Unfortunately the Surrey County Council Planning and Regulatory Committee decided to approve the Eco Park application on Friday 9th March.

Not content with passing this unproven (and therefore experimental) technology, they even refused requests to prevent access to the gasification plant by HGVs on Saturdays and Sundays; to prevent access to the anaerobic digester on Saturdays; and to restrict the operation of the gasifier at weekends.

The arguments put forward by the speakers on your behalf were delivered with conviction and should have persuaded the Committee of the concerns the residents have about the proposal. Our local County Councillors also put forward cogent and well reasoned points; and all were supported by a packed public gallery. Unfortunately, the Committee did not vote as we would have hoped.

This has been a long three years of campaigning; and the hugely disappointing outcome has served to illustrate how economic considerations seem destined to trump all the environmental deficits which will inevitably result from this project.

John Brooks (Deputy Head of Planning and Housing Strategy for Spelthorne Borough Council) attended the hearing as did Michael Graham (Head of Corporate Governance at Spelthorne Council) who is one of the Council legal team. Both took copious notes throughout. They will be looking at the legality of the process followed by the County Council and SITA UK. We will be seeking an early meeting with these officers to explore the possibilities of a challenge through Judicial Review at the High Court.