COUNCILLORS and concerned residents have criticised Cumbria County Council for its plans to grant retrospective planning permission for a plant to make incinerator fuel from waste.

The permission will grant Cumbria Waste Management Limited (CWM), a company that Cumbria County Council owns but is operated at arms length with an independent board of directors, the authority for the plant to make incinerator fuel from waste at the landfill site at Hespin Wood, north of Carlisle.

The retrospective permission comes after CWM applied to add a water tank to the original planning consent under a minor amendment application.

Having consulted on the minor amendment for a water tank, the council now plans to grant retrospective permission for the plant at its Development Control and Regulation Committee meeting on Friday (July 15).

When the controversial plans for the plant were considered in 2018, the plant received 159 objections. 

Carlisle Residents Against Incinerator (CRAIN) spokesperson David Mudge said: "It is completely outrageous that the council is trying to smuggle through retrospective permission for its own plant that is anticipated to send waste to the proposed Carlisle incinerator.

"The council shouldn't have approved the proposed Carlisle incinerator.

"Now a council-owned company has constructed a building in breach of the Council's own planning conditions to feed the incinerator it shouldn't have approved.

"Has the council learnt nothing from all the failures and errors in its handling of the incinerator planning process?

"It seems to me that the council behaves as if the rules and regulations don't apply to them," he said.

READ MORE: Council admits 'error' in planning process for new incinerator in north Cumbria

Tom Adams, chair of the Carlisle and District Green Party said: "Once again we have a proposal by the council that seeks to pave the way for a development that does not serve the needs of the community, the environment or its own carbon reduction targets. 

"In addition, the means of achieving this is rather suspect. Given the planning application has now expired shouldn't they be putting the whole application back through the full planning and public consultation process?

"Other councils in England are actively putting policies in place that encourage reduction in plastic usage such as zero-waste retail, repair shops and setting ambitious reuse and recycling targets," he said. 

The Environment Agency is still considering an application for a permit for the proposed Carlisle incinerator.

Andy Chant, chief executive officer of Cumbria Waste Group, said: "We had planning permission for the building we constructed and it was and is a wholly acceptable development from a planning perspective.

"The specifics of this matter are largely procedural relating to a drainage condition and extensively covered in the committee report.

"More importantly, we are a business that is focused on adding value to the resources we handle and maximising recycling in every way we can.

"We are very passionate about the work we do and proud of our reputation for service and expertise.

"I will be contacting the local councillors and extending an invitation for them to come and see the work we do and how sophisticated our operation and processes have now become," he said. 

READ MORE: 'Shocking errors' - Council slammed over review into handling of incinerator planning application