Artist's impression of the proposed energy recovery facility

Plans to develop a waste plant in Westmill near Ware – which will see the incineration of waste to produce energy – will be submitted for approval “sometime this year”, following an extensive delay.

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The news will be a blow to those opposing waste firm Biffa’s plans, including members of The Burning Issue Group in Ware – a campaign group established to protest against the proposals.

Biffa first announced plans for the plant on the existing Westmill landfill site – next to the A10/A602 junction near Ware – in September 2009.

The plans include a plant with combustion chambers, a steam turbine and twin 90-metre high flue stacks.

If built, it will be capable of dealing with 400,000 tonnes per year of non-hazardous waste - principally industrial and commercial waste.

It is predicted to produce 34 megawatts of electricity - enough to power 68,000 homes.

A spokesman for Biffa told the Scene in November last year that it “planned to submit the application before the end of 2010”, once “various technical assessments” had been completed.

This was following an initial delay in submission due to Biffa deciding to revise its proposals following a public consultation, looking in particular at location, site access and the actual building.

Biffa has still not submitted a planning application, giving hope to those opposed to the plans that they may be scrapped.

Ken Ripper, a member of The Burning Issue Group, told the Scene: “There are traffic issues, as well as noise, visual, air and water pollution issues.”

But on Biffa’s website, it now states: “The planning application has been further delayed but the intention is still to go ahead with the project and submit a planning application sometime this year.

“We will advise the community and all interested parties as soon as we have a definite date for the actual submission.”

Biffa has said that if the application is approved by the end of next year, construction should begin in 2013 and the plant could be up and running by 2016.

* What do you think? Email yourscene@archant.co.uk

* WARE residents who have taken Biffa to London’s High Court, claiming their lives have been blighted by the stench of rotting rubbish, are awaiting a verdict.

Thirty lead claimants, representing 152 families from the Vicarage estate, are seeking compensation from Biffa, claiming the smell from the Westmill landfill site between July 2004 and October 2009 was a “nuisance” in the eyes of the law.

A ruling was expected to be made last month, but is still awaited.