Consultation deadline for hazardous waste landfill expansion plans at King's Cliffe put back to February

Villagers have been given more time to voice concerns over plans to extend a landfill site for hazardous and low level radioactive waste.

Specialist waste management company Augean want to extend their East Northants Resource Management Facility (ENRMF) site, at Kings Cliffe, into two neighbouring arable fields of about 90 acres. Its new boundary would fall within a mile of Duddington.

Augean announced the plans in October, and put its original consultation deadline back to January after concerns Covid-19 restrictions had denied the public greater access to the plans.

On Monday, the company announced a second extension up to Monday, February 15 before plans for a Development Consent Order are sent to the Government's Planning Inspectorate agency.

The site was opened in 2004 and serves as a landfill site for active hazardous waste and low level radioactive waste, together with a waste treatment and recovery facility.

Augean's consent to operate at the site runs until the end of 2026, but the expansion would provide extra capacity to continue there for another 25 years.

Neighbouring villagers and woodland conservation group Friends of Fineshade have raised concerns.

Part of the proposed expansion falls between the ancient woodlands of Fineshade and the national nature reserve at Collyweston Great Wood.

Plans and comments forms are available at www.augeanconsultation.co.uk or call (01904) 654989 for a hard copy.

Dr Gene Wilson, Augean, Head of Environmental Planning said: "The DCO application process allows for several stages of consultation with the local community and that the current formal consultation period is only the first stage of the wider consultation process.

"There will be several other opportunities to provide comment both to Augean and directly to the Secretary of State through the Planning Inspectorate in the coming months once the application has been submitted.

"As soon as Covid -19 restrictions are lifted sufficiently and we are safely able to, we will be able to recommence our programme of open days that we hold annually, as well as offering visits to the site by arrangement as part of our open door policy that will provide additional opportunities for the local community to discuss the application with us and make further comments.”