"We are currently in talks with our reserve bidder and, provided everything goes to plan, hope to confirm the proposed site shortly"
Councillor Martin Tett, Buckinghamshire Cabinet Member for Strategic Planning and Waste
Aylesbury, Bucks, England: Buckinghamshire Council announced on Tuesday that it is currently in talks with its reserve bidder – The Composting Company - with a view to awarding a contract for the design, build and operation of an In-Vessel Composting facility in the north of the County.
The announcement followed a decision by the Planning Inspectorate to reject an appeal by Agrivert, the preferred bidder, for the building of an In-Vessel Composting facility at Manor Farm, Hardwick.
In November 2007, the Council's Development Control committee rejected a second planning application by Agrivert, to build a facility at Hardwick. The facility would have converted 25,000 tonnes a year of local household food, cardboard and garden waste into compost.
Buckinghamshire Council says that the application was refused over concerns about the detrimental impact of the proposal on the highway safety - it was this decision that was taken to appeal by Agrivert.
Cambridgeshire based The Composting Company, already holds planning consent for its proposed in-vessel composting facility at Calvert Landfill.
Councillor Martin Tett, Cabinet Member for Strategic Planning and Waste said:
"We are currently in talks with our reserve bidder and, provided everything goes to plan, hope to confirm the proposed site shortly.
"The large amounts of waste being produced in Buckinghamshire means the Council has to build a facility which will help divert waste from landfill. If we do not meet the landfill diversion targets for biodegradable waste set by the Government and EU, council taxpayers will end up paying around £150 a tonne in fines as well as an increase in landfill tax."