Pic: MattFromLondon

Waste company Viridor will consult with the residents of four partner boroughs, including Croydon, on its plans to build a £200m incinerator in Beddington.

The incinerator will create energy by burning 275,000 tonnes of waste from Sutton, Croydon, Kingston and Merton each year.

It is expected to produce enough heat and electricity to power 30,000 homes.

However, there has been controversy about the incinerator since plans were first launched in 2009.

The campaign group, Stop the South London Incinerator, have consistently opposed the project.

The group said: “Virdor’s greenwash misinformation in which they refer to the incinerator as an Energy Recovery Facility (ERF). However, maximising recycling instead of burning resources achieves a much greater energy gain, simply by not having to go through all the energy intensive processes needed to extract the resources needed to manufacture products.”

Green Party member, Chris Walker told EastLondonLines the councils have permitted the incinerator under “perverse incentives.”

“Councils approve of the incinerator because it’s the quickest option. There are far more proactive ways to reduce waste such as efficient recycling.”

Viridor is currently preparing a planning application for submission to the London Borough of Sutton as the local planning authority. If it is successful, the company will be granted full permission to build the facility.

They will also make an application to the Environment Agency for an Environmental Permit.

The company will send over 50,000 newsletters to residents and businesses located close to the site with information about the proposed scheme.

Public meetings are also being held between 3pm and 7pm on:

• Tuesday 20 March at Holiday Inn, Gibson Road, Sutton, Surrey, SM1 2RF

• Wednesday 21 March at Bedzed Pavillion, Sandmartin Way,Hackbridge, Wallington, Surrey SM6 7DF

• Friday 23 March at The Vestry Hall, London Road, Mitcham, Surrey CR4 3UD

• Monday 26 March at Croydon Central Library, Katharine Street, London CR9 1ET

•Tuesday 27 March at Richard Mayo Hall, Kingston United Reformed Church, Eden Street, Kingston, KT1 1HZ