(BBC) READING WASTE INCINERATOR

Building work on a controversial new incinerator is set to go ahead despite the company behind it not yet having an environmental permit.

The facility on Berrys Lane, just north of Burghfield, near Reading, was given planning consent by West Berkshire Council in August 2022. People concerned about the planned waste-to-energy incinerator have been urging the government to intervene.

The developer, J Mould (Reading) Ltd, said the incinerator would help address waste disposal issues in the area and it was "moving forward at pace". The incinerator, which will be called the Energy Recovery Centre, is expected to operate 24 hours a day for 360 days a year, burning 150,000 tonnes of rubbish annually. It will be built alongside a new data centre at an existing waste management site in an old quarry.

In a statement, Jay Mould, director of J Mould (Reading), said: "We have major issues in the south of England, with nowhere to dispose of private sector commercial and industrial waste.

"There is also a burgeoning need for artificial intelligence-ready data infrastructure and rising demand for electrical power. The development on our site addresses all three. "We have taken our time putting the designs together and addressing the planning conditions. We are now moving forward at pace and hope to start construction towards the end of next year."

The company also said it is intending on applying for an environmental permit, which is not required to start construction. But it made clear the centre "will not be operated" until the permit is issued. More of this article (BBC) - link - more like this (waste incineration) - link - more like this (Reading) - link