Wolverhampton recycling plant given go-ahead by council
A new recycling plant will be built in Wolverhampton after councillors gave it the go-ahead.
Members of Wolverhampton Council’s planning committee approved the scheme from Ballast Phoenix Limited at Tuesday's meeting
The new facility will be based on land at Cross Street North, in Bushbury, and see the recycling of 200,000 tons of incinerator bottom ash (IBA) per year – which is waste produced by incinerating rubbish such as metals, brick, glass, rubble, concrete and ceramics – to create aggregate used in construction.
It will be situated next to the existing Wolverhampton incinerator as well as a vehicle dismantling business and the Wolverhampton Canal.
Planning committee members said the site was ideal for this facility and would help cut the amount of waste going to landfill.
Planning officers will work with the applicants to ensure landscaping and planting of trees around the site is carried out.
Councillor Keith Inston, chair of the committee, said: “Facilities such as this have to go somewhere and this is the ideal spot for it.
“It will also reduce the amount of waste that goes to landfill.”
As part of the application, a total of 10 people would be employed to work on the site, which will also feature offices as well as the processing plant.
Some concerns were raised about potential increase in noise and pollution as well as the negative impact it might have on listed canal locks situated nearby.
But officers said the Environment Agency has raised no objections to the proposal and the plant is situation far enough from residents and the canal, with measures in place to mitigate negative impacts.
They added permission had been granted in 2017 for a similar plant, which would have recycled 150,000 tons per year.