A NEW waste plant looks likely to be coming to Rugby.
Despite worries from Rugby planners that the health of residents cannot be guaranteed, county officers have stated this week that the site - which would be run by Cemex - is safe enough to be built in the town.
They have recommended that councill
ors approve the plans on Tuesday for a large plant in Malpass Farm to burn household waste and convert it into energy.
However, they have also advised them to approve the same plans for a site in Southam - which means Cemex could have to decide which one it wants.
It is thought that Rugby is its preferred site as it is next door to Cemex’s cement plant, although the company says both plans have their merits.
“The recommendations are very positive for us and now we will wait to see what the councillors say next week,” said Ian Southcott, UK community affairs manager for Cemex.
We reported in August that Rugby Borough Council planners stated that ‘the protection of the Rugby public cannot be guaranteed and safeguarded’ by the health implications of the plant - something Cemex has strenuously denied.
The plant will burn household waste and convert it into green energy, known as Climafuel, which will be used to produce cement at Cemex’s plant in Lawford Road, Rugby.
The company says it will help reduce harmful emissions.
But local planners said they are not convinced by the environmental claims and it would be unsuitable to build it close to people’s homes.
Cllr. Ish Mistry (Lab, New Bilton), whose ward will be directly affected by the plans, said that extra lorries will congest the roads if the plans go ahead.
“It is inevitable that over time, rubbish will be brought in from other counties to make Climafuel,” he said.
“We are talking about thousands of lorry movements a week. We do not have the infrastructure in place to cope with that.”
The climafuel plant would sort, recycle and process the household waste and require 15 lorry movements (seven-and-a-half lorries making a journey there and back) each hour between 7am and 7pm on weekdays.
n We will publish the decision from Tuesday’s meeting on www.rugbyadvertiser.co.uk, and print the full report in next week’s paper.
