THE firm promoting a recycling industrial park at Ince Marshes says it would deal with vast volumes of waste created in the North West.
The region produces over 13 million tons of municipal, commercial and industrial waste every year, about 62% of which is from the Mersey Belt - the conurbations of Greater Manchester and Merseyside.
Peel Holdings bought the Ince Marshes site in 1996, originally intending it to be used for petro-chemical use.
Now they say they have been working on the idea of a Sustainable Resource Recovery Park to help tackle waste management for the past 3-4 years.
Peel development manager Myles Kitcher said: 'We're seeing a whole range of directives coming out of Brussels aimed at more sustainable use of natural resources. It's something that's going to have to be addressed: what do we do with all these mountains of waste? That's what makes it an exciting development - it's so very different. It's going to happen anyway.'
Mr Kitcher said although the plan was based on bringing materials to be reprocessed from the North West, materials could be brought in from all over the country.
'Material will have already been separated out,' he said. 'We're not talking about bin bags. There are no general emissions. They are all internal emissions.'
The main attraction of the site for Peel Holdings in 1996 was the canal berth and the railway network.
'The reprocessing is connected to the transport issues,' said Mr Kitcher. 'Clean waste will be brought in bulk down the canal. Without that you have a high volume of lorry movements inside and out.'
He added: 'The concept is established. It's what's involved in it that might change.
'We have to demonstrate to Cheshire County Council that this is the only site that can do it in the region. We believe it is.'
Mr Kitcher continued: 'It is adjacent to Quinn Glass and is effectively screened from Elton as a development. There is quite extensive landscape, particularly at the east and west. The west is screened from Ince by natural screening - tree planting, the east from Helsby.'
He said that they would 'maintain and enhance' the drain running through the centre of the site for ecological habitat.
Peel Holdings are keen to consult with the communities surrounding Ince Marshes. 'We understand people's concerns down there and we obviously want to work with them,' said Keith Butterick, consultant for Peel. 'We're meeting with parish councils, the county council, the North West Development Agency, the Regional Assembly. If people want to have a public meeting we would facilitate that. We're very much in their hands as well, in terms of consulting.'
Peel have already promised to return to Elton, Ince and Helsby Parish Councils with more information about recycling processes and the environmental studies they have carried out.
