On Friday afternoon I met with James Cleverly, your local councillors, senior officials from the Environment Agency (EA), as well as a number of local residents to discuss the Waste 4 Fuel site following the most recent High Court case which took place on the 6th and 7th May.
Over these two days, the EA put forward evidence to illustrate Waste 4 Fuel’s failure to comply with the various orders imposed upon them, and it is hoped that, if successful, this case will open the way to the site’s license being revoked.
I feel it is fair to say that the operator’s legal team are using any method they can to delay proceedings, and as many of you will be aware, the case has now, unfortunately, been adjourned until a later date, unlikely to be until mid-June.
Whilst this is incredibly frustrating, your councillors and I are continuing to put pressure on the EA to move quickly on this, and everything is being done locally to ensure this ongoing problem is brought to a close as soon as possible.
The EA have agreed to continue inspecting the site on a daily basis, and I am pleased to say that the Fire Brigade, thanks to James Cleverly, London Assembly member for Bexley and Bromley, have put in place a number of contingency plans to maintain safety at the site over the coming months. As part of this, firefighters will visit the site three times a day with thermal imaging cameras, allowing them to pre-empt and mitigate the risk of any fires breaking out.
I feel the meeting on Friday was, overall, very positive. It was the first time I got the sense that the EA are on completely the same page as the councillors and myself, and the necessary processes are in motion to end this prolonged situation as quickly as the legal system allows. Everyone is working hard on behalf of local residents, and we remain committed to closing the site, clearing the waste, and restoring the Green Belt land.