And another one falls… the Secretary of State has refused permission for the Rufforth Colliery incinerator after a public inquiry. This shows how incinerators are not a done deal just because the Council supports them.
The inspector found that the proposed Energy Recovery Facility would “intrude into the openness of the countryside”, create the “potential for harm to … habitat used by woodlark and nightjar” and that alternative sites had not been sufficiently appraised. Wisely, the inspector confirmed that the facility “would not be a renewable energy scheme”.
Following on the heels of the Derby decision, this shows that a bit of scant greenwashing is not enough to justify building these huge facilities in the countryside. The precedents are mounting up against Allerton Park!
You can read the full decision letter on the Communities and Local Government website.
