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Hixon Parish Council Objection to Clinical Waste Facility

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Hixon Parish Council Planning Committee considered Staffordshire County Council Planning application reference number is SCC/24/0064/FULL-ES at a public meeting on Tuesday 27th August 2024. Hixon Parish Council objects to the application.

The planning application seeks approval for a potentially hazardous waste treatment plant in close proximity to St Peter’s Primary School and nearby residential properties and business premises.

Over forty local residents attended the public meeting to air their views about the application. Residents expressed concerns that the proposed process to incinerate up to 3,504 tonnes (per annum) of ‘clinical waste’ appears to be untried and untested. Clinical waste is generated from health care premises such as hospitals, doctor’s surgeries and care homes. Such waste comprises swabs, bandages, dressings, syringes and other sharps and poses a serious risk of infection. It can also contain ’anatomical waste’ which includes human or animal tissue, organs and other identifiable body parts. All the waste has to be collected, stored, transported and processed with great care to avoid the risk of infection spread. Residents raised questions about the credibility and competence of the applicant/site operator to ensure the untested/untried does not discharge harmful and/or unpleasant gases into the atmosphere 24 hours a day and 365 days of the year.

The applicant (In Waste Ltd) produced a Community Engagement document dated 13th July 2023; ostensibly to invite Hixon households and businesses to comment on the proposals to “develop a new Clinical Waste Treatment Facility for the purpose of creating Combined Heat and Power which will produce energy for the neighbouring businesses, on land at Hixon Industrial Estate, Church Lane, Stafford, ST18 0PY.”

The Community Engagement document continued “We (In Waste Ltd) are an established Waste Treatment business based in the (sic) Stafford who specialise in clinical waste treatment. The development of the proposed facility will process approximately 0.4 tonnes per hour of clinical waste, sourced from the surrounding medical facilities.”

While the In Waste Ltd Community Engagement document may have been written, it was not circulated widely (if at all) and only one private household received the Community Engagement document after personal contact by the resident and request to see the document.

Furthermore, In Waste Ltd claim that nine local businesses, in the immediate area of the application site were canvassed via email, but none responded. St. Peter’s Primary School was also apparently emailed a Community Engagement document on 19th July 2023, when the school was about the break up for the annual six week summer holiday. Not surprisingly, St Peter’s School did not respond.

The proposed Clinical Waste Treatment Facility would be contained within an existing building set back approximately 90m from Church Lane. The exhaust flue would be 15m high and 80m from St. Peter’s School playing fields.

Hixon Parish Council objects to Staffordshire County Council Planning application reference number SCC/24/0064/FULL-ES for the following reasons;

  • Significant risk to health caused by an untried and untested process in close proximity to a St Peter’s Primary School;
  • Significant risk to health caused by an untried and untested process in close proximity to residential properties and business premisses.
  • Failure by the applicant (In Waste Ltd) to provide any evidence of meaningful Community Engagement and responses received;
  • False claims by the applicant (In Waste Ltd) that “we are an established Waste Treatment business based in the (sic) Stafford who specialise in clinical waste treatment.”
  • There is no evidence to support the above claim;
  • In Waste Ltd (Company ref 13037090) was incorporated and registered at 8a Brocton Road, Milford, Stafford ST17 0UH on 23rd November 2020 and was dissolved on 26th April 2022 via compulsory strike off;
  • Inwaste Business Ltd was incorporated and registered at 8b Brocton Road, Milford, Stafford ST17 0UH on 7th March 2023 and was dissolved on 13th August 2024 via compulsory strike off;
  • Neither In Waste Ltd or Inwaste Business Ltd appear to have traded as an “established Waste Treatment business based in the (sic) Stafford who specialise in clinical waste treatment” as claimed;
  • All clinical waste has to be collected, stored, transported and processed with great care to avoid the risk of infection spread;
  • Notwithstanding the applicant’s Company status as being dissolved, no evidence has been submitted to indicate from where the incoming Clinical Waste might be sourced, or the safeguards to ensure it is handled and processed with due care, attention and safety to the surrounding environment;
  • The untried/untested process is potentially hazardous and the site location is unsuitable for such experimental operations;
  • The emissions from the flue are unknown and will be detrimental to the wellbeing of pupils and staff at St. Peter’s School;
  • The emissions from the flue are unknown and will be detrimental to the wellbeing of residents in the wider area in Hixon and people working in Hixon;
  • Hixon Parish Council objects to Staffordshire County Council Planning application reference number SCC/24/0064/FULL-ES;
  • Hixon Parish Council urges the Waste Planning officers to recommend refusal to the Waste Planning Committee when it comes before the Committee at a date to be advised.

 

Cllr Brendan McKeown

Chair Hixon Parish Council

September 15th 2024