Fears new 400m incinerator will turn Stoke into 'regional dumping ground'

A charity said the planned 400 million waste incinerator would turn Stoke-on-Trent into a 'regional dumping ground' and harm the lungs of Stoke-on-Trent children. Stoke-on-Trent City Council is currently consulting the public on its proposals to replace the ageing Hanford energy-from-waste plant with a larger and more modern facility by 2032.

Lung health charity Breath Easy North Staffordshire (BENS) said the emissions from the incinerator itself and HGVs importing waste from other areas would worsen respiratory illness in local residents. BENS has called for a 'strategic pause' to allow zero-emission alternatives to be explored before a final decision to build the new plant is taken.

But the city council hit back at the charity, saying its claims were 'factually inaccurate' and risk misleading the public. The authority insisted the incinerator, or 'energy recovery facility' (ERF), would adhere to strict environmental standards, meaning it would have a 'minimal' impact on air quality and public health, while generating enough power for 40,000 homes.

BENS chairperson Victor Cholij said: "Stoke-on-Trent already suffers from some of the highest rates of asthma and respiratory illness in the UK. Forcing local people to breathe the emissions and diesel truck fumes of other boroughs' imported trash is a matter of environmental injustice."

The ERF would be designed to take up to 290,000 tonnes of waste a year, 38 per cent more than the existing plant, which has operated for more than 35 years and is reaching the end of its lifespan. The council said a larger plant was needed due to population growth and increasing national demand for alternatives to landfill.

But Mr Cholij believes the council is also motivated by the need to provide a heat source for its long-awaited district heat network, which was originally due to be powered by geothermal energy. He said up to 76 per cent of waste would be trucked in from other areas, increasing congestion on the A50 and A500. At the moment, around a third of the waste sent to Hanford comes from the city council, with the rest coming from other authorities and businesses.

Mr Cholij added: "This is a 40-year health lock-in. We do not have to choose between keeping our heating pipes empty and harming the lungs of our children. Modern, non-polluting solutions like mine water geothermal energy and high-tech robotic sorting can separate waste from heat entirely. The council needs to look forward, not backward."

The council said the existing incinerator already took waste from Newcastle-under-Lyme and the Staffordshire Moorlands, and that other energy sources such as geothermal were being explored.

A council spokesperson said: "Energy from waste is a government-supported method of managing waste disposal for rubbish that can't be recycled. It means large amounts of waste that would otherwise go to landfill - which could cause odours, environmental harm and increased greenhouse gas emissions will instead be used to generate electricity.

"Modern facilities are subject to strict environmental standards and are tightly regulated by the Environment Agency. When operating within these controls, they are widely considered to have a minimal impact on overall air quality and public health.

"As well as managing waste, the proposed facility would generate enough energy to power around 40,000 homes and is being designed to be carbon capture ready, enabling future reductions in emissions.

"The safety and wellbeing of our residents remains our highest priority. Any proposal will be subject to robust assessment and must meet stringent environmental and public health standards before it can progress."

The new incinerator is set to be built on the site currently occupied by the Hanford household waste recycling centre, which would be closed temporarily - the council is exploring options for alternative provision. After the consultation has closed, the council will consider the comments received and respond to them through a statement of community involvement.

For more information, visit the council's consultation web page.

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