid failed and the city council must wait to find out if a second one has been a success.

Brightstar Environmental revealed that Energy Developments Limited (ENE), which owns 88% of the Australian company, has decided to stop any further funding for Swerf schemes, including Derby. The company said that in the six months to June 30, 2003 it had spent an average of around £572,000 a month on Swerf and it was unable to maintain this financial commitment. It is not known what will now happen to the company or if ENE will sell its shares. Campaigners who have opposed the scheme claiming the plant would emit harmful dioxins have now called for Derby City Council to revoke the plant's planning permission.

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