CHESHIRE West and Chester Councillors have granted planning permission for the building of a new energy waste plant at the Ince Resource Recovery Park.
Approval was given by five votes to four for the plan by Covanta Energy Limited after lengthy and careful deliberation by members of the strategic planning committee.
The planning application had earlier been deferred for officers to gather further information.
Councillors spent some time asking if different conditions, including the air quality monitoring of the site, could be incorporated.
The complimentary roles of any planning conditions and the Environment Agency permit were discussed.
As discussions drew to a close Councillor Alex Black told the meeting that officers had gathered further information and answered questions adding: “We have also been told that we must assume that the Environment Agency will do their job properly and must make our decision on that assumption.
“I think that we must make a decision one way or another.”
Planning permission was granted which includes a large number of conditions to minimise dust and other measures to protect local amenity, including the developer contributing to the local Air Quality Forum.
