PORTLAND Town Council has voted to unanimously back 'strong' objections to controversial plans for a waste incinerator.

An Extraordinary Planning Meeting gave the council a chance to formally consider the proposal, and members agreed to the objections and concerns for the development.

Powerfuel Portland wants to build a £100 million Energy Recovery Facility (ERF) at Portland Port which would burn up to 202,000 tonnes of non-hazardous waste each year to convert to energy.

Powerfuel says the plant would use waste as a fuel to produce 15MW of energy, supplied to the national grid - enough to power around 30,000 homes - as well as providing shore power to Portland Port.

In its statement of objection Portland Town Council said: "Having duly considered the additional documentation submitted by Powerfuel, Portland Town Council wishes to object in the strongest terms to this planning application.

"A wide range of documentation and specialist feedback has repeatedly demonstrated that that the harm of building this facility clearly outweighs the benefits. Portland Town Council therefore states there can be no justification for the building of an Energy Recovery Facility at this location."

The council said it is concerned with the impact an incinerator might have on the environment and said the proposal did not align with the objectives set out by Portland Town Council when it declared a climate and ecological emergency on June 26, 2019. The council said the overall objective of this was "to do all that we reasonably can to reduce our impact on climate change and ecological degradation both here on Portland, but also nationally and globally.”

The town council also cited its concerns around public health, saying that it remained "gravely concerned about the high level of pollutants that are envisaged by this application" and said that additional revised documents provided by Powerfuel did not address the concerns of the town council in their responses in regards to its impact on traffic and ecology.

It also said that Portland Port Ltd has not explored any alternatives to waste incineration to implement onshore power. In its statement the council said: "Powerfuel’s proposal for a waste incinerator at Portland Port with the 'key element of the proposal being the provision by the plant of shore power for shipping in Portland Harbour' is misguided, as a waste incinerator is unable to supply zero emission onshore power it is the wrong technology in the wrong location."