A consultation is under way with people in East Suffolk being urged to have their say on an environmental permit for a controversial incinerator.
In May, Suffolk County Council approved plans from V.C. Cooke Ltd to build and operate a Small Waste Incineration Plant (SWIP) in Ellough, near Beccles, despite numerous objections and concerns over the area becoming "a rubbish tip" for the region.
Now, an application for an environmental permit has been submitted to East Suffolk Council for the SWIP - with East Suffolk residents invited to submit their views with a six-week public consultation open, and running until November 5.
The plant will be constructed and managed by V.C. Cooke Ltd alongside their existing waste operation on the Ellough Industrial Estate.
In law, as well as planning permission for a waste incinerator, the operators need to obtain a permit to ensure it operates with minimal pollution.
V.C. Cooke Ltd has now applied to East Suffolk Council for this permit.
Caroline Topping, East Suffolk Council leader, said: "This application has generated a lot of interest from local residents.
"I am keen that everybody is given the opportunity to express their views on this issue in a constructive way and is able to ask questions to address any concerns and understand what is being proposed."
People can find out more about the environmental permit by attending a drop-in session, which will be hosted by East Suffolk’s Environmental Protection team.
Two drop-in sessions are at the Old Ambulance Station on Blyburgate in Beccles on Tuesday, October 17 between 3pm and 7pm and Wednesday, October 18 between 10am and noon.
If a permit is granted and the incinerator is built, the council then continues its role as a regulator by making regular inspections to ensure that the operator is complying with the permit.
The full application can be viewed online.
Any comments on the application should be emailed to ep@eastsuffolk.gov.uk or sent by post to Environmental Protection, East Suffolk Council, Riverside, Canning Road, Lowestoft, NR33 0EQ.
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