Last chance to have a say on permit for North Horsham incinerator

Britaniacrest was originally refused permission for a recycling, recovery and renewable energy facility in Langhurstwood Road by West Sussex County Council in 2018, but the decision was overturned at a subsequent appeal in 2020.

The company then applied for a permit variation from the Environment Agency to add mechanical sorting and an energy recovery facility to its existing site.

A public consultation on this was held last summer and the EA has written a draft permit variation document and draft decision document.

It is seeking the public’s views on these by Sunday June 26 and will make a final decision once it has reviewed all these comments.

No Incinerator 4 Horsham Community Group (Ni4H) is seeking legal and technical expert advice before commenting as it remains ‘very concerned’

Peter Catchpole, chairman of Ni4H, said: “The community needs to feel safe and secure with a proposal of this magnitude in our area and ensure the public aren’t at risk.”

The group said it is ‘hard to comprehend how this can go ahead’ given the site’s close proximity of Bohunt and other schools, 2,750 new homes at the Mowbray village under construction, a Morrisons superstore, sports hub and employment space also planned, all in the direction of the prevailing wind along with the ancient woodlands and Kilnwood Vale.

Ni4H said: “It’s really important to have you say and it is easy to do a short online comment.”

The EA says: “We would only issue a permit variation if we are satisfied that Britaniacrest Recycling Limited has the appropriate systems in place to operate the energy recovery facility without causing harm to the environment or human health.”

The documents are available to view online where residents can also respond to the consultation.

Copies are also available at Horsham Library. Call 01403 224353 to make an appointment to view them.

Responses can also be emailed to [email protected]

They can also be posted to Environment Agency Permitting and Support Centre, Environmental Permitting Team, Quadrant 2, 99 Parkway Avenue, Parkway Business Park, Sheffield, S9 4WF marked ' Variation application number: EPR/CB3308TD/V002'.