An eight-day public inquiry into plans to build an incinerator in the village of Woodhurst opened at the Cambridgeshire County Council headquarters, New Shire Hall, this morning (February 20).

Envar Composting has submitted an application to build the incinerator, which will deal with clinical waste from hospitals, on Somersham Road.

CCC later rejected the plan and Envar appealed the decision. A protest group called, People Opposing Woodhurst Incinerator (POWI), stood outside New Shire Hall with placards and posters on Tuesday as councillors and others made their way to the hearing.

Lorna Watkins, a member of POWI, said Envar "should listen to the community”.

"We've said we don't want this incinerator on our doorstep," she said.

Shailesh Vara, MP for North West Cambridgeshire, was also in attendance. 

He told The Hunts Post the Woodhurst community "have been very accommodating" with the development of the site, however, "this is a step too far".

The plans were rejected by Cambridgeshire County Council's planning committee in April 2023 on several grounds, including landscape concerns and the health and wellbeing impact on the wider community.

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Protestors were joined by County Councillor Steve Criswell, Ben Obese-Jecty, prospective parliamentary candidate for Huntingdon, and Shailesh Vara MP.

Mr Obese-Jecty said that the plan is "at odds with what the local community wants.

The Hunts Post: Ben Obese-Jecty, Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for Huntingdon. (Image: Ben Obese-Jecty)Ben Obese-Jecty, Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for Huntingdon. (Image: Ben Obese-Jecty) (Image: Ben Obese-Jecty)

"I completely understand why a local resident would oppose this. I would be scared if I had a family breathing in the air."

Lorna Watkins told the media she didn't even want to contemplate an outcome of Envar winning the appeal.

Liz Blows, who is the chief executive of the Raptor Foundation (which sits opposite the proposed land), fears for her business should Envar win the appeal.

"I would spend a lot of time crying. What would I do with my birds? There would be no money coming in, because people will not be staying in our accommodation or visiting the centre once an incinerator goes up."

The Hunts Post: Shailesh Vara MP (Image: GOV)Shailesh Vara MP (Image: GOV) (Image: Shailesh Vara)

Shailesh Vara MP added: "My main concern is the visual impact, and the breaches of the Huntingdonshire District Council Local Plan 2036."

He said that if the Envar win the appeal, "It would be a deeply regrettable move."

Recommended Reading: Public inquiry in February for Woodhurst incinerator plan

A spokesperson from Cambridgeshire County Council confirmed that the Council's position "has not changed" on the matter.

Speaking previously on the matter, a spokesperson said that Cambridgeshire County Council "will be robustly defending its decision to stop expansion of the Envar Composting Site at Somersham Road, Woodhurst."

The lengthy public inquiry will be held in the Red Kite Room at New Shire Hall. 

The meeting will also be live streamed on Cambridgeshire County Council's website.

The Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, Michael Gove MP, has recovered the appeal, which means that he will make the final decision.

Envar Composting was contacted but did not want to speak before the hearing. Previously the company has described the plans as a "truly innovative concept that will produced top quality compost as well as bio gas that will be fed into the national grid or use as vehicle fuel".